The spillover into Baton Rouge of football fans attending the Super Bowl festivities and game in New Orleans fueled a 48% increase in occupancy and 117% rise in revenue for local hoteliers during the weekend of Feb. 1-3. That's according to new figures released this morning by Smith Travel Research, which tracks hotel occupancy figures in cities across the globe. Though far from sold out, Baton Rouge hotels were slightly more than 73% full during the first weekend of February—up from just under 50% during the same weekend in 2012. Collective hotel revenue during the weekend was more than $2.5 million this year, the report says, up 117% over the $1.2 million netted during the same weekend last year. "The Super Bowl offered a great opportunity to showcase our city, and this report shows how effectively we prepared and executed," says Visit Baton Rouge President/CEO Paul Arrigo in a prepared statement.
The new offensive coordinator of LSU football, Cam Cameron, will receive a three-year contract worth $600,000 this season but going up to $1.3 million in 2014 and $1.5 million in 2015. The school announced details of the agreement today. The 52-year-old on Friday was named LSU's offensive coordinator, replacing Greg Studrawa, who will return to strictly being the Tigers' offensive line coach. Formerly offensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens, Cameron's pay next season would be equivalent to that of LSU defensive coordinator John Chavis. Chavis signed a three-year deal last year, paying him $900,000 in 2012, $1.1 million this season and $1.3 million in 2014. Cameron's contract must still be approved by the LSU Board of Supervisors. The next board meeting is scheduled for March 18.
What started 18 years ago as a small signing day party at the LSU Field House has grown into the annual Tiger Gridiron Club Bayou Bash, which today drew more than 2,000 fans to the Baton Rouge River Center. "I think the important thing is we had 27 commitments and got them all," says Gridiron Club member Chuck Goodwin, who has served as chair of the bash for the past eight years and was at the River Center by 6 a.m. today. He says various factors influence attendance each year, such as the previous season's record, bowl outcome and recruiting-class ranking—for which LSU has drawn kudos from ESPN and Rivals this year. Though Robert Nkemdiche, the nation's top-ranked player, picked Ole Miss over LSU early this morning, highly ranked defensive end Tashawn Bower signed with the...
Robert Nkemdiche is just about everybody's No. 1 prospect on National Signing Day, which is Wednesday. Rivals.com, Scout.com, ESPN, CBS Sports and 247Sports all give No. 1 ranking to Nkemdiche, the big defensive end from Grayson High School near Atlanta. But while LSU and Florida are believed to be among the top schools Nkemdiche is considering, The Associated Press is reporting Nkemdiche is expected to sign with the Rebels early Wednesday morning. The big edge for Ole Miss is Denzel Nkemdiche, Robert's older brother, who led the Rebels in tackles as a redshirt freshman linebacker last season. The family connection may be an insurmountable advantage, but a late decision to visit LSU will certainly add drama to Wednesday's announcement. Nkemdiche's updates on his final visit provided encouragement to LSU fans. ''LSU pushing man!!!! Getting hard now,'' Nkemdiche tweeted...
Superdome and Entergy officials say they will hire outside experts to investigate the cause of a 34-minute power failure that halted the Super Bowl Sunday evening. The announcement by the stadium's management company, SMG, and Entergy New Orleans came two days after the outage halted play in the third quarter of the game between the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers. The companies' joint written statement does not explain the decision, but Entergy spokesman Chanel Lagarde tells The Associated Press they have not been able to reach a final conclusion on the cause of the outage and want a third-party analysis. "We wanted to leave no stone unturned," Lagarde says. "Both [we] and SMG thought it was important to get another party looking at this to make sure we were looking at everything that we need to examine." While the cause of Sunday's outage is still under investigation, records released Monday show that Superdome officials were worried in October about losing power during...
Superdome officials were warned a few months before the Super Bowl that the venue's electrical system could suffer a power outage and rushed to replace some of the equipment in advance of the big game. While the cause of Sunday's 34-minute outage is still under investigation, records released Monday show that Superdome officials were worried in October about losing power during the NFL championship. Tests on the electrical feeders that connect incoming power from utility lines to the stadium showed decay and "a chance of failure," state officials warned in a memo dated Oct. 15. The documents, obtained through a records request by The Associated Press, also show the utility that supplies the stadium expressed concern about the reliability of the service before the Super Bowl. The memo says Entergy New Orleans and the Superdome's engineering staff "had concerns regarding the reliability of the Dome service from Entergy's connection point to the Dome." The memo was prepared for the...
In his latest column, the San Francisco Chronicle's Andrew Ross highlights all that has been going right economically for the host city of Sunday's Super Bowl. "New Orleans' recent performance in job growth, economic output and rising home prices puts it at the top of the list of major metropolitan areas surveyed by the Brookings Institution, a Washington think tank," Ross says, adding: "And that includes the Silicon Valley, which ranks second, and San Francisco, which comes in, shockingly, 23rd." Meanwhile, Forbes magazine recently called Louisiana "America's new frontier for business opportunity." Ross calls the Forbes title "insult to injury," and then lists other ways in which New Orleans has been besting the Bay Area off the football field. "Louisiana boasted $22.5 billion in new capital investment last year—not bad for a state with a population of 4.6 million, compared, say, with the nine-county Bay Area's 7.1 million," he writes. "Its publicly funded...
In a nine-minute interview conducted with ESPN in New Orleans, LSU coach Les Miles provides some insight on the process of recruiting, his thoughts on the influence college offenses have had on the NFL, and more. With National Signing Day now less than one week away, Miles says he feels good about keeping the recruits who have already orally committed to LSU, while acknowledging "there's always a perimeter institution trying to pick away, so we have to make sure we finish." As for dealing with the high number of Tigers from last season who've opted for the NFL Draft and will not be returning to LSU this year, Miles says his staff is always prepared to make the necessary adjustments. "It's fundamental at our place that we play our players early," Miles says, naming former Tigers and current NFL players Patrick Peterson and Morris Claiborne as recent examples. "When you lose 11 juniors—and, you know, each decision is theirs, it's certainly not the head coach's—you certainly...
Sean Payton can finally go back to work. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced this morning the league is reinstating New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton—effective immediately—following a season-long suspension for his role in the team's bounty scandal. The announcement comes one day after Payton met with Goodell in New Orleans. At the meeting, Payton took responsibility for the actions of his coaching staff. Goodell says Payton has "fully complied with all the requirements imposed on him during his suspension." Payton says in a statement that he recognizes mistakes were made "which led to league violations," and adds that he's "excited to be back as head coach of the New Orleans Saints." He concluded his prepared remarks by saying: "Lastly, I feel we have learned from our mistakes and are ready to move forward. I want to thank our owner, Mr. [Tom] Benson, and all of our great fans for the overwhelming support throughout this past year." NFL.com has more on today's...
The NFL has announced the reinstatement of New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton from his season-long suspension, effective immediately, as a result of the league's investigation into the team's bounty program. The league says the decision to reinstate Payton was made after a meeting between the coach and Commissioner Roger Goodell on Monday in New Orleans. Read Daily Report AM for more details.
In light of the ongoing negotiations with Raycom Media to get CBS programming back to Cox Cable customers in Baton Rouge, a Cox spokesperson says one option for customers wanting to watch the NFL playoff game on Sunday is to buy a high-definition TV antennae. However, some area bar and restaurant owners are offering a less-expensive alternative: Watch the game at their place. Brewbacher's is among those that will have the game for customers. "I don't have Cox. I have Eatel," says owner Beau Dicharry, which means his establishments throughout Baton Rouge aren't affected by the standoff between Cox and Raycom—the parent company of local CBS affiliate, WAFB Channel 9. When Walk-On's first...
As of this afternoon, about 6,000 of the 16,000 Chick-fil-A Bowl tickets allotted to LSU for Monday's game remained available, says LSU Sports Information Director Michael Bonnette. "We're hoping that as we get closer to game day people will change their minds and find their way to the game," says Bonnette, who arrived in Atlanta with the team on Wednesday. "There's a huge LSU alumni base here, so we're hopeful all of those remaining tickets will be sold." On the other side of the field, there also appears to be plenty of tickets available for Clemson fans. Based on a quick search of tickets via the Clemson ticketing website, dozens of lower level seats can be had as near as 16 rows off the field. Regarding demand for bowl-related LSU Tigers T-shirts, College District owner Jared Loftus says it has been "real lackluster." "LSU has been so fortunate in recent years as far as bowl games, and I think there's also a little stigma about any games that get played before Jan. 1. And even...
For the second year in a row, Forbes has ranked the LSU football team No. 4 in its annual list of the nation's most valuable college football teams. LSU jumped three spots on last year's list to No. 4; this year's report says the team is worth more money than a year ago, though its ranking is unchanged. At $102 million, LSU's value rose 6% since last year's $96 million valuation in the report. Placed behind Texas ($133 million), Michigan ($120 million) and Notre Dame ($103 million), LSU is the most highly ranked SEC team. "LSU remains the SEC's most valuable team, which is quite the feat considering that the conference holds seven of the top ten spots," reads the report. "The Tigers may have lost last year's national championship to Alabama, but going to the game as the SEC's first team to a BCS bowl earned the conference more than $22 million." See a slideshow of the rankings here; and...
The LSU Board of Supervisors is expected to vote on—and likely approve—a pay raise of more than 9% for head football coach Les Miles, one of its members tells The Times-Picayune. And that offers a new slant on an age-old debate: Does a high salary for a football coach send the wrong message about an institution whose mission is education and which is currently facing significant fiscal challenges? Stanley Jacobs, a member of the LSU Board of Supervisors and former president of the Tiger Athletic Foundation, the team's primary booster organization, says that he expects Miles' salary to approach $4.2 million after negotiations are complete—and Miles is worth the money, he adds. But this pay hike is set against a backdrop of severe budget cuts for the state's flagship university, which has resulted in faculty layoffs and a reduction in some services. "It's unfortunate it's coming along at this moment," Kevin Cope, LSU faculty senate president, says of Miles' new...
Former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue today overturned the suspensions of four current and former New Orleans Saints players in the league's bounty investigation of the club. However, Tagliabue found that three of the players engaged in conduct detrimental to the league. He says they participated in a performance pool that rewarded key plays, including hard tackles, that could merit fines; and he stressed that the team's coaches were very much involved. Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma had been given a full-season suspension, while defensive end Will Smith, Cleveland linebacker Scott Fujita, and free agent defensive lineman Anthony Hargrove each received shorter suspensions. Fujita is the only player cleared of conduct detrimental to the league by Tagliabue. None of the players sat out any games because of suspensions. They have been allowed to play while appeals are pending, though Fujita is on injured reserve and Hargrove is not with a team. Tagliabue was appointed by his...
Super Bowl XLVII will be played in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, but the Baton Rouge Lodging Association and Visit Baton Rouge are anticipating an overflow of fans as New Orleans hotels will surely run out of vacancies. Gary Jupiter, president of the Lodging Association, says he has no doubt that fans will be booking rooms in Baton Rouge, "but we're still in a wait-and-see mode." Jupiter figures it won't be until after the NFL's NFC and AFC championship games are played on Jan. 20—and the Super Bowl teams are solidified—that the Capital Region will begin seeing hotel bookings by fans from around the country. Some Baton Rouge hotels will be offering travel options—public and private—for guests traveling to New Orleans for the big game. The city's tourism promoter is anticipating that the three Mardi Gras parades rolling in downtown New Orleans over the Super Bowl weekend—Krewe of Artemis, Krewe of Mystique and Krewe of Orion—will likewise be a big...
Tyrann Mathieu says today he is entering the next NFL draft. The former LSU defensive back, who was dismissed from the team prior to the first game of the season, says "it is time for me to move forward." Mathieu released a statement thanking his parents and coach Les Miles, as well as his former LSU teammates. "I am sorry that I was not able to complete my journey at LSU, but I will always support LSU in any way I can. To my teammates, you are my brothers. You have kept me going. I will do my best to make you all proud of me," he said. Mathieu, who earned the moniker "Honey Badger" for his plucky playmaking ability, was a Heisman Trophy finalist last season. But the 20-year-old was dismissed for failing a drug test in August, and last month he was arrested on a charge of possession of marijuana. "I am committed to tackling my personal issues and will work to better myself every day as a man first and only then as a football player. I will always consider myself an LSU Tiger," he...
One day after news broke that Arkansas was offering LSU coach Les Miles a five-year, $27.5 million deal to become a Razorback, LSU Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Joe Alleva says Miles will receive an increase in salary and a contract extension "for the next seven years" following LSU's bowl appearance this year. "The Arkansas situation was a sincere one," says Miles, who addressed the issue at a 3 p.m. press conference. "Our conversations were very preliminary and fell short of any real interest." LSU says its intent was to address his salary following this year's bowl game, but Arkansas' interest spurred the negotiation process. Miles makes $3,856,417 a year, according to a Nov. 20 report by USA Today. "Les has not received a pay increase since his salary was automatically elevated following our national championship...
Tulane is joining the Big East as a full member in 2014, university officials announced at a press conference this afternoon. "I would go as far to say as this is a historic day for Tulane University. … The Big East is coming to the Big Easy," school President Scott Cowen says. East Carolina will also join the rebuilding Big East for football only in 2014, a person familiar with the decision tells The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity today because neither the conference nor East Carolina was prepared to make an official announcement. East Carolina, located in Greenville, N.C., has a news conference scheduled for later this afternoon. Tulane and East Carolina currently play in Conference USA. They will become the fifth and sixth C-USA schools, respectively, to join the Big East in the last two years. The full story is available
Multiple media sources are reporting that Tulane will join the Big East conference in all sports beginning in 2014. ESPN, CBS and The Times-Picayune, among others, report that Tulane is holding a press conference at 1 p.m., at which sources say the university will formally announce the move. The university has yet to confirm or deny any realignment reports. Tulane currently competes in the Conference USA.
Former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue has advised league officials and players implicated in the NFL's bounty probe that he plans to complete all hearings by Dec. 4 and make a ruling shortly thereafter. In a document obtained today by The Associated Press, Tagliabue directs the NFL to produce key witnesses in the New Orleans Saints cash-for-hits program, including former defensive coordinator Gregg Williams and former defensive assistant Mike Cerullo. Four players initially were suspended, but those punishments were vacated and Tagliabue was appointed to oversee new hearings. Meanwhile, Saints linebacker Jon Vilma and defensive end Will Smith are still playing. Even as Tagliabue moves the process forward, a federal judge is considering arguments by players that Tagliabue should be removed as arbitrator because he is biased in favor of the NFL. Based on the schedule laid out by Tagliabue, U.S. District Judge Ginger Berrigan could choose to rule as early as next week. For now,...
Six years ago, 42 major college football coaches made at least $1 million. Today, as USA Today reports, 42 coaches make at least $2 million. LSU coach Les Miles, by the newspaper's count, is the fifth-highest compensated coach in college football, making $3,856,417 in base salary and bonuses. Alabama coach Nick Saban is the highest paid coach on the list, at just under $5.5 million. The average annual salary for head coaches at major colleges (not including four schools that moved up to the Football Bowl Subdivision this season) is $1.64 million, up nearly 12% over last season and more than 70% since 2006, when USA Today began tracking coaches' compensation. Coaches' pay has even outpaced the pay of corporate executives, who have drawn the ire of Congress and the public because of their staggering compensation packages. Between 2007 and 2011, CEO pay—including salary, stock option value, bonuses and other pay—rose 23%, according to Equilar, an executive...
With the Super Bowl less than three months away, New Orleans is rushing to lay streetcar tracks through one of its busiest corridors to connect by trolley the Louisiana Superdome and the French Quarter. The Big Easy—which will be the site of the big game Feb. 3—is no stranger to Super Bowls. In the 47 years of game's history, this is the 10th time New Orleans is slated to play host. But this will be the city's first Super Bowl since Hurricane Katrina struck in August 2005. The snarled traffic, construction crews and flying dust along Loyola Avenue where the new streetcar line is being laid reflect the frantic pace of preparations for the Super Bowl. Streets are being repaved in the French Quarter; the airport is undergoing a major renovation; and crews are fixing sidewalks, streetlights and potholes. For many locals, the new streetcar is viewed as more than a show of Super Bowl pizzazz. "For anybody who's trying to cut down on gas, walk out their front door, go a few...
A day after LSU learned ESPN will air its homecoming game Saturday against Mississippi State at 6 p.m.—an hour earlier than the game had originally been scheduled—the Tigers today learned that CBS will pick up the team's final home game of the season against Ole Miss on Nov. 17 and broadcast the action beginning at 2:30 p.m. It will be the only home game this season that the Tigers—who fell to No. 9 in the polls Sunday following Saturday's heartbreaking 21-17 loss to top-ranked Alabama—will not play during the evening. LSU will close out its season in a matchup against Arkansas on Friday, Nov. 23, with a 1:30 p.m. kickoff.
When Joe Dean assumed the position of LSU's athletic director in 1987, he brought with him 30 years of experience in marketing with shoemaker Converse. That experience included emblazoning the Olympics logo on a couple of pairs of Converse shoes when Los Angeles hosted the summer games in 1984. At LSU, Dean quickly courted Coca-Cola and McDonald's into corporate sponsorships with the athletic department. "We raised quite a bit of money," Dean says. Rannah Gray, who left LSU in 2002 as an associate athletic director in charge of marketing, says Dean marketed LSU early for corporate sponsorships when compared to other large schools. "College athletics was going to go the way of the pros," and Dean knew it, Gray says. Dean credits Gray for raising about $3 million a year for LSU as she coordinated the bidding process on advertising packages including signage, soft drinks and food. "It's grown way beyond that," Dean says. —Adam Pearson
The Louisiana-bred, chart-topping, alt-rock trio Better Than Ezra will perform at Walk-On's Bistreaux & Bar, 3838 Burbank Dr., near Tiger Stadium on Friday night. The live show, dubbed the "Big Game Throwdown," kicks off the LSU-Alabama weekend in style for fans of both teams and the band. Doors open at 7 p.m.; show time is at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15 in advance here, or $20 at the door. Get the lowdown on more local happenings this weekend and beyond from the new 225 Weekender e-newsletter here.
Arguably one of the brightest players to come through LSU's football program in recent years, the former center and budding medical student spent five seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs—two as the full-time starter. He did not latch on with a team last season, and if he doesn't this fall, it's conceivable the Monroe native could pursue a second career as an orthopedic surgeon. He was accepted into LSU's medical school in 2006 after scoring a 33 on the MCAT exam, which ranked in the top 8% nationally.
Sam Montgomery is special in many ways, not the least of which is he’s capable of becoming a one-man wrecking crew for the Tigers. But the 6-foot-5, 260-pound product of Greenwood, S.C., who was chased by nearly every college football powerhouse in the country, has built a reputation among the Louisiana media as their “go-to” guy, too. He’s refreshingly honest and articulate on the record. The kinesiology major is also a prolific Tweeter, and you can follow him @Sonic99_SC.
During the 1930s, the LSU marching band was nicknamed “The Show Band of the South” thanks to its rousing halftime performances, and the name is even more fitting today. That is just one part of a colorful history that has made the university’s marching band a staple of the LSU football experience. A rigorous practice schedule readies these talented musicians who serenade and amplify Tiger Stadium for LSU’s famous cheers. Senior Garrett Ellison talks with 225 about what it’s like to play his part in such a regal group.
225 Magazine's fitness and lifestyle blogger Patrick Fellows pays up from LSU's loss to Alabama in the BCS National Championship game by receiving a Snooki-style spray tan in his latest video blog.
For the third time in 12 months, an LSU-Alabama football game is taking on galactic proportions in its buildup to kickoff. Everything in college football revolves around it.
The LSU-Alabama rematch is being billed as "1 Day, 1 Game" by ESPN The Magazine, which is dedicating an entire issue to the gridiron contest that will be published the following week, says LSU Sports Information Director Michael Bonnette. "Their publication has requested 48 credentials, 25 of which are photographers," Bonnette says. The big SEC West rivalry will also secure the attention of ESPN's College GameDay and ESPN Radio, Bonnette says, as well as media from the East and West coasts: The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, USA Today, The Boston Globe and a tabloid or two from London. "It will be an impressive list of people coming to that game," Bonnette says. Herb Vincent, a senior associate athletic director and associate vice chancellor for the Office of Communications & University Relations, says the combined fan base of both teams expected to arrive on the LSU campus Nov. 3 could easily exceed a good average turnout of 120,000. "I...
In addition to being one of the highest paid and most sought after football players in the NFL, New Orleans Saints' quarterback Drew Brees has enough endorsement deals to support his family for the long term and is also the owner of two Jimmy John's franchise locations. And with the launch of his new lifestyle apparel line just last month, Forbes magazine began wondering why a seemingly financially stable football player is turning to entrepreneurship now. Brees tells the magazine he and his wife, Brittany, founded Nine Brand based on the idea that it would be an investment for the community, not just another way to earn a buck. "We were inspired just from living in New Orleans," Brees says. "We wanted to capture the charm, culture, way of life—elements that make New Orleans so unique—in the brand. The fact that we are New Orleans based, and constantly inspired by it, made us want to find more ways to help the city grow." Even with access to capital, celebrity...
Sports Illustrated is reporting that former LSU cornerback Tyrann Mathieu might have violated NCAA rules by promoting a night club while he was still on the Tigers football squad. The magazine reports Mathieu appeared in a video, made by a group of his friends that goes by the name Era Nation, in which he promotes a party at a Baton Rouge club called The Palace on March 10 of this year. His pictures were also on flyers promoting the event called "Era Nation Album Release Party For Tyrann Mathieu." The flyer also featured photographs of former LSU standout Mo Claiborne and current LSU sophomore defensive tackle Anthony Johnson. NCAA rules prohibit student-athletes from allowing their names or pictures to be used in advertising the sale of a product or service. Johnson has denied any involvement; Claiborne says he was aware of the party but did not attend. LSU says the school, including coach Les Miles, is unaware of players using their images to promote events or receiving...
New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees has largely remained mum on the bounty scandal situation that continues to serve as a distraction to the team's disappointing 1-4 start to the season. But this morning, Brees is making the media rounds, and he's not holding his tongue on his views about the new suspensions in the New Orleans Saints bounty scandal. As The Times-Picayune reports, Brees called the bounty situation "a big sham" on ESPN Radio's Mike and Mike in the Morning, and agreed with the statement by former Saints linebacker Scott Fujita in which Fujita blasts NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell for the handling of the bounty case. In a separate interview with the NFL Network's NFL AM, Brees says, "This could go on for a while because, certainly, our players are not satisfied with some of the things that Commissioner Goodell has claimed or said. It seems like so much of his suspensions have been based upon speculation and rhetoric and maybe the testimony of...
Due to "strong demand" from Alabama fans for nonstop flights to Baton Rouge during the weekend that LSU and Alabama tangle in Tiger Stadium, Delta announced this morning that it's adding flights to accommodate them. A flight will depart from Birmingham around 10 a.m. on game day—Saturday, Nov. 3—and arrive in Baton Rouge around 11 a.m. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. The return flight will leave Baton Rouge the following day around 10 a.m., Delta says. "Football fans will arrive well before the night game, leaving enough time to tailgate and take in the game day festivities," the airline says.
It's official. The LSU Tigers will open next year's football season in Cowboys Stadium in a primetime game against TCU, the schools announced today. The 2013 Cowboys Classic will take place on Saturday, Aug. 31, and will be televised by ABC, ESPN or ESPN2. "The Cowboys Classic has become one of the premier events in college football, and we are excited about making another appearance there to start the 2013 season on national television," LSU Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Joe Alleva says in a prepared statement. "The Dallas-Fort Worth area is also rich with LSU supporters, and we look forward to taking the Tigers to a great LSU following." Cowboys Stadium was primarily filled with purple and gold when the Tigers downed the Oregon Ducks 40-27 in the 2011 Cowboys Classic to open last season. The 2013 LSU-TCU matchup will be the first of these two teams since 1968, when the Tigers beat the Horned Frogs, 10-7, in Tiger Stadium. LSU leads the series with TCU, 5-2-1. LSU and...
LSU Tigers coach Les Miles says he isn't discouraged by first-year quarterback Zach Mettenberger's less-than-stellar performance Saturday against Auburn, in which the Tigers struggled to hold on to a 12-10 win. "Zach can do it,'' Miles says. "I liked his leadership. He also has toughness. [The problem] is not Zach. It's the offensive line. It's the backs. It's everyone.'' Miles notes the LSU wide receivers have had their share of drops in the first four games. "The receivers are improving,'' he says. "They are a work in progress. They did the job in several instances. In other instances, they can play better. But give the opponent credit. They covered some routes, too.'' Still, Miles expects the third-ranked Tigers to improve its passing game against Towson this Saturday before facing a challenging three-game stretch of SEC games in October: Florida, South Carolina and Texas A&M. Mettenberger was supposed to provide an immediate upgrade in LSU's air attack. While LSU is averaging 40...
LSU football, for better or worse, is the biggest thing going in Baton Rouge. Those tailgate parties aren't all about boozing and eating; business connections are made or strengthened. And when the team is winning, everyone walks around in a better mood, and people spend more money.
LSU football coach Les Miles confirmed to The Times-Picayune today that linebackers Tahj Jones and D.J. Welter, tight end Tyler Edwards and offensive lineman Evan Washington will not play in 2012, but would not give a reason. It brings to 11 the number of Tigers lost to attrition since the start of fall camp. Edwards is one of four LSU players academically ineligible in 2012. A source close to LSU's program first told the New Orleans newspaper on Tuesday that four players were academically ineligible. Speaking on the SEC coaches teleconference, Miles said he was not at liberty to say why the four would not play, citing privacy issues. "I don't know that it's fair for me to confirm that," Miles said, on whether academic performance was the reason. "There's a privacy responsibility. Those guys will not play this year. I don't know that I can tell you the specifics as to why and why not." He also added that sophomore defensive end Jordan Allen is out for the season with an...
LSU freshman cornerback Jalen Mills and junior defensive end Sam Montgomery have been named two of the SEC as players of the week for their performance in the 41-3 win over Washington on Saturday. Mills, a true freshman who made his second start at cornerback, earned SEC Freshman of the Week honors after registering seven tackles and his first career interception in the win. Through two games, Mills is third on the team with 11 tackles. Montgomery, a 2011 All-American, had four tackles, one sack, 1.5 tackles for loss and three quarterback hurries to earn co-SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week honors. Montgomery and Mills both helped an LSU defense that held Washington to just 183 yards of total offense and only 12 first downs. The Huskies managed just 26 rushing yards on 24 attempts as Washington quarterback Keith Price was sacked four times. Outside of recovering an LSU fumble on the opening kickoff that gave the Huskies the ball at the LSU 16-yard line, Washington did not have...
Former LSU star cornerback Tyrann Mathieu has enrolled at LSU for the fall semester, even though he cannot play for the Tigers this season and will be eligible for the 2013 NFL draft. LSU coach Les Miles has declined to say whether Mathieu has any future with the Tigers. Instead, Miles says he's focused on Washington's visit to Baton Rouge this Saturday night. Speaking at his media luncheon today, Miles would say only that he believes Mathieu is "making some quality decisions for himself" by addressing some personal issues and coming back to school exclusively as a student. Mathieu, a 2011 Heisman Trophy finalist, was kicked off LSU's football team Aug. 10 for having failed drug tests. Miles says Mathieu also has "made some really difficult decisions" and that LSU wishes him the best.
In many ways, LSU football is the culmination of summer in Baton Rouge. After three months of oppressive heat and humidity, the purple and gold masses will shuffle into Tiger Stadium on Sept. 1 to come alive.
His mother was a five-time national champion with the LSU track and field squad in the early 1990s. His father ran the football for the Tigers during the Archer and Hallman eras. As a freshman, Odell Beckham Jr. charged out of the gate and became the first LSU receiver since Bennie Brazil in 2005 to record back-to-back games with receiving touchdowns of 50-yards or more. This season, Odell Beckham Jr. continues to make a name for himself as Zach Mettenberger’s top target.
During the season, it's not unusual for Les Miles and his assistants to clock in at 7 a.m. and work until midnight. The bulk of that time is spent, not on the practice field or in the weight room, but with a remote control in hand, watching video playback.
While LSU officials say they will continue to monitor the weather and assess how it may impact the Tigers' season opener against North Texas, which is scheduled for 6 p.m. Saturday in Baton Rouge, a statement released this morning says the game is still on as planned. Two other LSU athletic events, however, have been changed due to Hurricane Isaac. LSU’s soccer match on Friday against Stephen F. Austin has been postponed until Tuesday. The Tiger Classic Volleyball Tournament, which was scheduled to take place in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center on Friday and Saturday, was moved to Houston because of travel complications involving opponents. LSU says it will continue to provide updates on any other changes in sports schedules, including the football game, at LSUsports.net.
Although the LSU campus was shuttered in anticipation of Hurricane Isaac on Tuesday—and remains so today—LSU football went on. USA Today reports the Tigers met for a scheduled practice around noon Tuesday, simultaneously preparing for the approaching storm and Saturday's season opener in Tiger Stadium against North Texas. LSU enters the season ranked No. 1 in the USA Today Sports preseason coaches poll and No. 3 in The Associated Press poll. Saturday's kickoff is set for 6 p.m., weather and its wake permitting. As of this morning, LSU has issued no statement indicating the game date or time will be changed. LSU has had to change scheduled football games five times since Category 3 Hurricane Katrina ravaged New Orleans and the Mississippi coast on Aug. 29, 2005. Les Miles was the coach at LSU then and in all the years since. His LSU debut, on Sept. 3, 2005—also against North Texas—was postponed by Hurricane Katrina. "Coincidentally, it was North Texas in...
Though neither LSU nor coach Les Miles had officially commented on the matter as of press time, it appears former LSU women's soccer goalie and homecoming queen Mo Isom has not made the LSU football team as a walk-on placekicker. "I am heartbroken, but my head is held high," Isom tweeted around 1:30 this afternoon. "Knowing I gave everything I had is the greatest victory. Unending thanks to my LSU football fam." Isom had garnered national attention while attempting to become the first female LSU football player. She first failed to make the team as a walk-on this spring. She attended walk-on tryouts on Tuesday and Wednesday, and though it was widely reported that Miles would announce on Thursday the names of those who had made the team, there has been no such official announcement yet. "Best special teams unit in the nation & even better men. Can't wait to cheer them on," Isom also tweeted this afternoon.
More than 400 windows on the north end of Tiger Stadium have been replaced in anticipation of the Sept. 1 season opener, and a new coating has been applied to the outer façade of the entire stadium. Meanwhile, a new lighting system has been installed that turns the upper archways of the stadium's north end purple and gold, lighting up the iconic "LSU" logo on the stadium's north scoreboard. Work is still ongoing on a major upgrade to the stadium's west side and is expected to be complete by opening day. The new portal gating system includes the Scotty Moran National Championship Plaza as well as plaques commemorating LSU All-Americans and members of the College Football Hall of Fame. Also, 10-foot tall illuminated letters will spell out "Tiger Stadium" just below the west upper deck, facing Nicholson Drive. LSUsports.net has the full story here.
Jared Loftus says it was like experiencing the death of a dear friend when Tyrann Mathieu was dismissed from the LSU football team a week ago, considering the number of text messages and emails that bombarded the College District owner. Loftus caught the attention of national media last year when College District began selling gold shirts that played on Mathieu's plucky playmaking abilities and his inexplicable nickname, the "Honey Badger." Game analysts lofted the shirts on CBS and ESPN telecasts. "Honey Badger sales were good to us last year," says Loftus. Fortuitously, Loftus had already made up his mind to stop making the shirt in December—back when it was assumed that the Honey Badger would be a star at LSU throughout the forthcoming season and potentially beyond. "There was a lot of controversy with that design; LSU was not comfortable with it," he says, particularly with concerns that the NCAA might perceive the university as profiting off a student athlete. "It was the...
Former LSU star Tyrann Mathieu has entered a drug rehabilitation program in Houston since being dismissed from the Tigers, The Associated Press is reporting this morning, citing a television report. Mathieu's adoptive father, Tyrone Mathieu, tells New Orleans' Fox 8 that the 20-year-old star cornerback and punt returner known as the "Honey Badger" has been at the Right Step recovery center and is being counseled by former NBA player John Lucas. Tyrone Mathieu says his son is committed to restoring his health and won't play football until he is confident that his rehab is complete. No one from Mathieu's family appeared on camera in the New Orleans television report. As of this morning, Lucas has returned a call from The Associated Press. Meanwhile, CBSSports.com columnist Bruce Feldman is reporting "a source close to Mathieu" tells him that Mathieu's issue was with marijuana, not any other drug. His report says there was a fear, however, among those close to Mathieu that he might move...
LSU says that about 20 college football programs have asked for permission to speak with All-America cornerback and punt returner Tyrann Mathieu. Herb Vincent, the university's vice chancellor of communications, says LSU only considers granting requests to schools Mathieu has approved, consistent with school policy on athletic transfers. Vincent says he cannot release which schools have been in touch with LSU and which have been approved other than McNeese State, which has already announced that Mathieu visited its campus. Officials at McNeese State, where classes began Wednesday, say some leeway remains for Mathieu to enroll there within the next few days. Mathieu was kicked off the LSU football team Friday, reportedly for a failed drug test. He has not yet announced his plans for this season.
A report from ESPN this afternoon says former LSU cornerback Tyrann Mathieu has expressed interest in sitting out this season, enrolling in classes and hoping for a return to the program in 2013, if it can be worked out with the school. ESPN is citing an anonymous source. But so, too, is The Times-Picayune in reporting that remaining at LSU is not an option for "The Honey Badger." The source that the New Orleans newspaper cites says remaining in Baton Rouge "wouldn't be happening" and that McNeese State, which Mathieu visited on Friday, is presently the only option for transfer. The Times-Picayune's source also says Mathieu, who has moved back home to New Orleans, will make a decision on transferring by Wednesday. As ESPN reports, it has been unclear whether Mathieu had been declared permanently ineligible since he was booted off the team on Friday for violating team rules. "If Tyrann chooses to return to LSU as a student he can do so. We are not speculating on anything...
Louisiana State Police Col. Mike Edmonson says his investigators have found no evidence at this time that the Saints or General Manager Mickey Loomis rigged Superdome wiring with a view to intercepting opposing coaches' radio communications. Edmonson says state police investigators have run an extensive probe in conjunction with the FBI since the eavesdropping allegations surfaced in news reports in April. He says numerous interviews by his agency investigators have shown "there is no evidence that state laws have been violated." Edmonson says he cannot comment on the status of related federal probes. He also says state police will reopen their investigations if new allegations surface. Loomis and the Saints have emphatically denied the allegations, and the Saints have hired the firm of former FBI director Louis Freeh to conduct its own investigation.
There's a new spot to catch a shuttle to Death Valley this fall: the North Boulevard Town Square downtown. Besides bypassing pricey parking fees around Tiger Stadium, Downtown Development District Director Davis Rhorer says the $4 roundtrip ride—an increase of 50 cents over the shuttle fee in years previous—is a safe and relaxing alternative that is also a good option for fans who have issues walking long distances. The buses stop in front of the stadium's gates. Besides making stops at the town square, the buses also run to and from the corner of Convention and Lafayette streets, as well as under Interstate 10 at Florida Boulevard and L'Auberge Casino. The CATS buses begin running about three hours before kickoff and make their last pickup about an hour before kickoff, Rhorer says. Town square will also feature past game highlights on a video screen and music to pump up Tiger faithful, though it's unclear if "The Honey Badger" will be included in the reels. "Fortunately...
Recently dismissed LSU cornerback Tyrann Mathieu has expressed interest in sitting out this season, staying in class, and hoping for a return to the football program in 2013, if it can be worked out with the school, ESPN is reporting, citing multiple sources. The possibility of future reinstatement would have to be approved at many levels, including by university administration and head coach Les Miles, and it is being discussed. Read the complete report from ESPN here.
A judge has heard arguments on the NFL's motion to dismiss New Orleans Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma's lawsuit seeking to overturn his bounty suspension without making a ruling. U.S. District Judge Ginger Berrigan today urged all parties to work toward a settlement. The judge could potentially rule on Vilma's request to be allowed to temporarily return to the Saints while the case proceeds. When Vilma left the courthouse, quarterback Drew Brees gave his teammate a hug and pat on the back. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has suspended Vilma for the entire 2012 season, saying the Saints linebacker was among the ringleaders of a program that improperly offered Saints defenders cash bonuses for injuring opponents.
LSU's national championship hopes were hurt today when Heisman Trophy finalist Tyrann Mathieu, better known as The Honey Badger, was kicked off the football team for breaking team and school rules, head coach Les Miles announced at a pre-practice news conference. Miles would not specify the exact reason Mathieu was dismissed from the team, saying only that Mathieu is a "quality, quality guy that had a behavior issue and that's it." Athletics Director Joe Alleva says Mathieu, who was suspended for a game in 2011 for failing a drug test, violated an athletics department rule and had his scholarship revoked. Mathieu could stay at the school and pay tuition, but Alleva says that's probably not likely. The 20-year-old Mathieu won the Bednarik Award as national defensive player of the year last season and was big-play machine at cornerback and on special teams. The All-American scored four touchdowns—two on punt returns and two on fumble returns—intercepted two passes and...
Louisiana State Police Col. Mike Edmonson says he still has an investigator working with the FBI on wiretapping allegations involving the New Orleans Saints, but adds that no evidence has been turned over to federal prosecutors at this time. Authorities have been working on the case since April, when ESPN, citing anonymous sources, reported Superdome wiring was rigged so Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis could listen to opposing teams' radio communications during games. Loomis and the Saints have denied those allegations, and the Saints have hired the firm of former FBI Director Louis Freeh to do its own investigation. Edmonson says his investigator has been conducting interviews along with FBI agents but that it is too early to discuss whether those interviews have produced any credible leads.
The NFL is calling an ESPN report that it has offered a settlement and reduced suspension to Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma "completely inaccurate." Vilma has been suspended for the 2012 season for his role in the alleged Saints bounty program, which he adamantly has claimed did not exist. Citing anonymous sources, ESPN.com this morning reported that the league offered Vilma an eight-game suspension if he would drop his defamation lawsuit against NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. "No such settlement offer has been made," NFL spokesman Greg Aiello says. "We will continue to respect the court proceedings on this matter and have no further comment at this time." A judge has ordered the league and Vilma's representatives to hold confidential settlement talks. A person familiar with those talks tells The Associated Press he had "not heard anything that concrete from...
"Nothing comes close." That's what best-selling author and columnist Steve Eubanks says about Tiger Stadium in a column ranking the best football stadiums in the SEC. "The home of the LSU Tigers is consistently rated as the toughest venue for visiting teams, and the loudest stadium in all of college football. A night game in Baton Rouge is like being trapped beside a roaring airplane engine. Sound has feel in there," Eubanks says. "Tiger Stadium also has the advantage of being in Louisiana, where the natives pride themselves on out-cooking every competitor in the region. Tailgating fare invariably includes étouffée and oysters with some of the finest seasoned grits anywhere in the South. Throw in the fact that LSU fans refuse to let you leave on an empty stomach, and it's easy to see why Tiger Stadium is the No. 1 venue in the SEC." Check out Eubanks' full list
"I was in the backseat of a truck," the lanky LSU quarterback recalls of the one night a year ago that every Tiger fan wanted to talk about—the night when things went bad. "Everybody was out. It was my first camp, but it was a tradition. The last night of camp, we all go out and celebrate the end of camp. Getting through it is like freshman initiation; you're finally part of the team. So we all go out, and I'm in the backseat of a truck, and I literally had a front-row view of what went down, and I kept my ass in that truck the whole time and high-tailed it out of there as soon as I could." After leaving Shady's Bar, the players returned to the dorm. Even after what happened, some continued to celebrate. "Y'all don't understand what's going to happen tomorrow," he told them. "I've been in trouble. I got arrested in a small town in Georgia, and I was thinking no one was going to find out. The next morning I'm on the front page of the Athens paper, the Atlanta paper, every...
“I was in the back seat of a truck,” the lanky quarterback recalls of the one night a year ago that every Tiger fan wanted to talk about. The night when things went bad. “Everybody was out. It was my first camp, but it was a tradition. The last night of camp, we all go out and celebrate the end of camp. Getting through it is like freshman initiation; you're finally part of the team. So we all go out, and I'm in the back seat of a truck, and I literally had a front-row view of what went down, and I kept my ass in that truck the whole time and high-tailed it out of there as soon as I could.”
Growing up in Dutchtown, the son of two former LSU track stars, Eric Reid has been a football star at every level and is now regarded as one of the top safeties in the country. Here he tells 225 about his LSU idol growing up, his own gridiron legacy and his favorite thing about playing in Tiger Stadium.
We all wait for it. The team is warming up, the crowd in Tiger Stadium is in a frenzy, and then out of the speakers blares the familiar line, “I spent last night in the arms of a girl in LOUISIANA!”
No way Tommy Hodson was getting knocked off the wall. Not by “Bad Boy” Isaiah Thomas. Not by anyone. Despite my pushy friend's hard sell, I wasn't going to budge. I was a Bulls fan, anyway—plus, he wanted a Hamilton for the poster of the famous Detroit Piston, and—well, 10 bucks was a lot of money to come by in elementary school.
Following the Tigers on the road doesn’t have to mean drive-thrus, economy lodges and watching TV in the hotel just waiting for game time. Whether you travel with family, a significant other or a group of fun-loving friends, each destination on LSU’s schedule offers something worth experiencing. Here’s your 225 guide to making vacations out of LSU road games.
LSU football coach Les Miles says the Tigers have scars from their season-ending loss in the BCS championship to Alabama, but they're not ready to show them just yet. Miles, speaking to the Rotary Club of Baton Rouge today, says the Tigers met with five speakers on various occasions since the end of last season, after LSU won the SEC Western Division title and defeated Georgia for the SEC title. "We're going to hang two banners," Miles says. "There's a banner we didn't hang and we recognize that." Miles says one speaker in particular, a Navy SEAL, put everything in perspective for the Tigers. "If a navy SEAL makes a mistake, he hopes he only loses his life," says Miles, paraphrasing the SEAL. "I think we're still healing," Miles says, "And we'll eventually want to show our scars." Though Miles acknowledges the reality of the 21-0 loss to Alabama for the national title, he likewise shares the accomplishment of winning 13 games and boasts of LSU's 77% graduation rate of football...
The NFL asked a U.S. District Court judge today to dismiss Jonathan Vilma's motion seeking to have his season-long suspension overturned. The New Orleans Saints linebacker is scheduled to have a hearing on Thursday. But the NFL wants the case dismissed because the collective bargaining agreement reached last August to end the lockout gives Commissioner Roger Goodell the authority to punish players for "conduct detrimental" to the NFL. Vilma and Saints coach Sean Payton have been suspended for the 2012 season for their roles in the alleged bounty program the NFL says went on for three seasons. The NFL also states that Vilma and three other players suspended refused to defend themselves during the appeals process. Saints defensive end Will Smith is suspended for four games, current Green Bay Packers DE Anthony Hargrove is out eight games, and current Cleveland Browns linebacker Scott Fujita can't play in three games. "By refusing to participate in the merits of the CBA appeal process...
The Who Dat Nation can finally breathe a collective sigh of relief. Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints agreed today to a five-year contract worth $100 million, making the 33-year-old quarterback the highest-paid player in NFL history. Brees took to Twitter to announce the blockbuster deal—which will see him bank $40 million in the first year alone—saying: "Deal is Done! Love you, Who Dat Nation. See you soon!" And, as The Times-Picayune reports, he later told ESPN's Ed Werder: "I appreciate the diligence and steadfast efforts by both sides to get this deal done. I love my organization, team, and the city of New Orleans. Thank you especially to [owners] Gayle and Tom Benson for the opportunity. Now I need to go earn it." Brees is expected to do a radio interview tonight in New Orleans but isn't planning any other interviews until a press conference, likely Sunday. The average salary of $20 million surpassed the $19.2 million per year that the Denver Broncos gave...
Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints have reached an agreement on a five-year, $100 million contract that all sides concur will guarantee Brees an NFL-record $60 million, including a first-year take in 2012 of $40 million, ESPN is reporting, citing sources with the league, players union and team. The deal was struck this morning in the latest round of negotiations between the Saints' general manager, Mickey Loomis, and Brees' agent, Tom Condon.
Downtown Radio 97.7 FM announced today that it will begin broadcasting Southern University sports on Sept. 1, debuting with SU's first football game of the 2012 season. The station will provide full coverage of 11 football games in total, six home conference men's basketball games, four women's home basketball games, and four Saturday baseball games, all doubleheaders. All broadcasts will also be featured online at the station's website and iHeartRadio.com, while football games will be replayed on Sundays at 2 p.m. on Hallelujah 1210 AM. "This broadcast coverage is part of 97.7 FM Downtown Radio commitment to embracing the community and the city of Baton Rouge," says Michael Hudson, Clear Channel Media and Entertainment Baton Rouge regional market manager.
The NFL Players Association filed a lawsuit against the NFL this morning on behalf of three players suspended in connection with the Saints bounty investigation, calling Commissioner Roger Goodell "incurably and evidently biased." The lawsuit, filed in federal court in New Orleans, says Goodell violated the labor agreement by showing he had determined Will Smith, Anthony Hargrove and Scott Fujita participated in a bounty system before serving as an arbitrator at their hearing. The NFL says the action is an "improper attempt to litigate," adding there is "no basis for asking a federal court to put its judgment in place of the procedures agreed upon with the NFLPA in collective bargaining." "These procedures have been in place, and have served the game and players well, for many decades," NFL spokesman Greg Aiello says in an email to The Associated Press. The lawsuit asks a judge to set aside earlier arbitration rulings and order a new arbitrator to preside over the matter. The suit...
As a guest this morning on ESPN Radio's Mike and Mike in the Morning, Drew Brees shed little light on how close the New Orleans Saints and he are to finalizing a long-term contract for the All-Pro quarterback, The Times-Picayune reports. Brees says he believes that smaller details are preventing a deal from being completed. "Why do contract negotiations take this long anyway?" Brees wondered aloud on the show. "It should be a much more simple process than it is. Certainly, it comes down to certain provisions of the contract. There are little things here and there that take time to resolve." Brees says he still remains confident that the two sides will forge an agreement before the looming July 16 deadline to complete the contract. "I'm confident we'll reach that point, hopefully sooner than later," he says, adding he's not yet worried about what will happen if an agreement isn't in place by training camp. A question about how the league has handled its bounty program...
NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith is asking the NFL to restart from scratch its investigation into the alleged New Orleans Saints bounty scandal, NFLPA spokesman George Atallah confirms. Though Atallah says the NFLPA would not comment on the matter, Pro Football Talk has obtained the letter the NFLPA sent to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and has posted it online here. The letter calls the investigation "unprofessional, unsubstantiated and incomplete." In it, Smith also points to witnesses who have "clearly and publicly stated that the NFL grossly mischaracterized the information they provided to NFL investigators and knowingly misrepresented the facts surrounding this investigation." The letter concludes with the request for a new investigation. "I ask that you order that the investigation of this matter be redone thoroughly and...
An arbitrator ruled this morning that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has the authority to discipline New Orleans Saints players for their role in a bounty system. The NFL Players Association challenged Goodell's power to impose penalties for what the league says was a three-year bounty program that targeted specific players. Stephen Burbank, a University of Pennsylvania law professor, took only five days to determine that Goodell has the power to punish the players under the collective bargaining agreement reached last August to end the lockout. Goodell suspended Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma for the entire 2012 season and teammate Will Smith for four games. Former Saints defensive end Anthony Hargrove, now with the Green Bay Packers, was suspended for eight games, while linebacker Scott Fujita, now with the Cleveland Browns, was docked three games. Those players have appealed the suspensions. And the players union says this morning it expects to appeal Burbank's decision because...
UL Lafayette great turned NFL quarterback Jake Delhomme—currently a free agent after playing for the Houston Texans last season—will be helping call some of the plays for MidSouth Bank as an advisory director to the bank's board of directors. "The MidSouth Bank Board, like anyone who knows Jake, has long been impressed by his energy, enthusiasm and drive," says MidSouth Bank President and CEO Rusty Cloutier in a news release. "Never has anyone been told 'no' so many times and proven people wrong so many times as Jake Delhomme." Cloutier says the bank plans to utilize the leadership skills Delhomme honed on the football field to inspire and encourage young leaders at the bank and to help instill a strong work ethic in them. Delhomme was signed by the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent in 1997 and went on to a successful career with the Carolina Panthers, where he holds multiple franchise records and led the team to Super Bowl XXXVIII in 2003, setting a Super...
William Cary Koch
To have power, you have to have balance.
Super Bowl gave big boost to B.R. hoteliers
The spillover into Baton Rouge of football fans attending the Super Bowl festivities and game in New Orleans fueled a 48% increase in occupancy and 117% rise in revenue for local hoteliers during the weekend of Feb. 1-3. That's according to new figures released this morning by Smith Travel Research, which tracks hotel occupancy figures in cities across the globe. Though far from sold out, Baton Rouge hotels were slightly more than 73% full during the first weekend of February—up from just under 50% during the same weekend in 2012. Collective hotel revenue during the weekend was more than $2.5 million this year, the report says, up 117% over the $1.2 million netted during the same weekend last year. "The Super Bowl offered a great opportunity to showcase our city, and this report shows how effectively we prepared and executed," says Visit Baton Rouge President/CEO Paul Arrigo in a prepared statement.
LSU releases details of Cameron's contract
The new offensive coordinator of LSU football, Cam Cameron, will receive a three-year contract worth $600,000 this season but going up to $1.3 million in 2014 and $1.5 million in 2015. The school announced details of the agreement today. The 52-year-old on Friday was named LSU's offensive coordinator, replacing Greg Studrawa, who will return to strictly being the Tigers' offensive line coach. Formerly offensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens, Cameron's pay next season would be equivalent to that of LSU defensive coordinator John Chavis. Chavis signed a three-year deal last year, paying him $900,000 in 2012, $1.1 million this season and $1.3 million in 2014. Cameron's contract must still be approved by the LSU Board of Supervisors. The next board meeting is scheduled for March 18.
More than 2,000 fans attend Bayou Bash
What started 18 years ago as a small signing day party at the LSU Field House has grown into the annual Tiger Gridiron Club Bayou Bash, which today drew more than 2,000 fans to the Baton Rouge River Center. "I think the important thing is we had 27 commitments and got them all," says Gridiron Club member Chuck Goodwin, who has served as chair of the bash for the past eight years and was at the River Center by 6 a.m. today. He says various factors influence attendance each year, such as the previous season's record, bowl outcome and recruiting-class ranking—for which LSU has drawn kudos from ESPN and Rivals this year. Though Robert Nkemdiche, the nation's top-ranked player, picked Ole Miss over LSU early this morning, highly ranked defensive end Tashawn Bower signed with the...
Top recruit Nkemdiche expected to sign with Rebels
Robert Nkemdiche is just about everybody's No. 1 prospect on National Signing Day, which is Wednesday. Rivals.com, Scout.com, ESPN, CBS Sports and 247Sports all give No. 1 ranking to Nkemdiche, the big defensive end from Grayson High School near Atlanta. But while LSU and Florida are believed to be among the top schools Nkemdiche is considering, The Associated Press is reporting Nkemdiche is expected to sign with the Rebels early Wednesday morning. The big edge for Ole Miss is Denzel Nkemdiche, Robert's older brother, who led the Rebels in tackles as a redshirt freshman linebacker last season. The family connection may be an insurmountable advantage, but a late decision to visit LSU will certainly add drama to Wednesday's announcement. Nkemdiche's updates on his final visit provided encouragement to LSU fans. ''LSU pushing man!!!! Getting hard now,'' Nkemdiche tweeted...
Outside experts to probe Super Bowl power outage
Superdome and Entergy officials say they will hire outside experts to investigate the cause of a 34-minute power failure that halted the Super Bowl Sunday evening. The announcement by the stadium's management company, SMG, and Entergy New Orleans came two days after the outage halted play in the third quarter of the game between the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers. The companies' joint written statement does not explain the decision, but Entergy spokesman Chanel Lagarde tells The Associated Press they have not been able to reach a final conclusion on the cause of the outage and want a third-party analysis. "We wanted to leave no stone unturned," Lagarde says. "Both [we] and SMG thought it was important to get another party looking at this to make sure we were looking at everything that we need to examine." While the cause of Sunday's outage is still under investigation, records released Monday show that Superdome officials were worried in October about losing power during...
Concerns about Super Bowl blackout first voiced months ago
Superdome officials were warned a few months before the Super Bowl that the venue's electrical system could suffer a power outage and rushed to replace some of the equipment in advance of the big game. While the cause of Sunday's 34-minute outage is still under investigation, records released Monday show that Superdome officials were worried in October about losing power during the NFL championship. Tests on the electrical feeders that connect incoming power from utility lines to the stadium showed decay and "a chance of failure," state officials warned in a memo dated Oct. 15. The documents, obtained through a records request by The Associated Press, also show the utility that supplies the stadium expressed concern about the reliability of the service before the Super Bowl. The memo says Entergy New Orleans and the Superdome's engineering staff "had concerns regarding the reliability of the Dome service from Entergy's connection point to the Dome." The memo was prepared for the...
New Orleans has more to celebrate than Super Bowl XLVII
In his latest column, the San Francisco Chronicle's Andrew Ross highlights all that has been going right economically for the host city of Sunday's Super Bowl. "New Orleans' recent performance in job growth, economic output and rising home prices puts it at the top of the list of major metropolitan areas surveyed by the Brookings Institution, a Washington think tank," Ross says, adding: "And that includes the Silicon Valley, which ranks second, and San Francisco, which comes in, shockingly, 23rd." Meanwhile, Forbes magazine recently called Louisiana "America's new frontier for business opportunity." Ross calls the Forbes title "insult to injury," and then lists other ways in which New Orleans has been besting the Bay Area off the football field. "Louisiana boasted $22.5 billion in new capital investment last year—not bad for a state with a population of 4.6 million, compared, say, with the nine-county Bay Area's 7.1 million," he writes. "Its publicly funded...
Miles says Tigers 'prepared to reload' on National Signing Day
In a nine-minute interview conducted with ESPN in New Orleans, LSU coach Les Miles provides some insight on the process of recruiting, his thoughts on the influence college offenses have had on the NFL, and more. With National Signing Day now less than one week away, Miles says he feels good about keeping the recruits who have already orally committed to LSU, while acknowledging "there's always a perimeter institution trying to pick away, so we have to make sure we finish." As for dealing with the high number of Tigers from last season who've opted for the NFL Draft and will not be returning to LSU this year, Miles says his staff is always prepared to make the necessary adjustments. "It's fundamental at our place that we play our players early," Miles says, naming former Tigers and current NFL players Patrick Peterson and Morris Claiborne as recent examples. "When you lose 11 juniors—and, you know, each decision is theirs, it's certainly not the head coach's—you certainly...
Les Miles interview with ESPN Radio
Click the play button below to listen to the interview with Les Miles.
Payton gets OK to go back to work
Sean Payton can finally go back to work. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced this morning the league is reinstating New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton—effective immediately—following a season-long suspension for his role in the team's bounty scandal. The announcement comes one day after Payton met with Goodell in New Orleans. At the meeting, Payton took responsibility for the actions of his coaching staff. Goodell says Payton has "fully complied with all the requirements imposed on him during his suspension." Payton says in a statement that he recognizes mistakes were made "which led to league violations," and adds that he's "excited to be back as head coach of the New Orleans Saints." He concluded his prepared remarks by saying: "Lastly, I feel we have learned from our mistakes and are ready to move forward. I want to thank our owner, Mr. [Tom] Benson, and all of our great fans for the overwhelming support throughout this past year." NFL.com has more on today's...
News alert: NFL reinstates Sean Payton
The NFL has announced the reinstatement of New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton from his season-long suspension, effective immediately, as a result of the league's investigation into the team's bounty program. The league says the decision to reinstate Payton was made after a meeting between the coach and Commissioner Roger Goodell on Monday in New Orleans. Read Daily Report AM for more details.
NFL playoff game on CBS available in some B.R. establishments
In light of the ongoing negotiations with Raycom Media to get CBS programming back to Cox Cable customers in Baton Rouge, a Cox spokesperson says one option for customers wanting to watch the NFL playoff game on Sunday is to buy a high-definition TV antennae. However, some area bar and restaurant owners are offering a less-expensive alternative: Watch the game at their place. Brewbacher's is among those that will have the game for customers. "I don't have Cox. I have Eatel," says owner Beau Dicharry, which means his establishments throughout Baton Rouge aren't affected by the standoff between Cox and Raycom—the parent company of local CBS affiliate, WAFB Channel 9. When Walk-On's first...
Plenty of Chick-fil-A Bowl tickets available; T-shirt sales slow
As of this afternoon, about 6,000 of the 16,000 Chick-fil-A Bowl tickets allotted to LSU for Monday's game remained available, says LSU Sports Information Director Michael Bonnette. "We're hoping that as we get closer to game day people will change their minds and find their way to the game," says Bonnette, who arrived in Atlanta with the team on Wednesday. "There's a huge LSU alumni base here, so we're hopeful all of those remaining tickets will be sold." On the other side of the field, there also appears to be plenty of tickets available for Clemson fans. Based on a quick search of tickets via the Clemson ticketing website, dozens of lower level seats can be had as near as 16 rows off the field. Regarding demand for bowl-related LSU Tigers T-shirts, College District owner Jared Loftus says it has been "real lackluster." "LSU has been so fortunate in recent years as far as bowl games, and I think there's also a little stigma about any games that get played before Jan. 1. And even...
LSU holds steady at No. 4 on 'Forbes' list of most valuable college football teams
For the second year in a row, Forbes has ranked the LSU football team No. 4 in its annual list of the nation's most valuable college football teams. LSU jumped three spots on last year's list to No. 4; this year's report says the team is worth more money than a year ago, though its ranking is unchanged. At $102 million, LSU's value rose 6% since last year's $96 million valuation in the report. Placed behind Texas ($133 million), Michigan ($120 million) and Notre Dame ($103 million), LSU is the most highly ranked SEC team. "LSU remains the SEC's most valuable team, which is quite the feat considering that the conference holds seven of the top ten spots," reads the report. "The Tigers may have lost last year's national championship to Alabama, but going to the game as the SEC's first team to a BCS bowl earned the conference more than $22 million." See a slideshow of the rankings here; and...
During times of steep cuts at LSU, Miles may get 9% pay raise
The LSU Board of Supervisors is expected to vote on—and likely approve—a pay raise of more than 9% for head football coach Les Miles, one of its members tells The Times-Picayune. And that offers a new slant on an age-old debate: Does a high salary for a football coach send the wrong message about an institution whose mission is education and which is currently facing significant fiscal challenges? Stanley Jacobs, a member of the LSU Board of Supervisors and former president of the Tiger Athletic Foundation, the team's primary booster organization, says that he expects Miles' salary to approach $4.2 million after negotiations are complete—and Miles is worth the money, he adds. But this pay hike is set against a backdrop of severe budget cuts for the state's flagship university, which has resulted in faculty layoffs and a reduction in some services. "It's unfortunate it's coming along at this moment," Kevin Cope, LSU faculty senate president, says of Miles' new...
Tagliabue overturns NFL player suspensions in bounty case
Former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue today overturned the suspensions of four current and former New Orleans Saints players in the league's bounty investigation of the club. However, Tagliabue found that three of the players engaged in conduct detrimental to the league. He says they participated in a performance pool that rewarded key plays, including hard tackles, that could merit fines; and he stressed that the team's coaches were very much involved. Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma had been given a full-season suspension, while defensive end Will Smith, Cleveland linebacker Scott Fujita, and free agent defensive lineman Anthony Hargrove each received shorter suspensions. Fujita is the only player cleared of conduct detrimental to the league by Tagliabue. None of the players sat out any games because of suspensions. They have been allowed to play while appeals are pending, though Fujita is on injured reserve and Hargrove is not with a team. Tagliabue was appointed by his...
News alert: Tagliabue vacates all discipline against NFL players in bounty case
The NFL says Paul Tagliabue has vacated all discipline against players in New Orleans Saints bounty case. Daily Report PM will have further details.
B.R. a second option for Super Bowl attendees looking for lodging
Super Bowl XLVII will be played in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, but the Baton Rouge Lodging Association and Visit Baton Rouge are anticipating an overflow of fans as New Orleans hotels will surely run out of vacancies. Gary Jupiter, president of the Lodging Association, says he has no doubt that fans will be booking rooms in Baton Rouge, "but we're still in a wait-and-see mode." Jupiter figures it won't be until after the NFL's NFC and AFC championship games are played on Jan. 20—and the Super Bowl teams are solidified—that the Capital Region will begin seeing hotel bookings by fans from around the country. Some Baton Rouge hotels will be offering travel options—public and private—for guests traveling to New Orleans for the big game. The city's tourism promoter is anticipating that the three Mardi Gras parades rolling in downtown New Orleans over the Super Bowl weekend—Krewe of Artemis, Krewe of Mystique and Krewe of Orion—will likewise be a big...
Mathieu says he's entering NFL draft
Tyrann Mathieu says today he is entering the next NFL draft. The former LSU defensive back, who was dismissed from the team prior to the first game of the season, says "it is time for me to move forward." Mathieu released a statement thanking his parents and coach Les Miles, as well as his former LSU teammates. "I am sorry that I was not able to complete my journey at LSU, but I will always support LSU in any way I can. To my teammates, you are my brothers. You have kept me going. I will do my best to make you all proud of me," he said. Mathieu, who earned the moniker "Honey Badger" for his plucky playmaking ability, was a Heisman Trophy finalist last season. But the 20-year-old was dismissed for failing a drug test in August, and last month he was arrested on a charge of possession of marijuana. "I am committed to tackling my personal issues and will work to better myself every day as a man first and only then as a football player. I will always consider myself an LSU Tiger," he...
Miles getting pay raise and contract extension to remain a Tiger 'for the next seven years'
One day after news broke that Arkansas was offering LSU coach Les Miles a five-year, $27.5 million deal to become a Razorback, LSU Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Joe Alleva says Miles will receive an increase in salary and a contract extension "for the next seven years" following LSU's bowl appearance this year. "The Arkansas situation was a sincere one," says Miles, who addressed the issue at a 3 p.m. press conference. "Our conversations were very preliminary and fell short of any real interest." LSU says its intent was to address his salary following this year's bowl game, but Arkansas' interest spurred the negotiation process. Miles makes $3,856,417 a year, according to a Nov. 20 report by USA Today. "Les has not received a pay increase since his salary was automatically elevated following our national championship...
Tulane leaving C-USA, joining Big East in 2014
Tulane is joining the Big East as a full member in 2014, university officials announced at a press conference this afternoon. "I would go as far to say as this is a historic day for Tulane University. … The Big East is coming to the Big Easy," school President Scott Cowen says. East Carolina will also join the rebuilding Big East for football only in 2014, a person familiar with the decision tells The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity today because neither the conference nor East Carolina was prepared to make an official announcement. East Carolina, located in Greenville, N.C., has a news conference scheduled for later this afternoon. Tulane and East Carolina currently play in Conference USA. They will become the fifth and sixth C-USA schools, respectively, to join the Big East in the last two years. The full story is available
News alert: Tulane reportedly joining Big East
Multiple media sources are reporting that Tulane will join the Big East conference in all sports beginning in 2014. ESPN, CBS and The Times-Picayune, among others, report that Tulane is holding a press conference at 1 p.m., at which sources say the university will formally announce the move. The university has yet to confirm or deny any realignment reports. Tulane currently competes in the Conference USA.
Tagliabue expects to rule on bounties by Dec. 4
Former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue has advised league officials and players implicated in the NFL's bounty probe that he plans to complete all hearings by Dec. 4 and make a ruling shortly thereafter. In a document obtained today by The Associated Press, Tagliabue directs the NFL to produce key witnesses in the New Orleans Saints cash-for-hits program, including former defensive coordinator Gregg Williams and former defensive assistant Mike Cerullo. Four players initially were suspended, but those punishments were vacated and Tagliabue was appointed to oversee new hearings. Meanwhile, Saints linebacker Jon Vilma and defensive end Will Smith are still playing. Even as Tagliabue moves the process forward, a federal judge is considering arguments by players that Tagliabue should be removed as arbitrator because he is biased in favor of the NFL. Based on the schedule laid out by Tagliabue, U.S. District Judge Ginger Berrigan could choose to rule as early as next week. For now,...
Report: Miles is 5th-highest paid coach in college football
Six years ago, 42 major college football coaches made at least $1 million. Today, as USA Today reports, 42 coaches make at least $2 million. LSU coach Les Miles, by the newspaper's count, is the fifth-highest compensated coach in college football, making $3,856,417 in base salary and bonuses. Alabama coach Nick Saban is the highest paid coach on the list, at just under $5.5 million. The average annual salary for head coaches at major colleges (not including four schools that moved up to the Football Bowl Subdivision this season) is $1.64 million, up nearly 12% over last season and more than 70% since 2006, when USA Today began tracking coaches' compensation. Coaches' pay has even outpaced the pay of corporate executives, who have drawn the ire of Congress and the public because of their staggering compensation packages. Between 2007 and 2011, CEO pay—including salary, stock option value, bonuses and other pay—rose 23%, according to Equilar, an executive...
N.O. creating new streetcar line for Super Bowl XLVII
With the Super Bowl less than three months away, New Orleans is rushing to lay streetcar tracks through one of its busiest corridors to connect by trolley the Louisiana Superdome and the French Quarter. The Big Easy—which will be the site of the big game Feb. 3—is no stranger to Super Bowls. In the 47 years of game's history, this is the 10th time New Orleans is slated to play host. But this will be the city's first Super Bowl since Hurricane Katrina struck in August 2005. The snarled traffic, construction crews and flying dust along Loyola Avenue where the new streetcar line is being laid reflect the frantic pace of preparations for the Super Bowl. Streets are being repaved in the French Quarter; the airport is undergoing a major renovation; and crews are fixing sidewalks, streetlights and potholes. For many locals, the new streetcar is viewed as more than a show of Super Bowl pizzazz. "For anybody who's trying to cut down on gas, walk out their front door, go a few...
LSU to close out home schedule with afternoon kickoff
A day after LSU learned ESPN will air its homecoming game Saturday against Mississippi State at 6 p.m.—an hour earlier than the game had originally been scheduled—the Tigers today learned that CBS will pick up the team's final home game of the season against Ole Miss on Nov. 17 and broadcast the action beginning at 2:30 p.m. It will be the only home game this season that the Tigers—who fell to No. 9 in the polls Sunday following Saturday's heartbreaking 21-17 loss to top-ranked Alabama—will not play during the evening. LSU will close out its season in a matchup against Arkansas on Friday, Nov. 23, with a 1:30 p.m. kickoff.
Foundation for corporate sponsorships of LSU athletics set years ago
When Joe Dean assumed the position of LSU's athletic director in 1987, he brought with him 30 years of experience in marketing with shoemaker Converse. That experience included emblazoning the Olympics logo on a couple of pairs of Converse shoes when Los Angeles hosted the summer games in 1984. At LSU, Dean quickly courted Coca-Cola and McDonald's into corporate sponsorships with the athletic department. "We raised quite a bit of money," Dean says. Rannah Gray, who left LSU in 2002 as an associate athletic director in charge of marketing, says Dean marketed LSU early for corporate sponsorships when compared to other large schools. "College athletics was going to go the way of the pros," and Dean knew it, Gray says. Dean credits Gray for raising about $3 million a year for LSU as she coordinated the bidding process on advertising packages including signage, soft drinks and food. "It's grown way beyond that," Dean says. —Adam Pearson
'225 Weekender': Better Than Ezra at Walk-On's
The Louisiana-bred, chart-topping, alt-rock trio Better Than Ezra will perform at Walk-On's Bistreaux & Bar, 3838 Burbank Dr., near Tiger Stadium on Friday night. The live show, dubbed the "Big Game Throwdown," kicks off the LSU-Alabama weekend in style for fans of both teams and the band. Doors open at 7 p.m.; show time is at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15 in advance here, or $20 at the door. Get the lowdown on more local happenings this weekend and beyond from the new 225 Weekender e-newsletter here.
Where are they now?
Arguably one of the brightest players to come through LSU's football program in recent years, the former center and budding medical student spent five seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs—two as the full-time starter. He did not latch on with a team last season, and if he doesn't this fall, it's conceivable the Monroe native could pursue a second career as an orthopedic surgeon. He was accepted into LSU's medical school in 2006 after scoring a 33 on the MCAT exam, which ranked in the top 8% nationally.
The droid you’re looking for
Barton Gilley’s shed is filled with castaway projects, like an island of misfit toys.
Raise the roof
That's the question we asked the team at Remson Haley Herpin Architects in Baton Rouge.
Q&A with Sam Montgomery
Sam Montgomery is special in many ways, not the least of which is he’s capable of becoming a one-man wrecking crew for the Tigers. But the 6-foot-5, 260-pound product of Greenwood, S.C., who was chased by nearly every college football powerhouse in the country, has built a reputation among the Louisiana media as their “go-to” guy, too. He’s refreshingly honest and articulate on the record. The kinesiology major is also a prolific Tweeter, and you can follow him @Sonic99_SC.
Q&A with Garrett Ellison
During the 1930s, the LSU marching band was nicknamed “The Show Band of the South” thanks to its rousing halftime performances, and the name is even more fitting today. That is just one part of a colorful history that has made the university’s marching band a staple of the LSU football experience. A rigorous practice schedule readies these talented musicians who serenade and amplify Tiger Stadium for LSU’s famous cheers. Senior Garrett Ellison talks with 225 about what it’s like to play his part in such a regal group.
Spray Tan-tastic
225 Magazine's fitness and lifestyle blogger Patrick Fellows pays up from LSU's loss to Alabama in the BCS National Championship game by receiving a Snooki-style spray tan in his latest video blog.
'1 Day, 1 Game'
For the third time in 12 months, an LSU-Alabama football game is taking on galactic proportions in its buildup to kickoff. Everything in college football revolves around it.
ESPN devotes entire magazine issue to LSU-Alabama rematch
The LSU-Alabama rematch is being billed as "1 Day, 1 Game" by ESPN The Magazine, which is dedicating an entire issue to the gridiron contest that will be published the following week, says LSU Sports Information Director Michael Bonnette. "Their publication has requested 48 credentials, 25 of which are photographers," Bonnette says. The big SEC West rivalry will also secure the attention of ESPN's College GameDay and ESPN Radio, Bonnette says, as well as media from the East and West coasts: The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, USA Today, The Boston Globe and a tabloid or two from London. "It will be an impressive list of people coming to that game," Bonnette says. Herb Vincent, a senior associate athletic director and associate vice chancellor for the Office of Communications & University Relations, says the combined fan base of both teams expected to arrive on the LSU campus Nov. 3 could easily exceed a good average turnout of 120,000. "I...
'Forbes' delves into Brees' entrepreneurial spirit
In addition to being one of the highest paid and most sought after football players in the NFL, New Orleans Saints' quarterback Drew Brees has enough endorsement deals to support his family for the long term and is also the owner of two Jimmy John's franchise locations. And with the launch of his new lifestyle apparel line just last month, Forbes magazine began wondering why a seemingly financially stable football player is turning to entrepreneurship now. Brees tells the magazine he and his wife, Brittany, founded Nine Brand based on the idea that it would be an investment for the community, not just another way to earn a buck. "We were inspired just from living in New Orleans," Brees says. "We wanted to capture the charm, culture, way of life—elements that make New Orleans so unique—in the brand. The fact that we are New Orleans based, and constantly inspired by it, made us want to find more ways to help the city grow." Even with access to capital, celebrity...
Report: Mathieu, other Tigers might have violated NCAA rules
Sports Illustrated is reporting that former LSU cornerback Tyrann Mathieu might have violated NCAA rules by promoting a night club while he was still on the Tigers football squad. The magazine reports Mathieu appeared in a video, made by a group of his friends that goes by the name Era Nation, in which he promotes a party at a Baton Rouge club called The Palace on March 10 of this year. His pictures were also on flyers promoting the event called "Era Nation Album Release Party For Tyrann Mathieu." The flyer also featured photographs of former LSU standout Mo Claiborne and current LSU sophomore defensive tackle Anthony Johnson. NCAA rules prohibit student-athletes from allowing their names or pictures to be used in advertising the sale of a product or service. Johnson has denied any involvement; Claiborne says he was aware of the party but did not attend. LSU says the school, including coach Les Miles, is unaware of players using their images to promote events or receiving...
Up close and personal with Zach Mettenberger
225 Magazine gets up close and personal with LSU QB Zach Mettenberger. Read our story from the August issue here:
http://bit.ly/O4pt81
Brees: Bounty scandal is 'a big sham'
New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees has largely remained mum on the bounty scandal situation that continues to serve as a distraction to the team's disappointing 1-4 start to the season. But this morning, Brees is making the media rounds, and he's not holding his tongue on his views about the new suspensions in the New Orleans Saints bounty scandal. As The Times-Picayune reports, Brees called the bounty situation "a big sham" on ESPN Radio's Mike and Mike in the Morning, and agreed with the statement by former Saints linebacker Scott Fujita in which Fujita blasts NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell for the handling of the bounty case. In a separate interview with the NFL Network's NFL AM, Brees says, "This could go on for a while because, certainly, our players are not satisfied with some of the things that Commissioner Goodell has claimed or said. It seems like so much of his suspensions have been based upon speculation and rhetoric and maybe the testimony of...
Delta adds direct flight to get Alabama fans to B.R. for LSU game
Due to "strong demand" from Alabama fans for nonstop flights to Baton Rouge during the weekend that LSU and Alabama tangle in Tiger Stadium, Delta announced this morning that it's adding flights to accommodate them. A flight will depart from Birmingham around 10 a.m. on game day—Saturday, Nov. 3—and arrive in Baton Rouge around 11 a.m. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. The return flight will leave Baton Rouge the following day around 10 a.m., Delta says. "Football fans will arrive well before the night game, leaving enough time to tailgate and take in the game day festivities," the airline says.
2013 Cowboys Classic confirmed
It's official. The LSU Tigers will open next year's football season in Cowboys Stadium in a primetime game against TCU, the schools announced today. The 2013 Cowboys Classic will take place on Saturday, Aug. 31, and will be televised by ABC, ESPN or ESPN2. "The Cowboys Classic has become one of the premier events in college football, and we are excited about making another appearance there to start the 2013 season on national television," LSU Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Joe Alleva says in a prepared statement. "The Dallas-Fort Worth area is also rich with LSU supporters, and we look forward to taking the Tigers to a great LSU following." Cowboys Stadium was primarily filled with purple and gold when the Tigers downed the Oregon Ducks 40-27 in the 2011 Cowboys Classic to open last season. The 2013 LSU-TCU matchup will be the first of these two teams since 1968, when the Tigers beat the Horned Frogs, 10-7, in Tiger Stadium. LSU leads the series with TCU, 5-2-1. LSU and...
Miles: 'Zach can do it'
LSU Tigers coach Les Miles says he isn't discouraged by first-year quarterback Zach Mettenberger's less-than-stellar performance Saturday against Auburn, in which the Tigers struggled to hold on to a 12-10 win. "Zach can do it,'' Miles says. "I liked his leadership. He also has toughness. [The problem] is not Zach. It's the offensive line. It's the backs. It's everyone.'' Miles notes the LSU wide receivers have had their share of drops in the first four games. "The receivers are improving,'' he says. "They are a work in progress. They did the job in several instances. In other instances, they can play better. But give the opponent credit. They covered some routes, too.'' Still, Miles expects the third-ranked Tigers to improve its passing game against Towson this Saturday before facing a challenging three-game stretch of SEC games in October: Florida, South Carolina and Texas A&M. Mettenberger was supposed to provide an immediate upgrade in LSU's air attack. While LSU is averaging 40...
The football factor
LSU football, for better or worse, is the biggest thing going in Baton Rouge. Those tailgate parties aren't all about boozing and eating; business connections are made or strengthened. And when the team is winning, everyone walks around in a better mood, and people spend more money.
Miles confirms 5 more LSU players out for 2012
LSU football coach Les Miles confirmed to The Times-Picayune today that linebackers Tahj Jones and D.J. Welter, tight end Tyler Edwards and offensive lineman Evan Washington will not play in 2012, but would not give a reason. It brings to 11 the number of Tigers lost to attrition since the start of fall camp. Edwards is one of four LSU players academically ineligible in 2012. A source close to LSU's program first told the New Orleans newspaper on Tuesday that four players were academically ineligible. Speaking on the SEC coaches teleconference, Miles said he was not at liberty to say why the four would not play, citing privacy issues. "I don't know that it's fair for me to confirm that," Miles said, on whether academic performance was the reason. "There's a privacy responsibility. Those guys will not play this year. I don't know that I can tell you the specifics as to why and why not." He also added that sophomore defensive end Jordan Allen is out for the season with an...
Tigers' Mills and Montgomery get SEC player of the week honors
LSU freshman cornerback Jalen Mills and junior defensive end Sam Montgomery have been named two of the SEC as players of the week for their performance in the 41-3 win over Washington on Saturday. Mills, a true freshman who made his second start at cornerback, earned SEC Freshman of the Week honors after registering seven tackles and his first career interception in the win. Through two games, Mills is third on the team with 11 tackles. Montgomery, a 2011 All-American, had four tackles, one sack, 1.5 tackles for loss and three quarterback hurries to earn co-SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week honors. Montgomery and Mills both helped an LSU defense that held Washington to just 183 yards of total offense and only 12 first downs. The Huskies managed just 26 rushing yards on 24 attempts as Washington quarterback Keith Price was sacked four times. Outside of recovering an LSU fumble on the opening kickoff that gave the Huskies the ball at the LSU 16-yard line, Washington did not have...
Mathieu enrolls at LSU; Miles' focus elsewhere
Former LSU star cornerback Tyrann Mathieu has enrolled at LSU for the fall semester, even though he cannot play for the Tigers this season and will be eligible for the 2013 NFL draft. LSU coach Les Miles has declined to say whether Mathieu has any future with the Tigers. Instead, Miles says he's focused on Washington's visit to Baton Rouge this Saturday night. Speaking at his media luncheon today, Miles would say only that he believes Mathieu is "making some quality decisions for himself" by addressing some personal issues and coming back to school exclusively as a student. Mathieu, a 2011 Heisman Trophy finalist, was kicked off LSU's football team Aug. 10 for having failed drug tests. Miles says Mathieu also has "made some really difficult decisions" and that LSU wishes him the best.
Tiger Pride
In many ways, LSU football is the culmination of summer in Baton Rouge. After three months of oppressive heat and humidity, the purple and gold masses will shuffle into Tiger Stadium on Sept. 1 to come alive.
Q&A with Odell Beckham, Jr.
His mother was a five-time national champion with the LSU track and field squad in the early 1990s. His father ran the football for the Tigers during the Archer and Hallman eras. As a freshman, Odell Beckham Jr. charged out of the gate and became the first LSU receiver since Bennie Brazil in 2005 to record back-to-back games with receiving touchdowns of 50-yards or more. This season, Odell Beckham Jr. continues to make a name for himself as Zach Mettenberger’s top target.
Playback
During the season, it's not unusual for Les Miles and his assistants to clock in at 7 a.m. and work until midnight. The bulk of that time is spent, not on the practice field or in the weight room, but with a remote control in hand, watching video playback.
A tailgate touchdown
Football and food go hand in hand, especially around here.
LSU football opener Saturday still on
While LSU officials say they will continue to monitor the weather and assess how it may impact the Tigers' season opener against North Texas, which is scheduled for 6 p.m. Saturday in Baton Rouge, a statement released this morning says the game is still on as planned. Two other LSU athletic events, however, have been changed due to Hurricane Isaac. LSU’s soccer match on Friday against Stephen F. Austin has been postponed until Tuesday. The Tiger Classic Volleyball Tournament, which was scheduled to take place in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center on Friday and Saturday, was moved to Houston because of travel complications involving opponents. LSU says it will continue to provide updates on any other changes in sports schedules, including the football game, at LSUsports.net.
LSU remains focused on Saturday's opener as storm strikes
Although the LSU campus was shuttered in anticipation of Hurricane Isaac on Tuesday—and remains so today—LSU football went on. USA Today reports the Tigers met for a scheduled practice around noon Tuesday, simultaneously preparing for the approaching storm and Saturday's season opener in Tiger Stadium against North Texas. LSU enters the season ranked No. 1 in the USA Today Sports preseason coaches poll and No. 3 in The Associated Press poll. Saturday's kickoff is set for 6 p.m., weather and its wake permitting. As of this morning, LSU has issued no statement indicating the game date or time will be changed. LSU has had to change scheduled football games five times since Category 3 Hurricane Katrina ravaged New Orleans and the Mississippi coast on Aug. 29, 2005. Les Miles was the coach at LSU then and in all the years since. His LSU debut, on Sept. 3, 2005—also against North Texas—was postponed by Hurricane Katrina. "Coincidentally, it was North Texas in...
Isom 'heartbroken' to have been passed over by LSU once more
Though neither LSU nor coach Les Miles had officially commented on the matter as of press time, it appears former LSU women's soccer goalie and homecoming queen Mo Isom has not made the LSU football team as a walk-on placekicker. "I am heartbroken, but my head is held high," Isom tweeted around 1:30 this afternoon. "Knowing I gave everything I had is the greatest victory. Unending thanks to my LSU football fam." Isom had garnered national attention while attempting to become the first female LSU football player. She first failed to make the team as a walk-on this spring. She attended walk-on tryouts on Tuesday and Wednesday, and though it was widely reported that Miles would announce on Thursday the names of those who had made the team, there has been no such official announcement yet. "Best special teams unit in the nation & even better men. Can't wait to cheer them on," Isom also tweeted this afternoon.
Tiger Stadium has a new look in time for season opener
More than 400 windows on the north end of Tiger Stadium have been replaced in anticipation of the Sept. 1 season opener, and a new coating has been applied to the outer façade of the entire stadium. Meanwhile, a new lighting system has been installed that turns the upper archways of the stadium's north end purple and gold, lighting up the iconic "LSU" logo on the stadium's north scoreboard. Work is still ongoing on a major upgrade to the stadium's west side and is expected to be complete by opening day. The new portal gating system includes the Scotty Moran National Championship Plaza as well as plaques commemorating LSU All-Americans and members of the College Football Hall of Fame. Also, 10-foot tall illuminated letters will spell out "Tiger Stadium" just below the west upper deck, facing Nicholson Drive. LSUsports.net has the full story here.
'Honey Badger' shirts shelved long before Mathieu's dismissal
Jared Loftus says it was like experiencing the death of a dear friend when Tyrann Mathieu was dismissed from the LSU football team a week ago, considering the number of text messages and emails that bombarded the College District owner. Loftus caught the attention of national media last year when College District began selling gold shirts that played on Mathieu's plucky playmaking abilities and his inexplicable nickname, the "Honey Badger." Game analysts lofted the shirts on CBS and ESPN telecasts. "Honey Badger sales were good to us last year," says Loftus. Fortuitously, Loftus had already made up his mind to stop making the shirt in December—back when it was assumed that the Honey Badger would be a star at LSU throughout the forthcoming season and potentially beyond. "There was a lot of controversy with that design; LSU was not comfortable with it," he says, particularly with concerns that the NCAA might perceive the university as profiting off a student athlete. "It was the...
'Honey Badger' reportedly at Houston rehab clinic
Former LSU star Tyrann Mathieu has entered a drug rehabilitation program in Houston since being dismissed from the Tigers, The Associated Press is reporting this morning, citing a television report. Mathieu's adoptive father, Tyrone Mathieu, tells New Orleans' Fox 8 that the 20-year-old star cornerback and punt returner known as the "Honey Badger" has been at the Right Step recovery center and is being counseled by former NBA player John Lucas. Tyrone Mathieu says his son is committed to restoring his health and won't play football until he is confident that his rehab is complete. No one from Mathieu's family appeared on camera in the New Orleans television report. As of this morning, Lucas has returned a call from The Associated Press. Meanwhile, CBSSports.com columnist Bruce Feldman is reporting "a source close to Mathieu" tells him that Mathieu's issue was with marijuana, not any other drug. His report says there was a fear, however, among those close to Mathieu that he might move...
LSU: About 20 schools have inquired about Mathieu
LSU says that about 20 college football programs have asked for permission to speak with All-America cornerback and punt returner Tyrann Mathieu. Herb Vincent, the university's vice chancellor of communications, says LSU only considers granting requests to schools Mathieu has approved, consistent with school policy on athletic transfers. Vincent says he cannot release which schools have been in touch with LSU and which have been approved other than McNeese State, which has already announced that Mathieu visited its campus. Officials at McNeese State, where classes began Wednesday, say some leeway remains for Mathieu to enroll there within the next few days. Mathieu was kicked off the LSU football team Friday, reportedly for a failed drug test. He has not yet announced his plans for this season.
Conflicting reports emerge on Mathieu's chances of staying at LSU
A report from ESPN this afternoon says former LSU cornerback Tyrann Mathieu has expressed interest in sitting out this season, enrolling in classes and hoping for a return to the program in 2013, if it can be worked out with the school. ESPN is citing an anonymous source. But so, too, is The Times-Picayune in reporting that remaining at LSU is not an option for "The Honey Badger." The source that the New Orleans newspaper cites says remaining in Baton Rouge "wouldn't be happening" and that McNeese State, which Mathieu visited on Friday, is presently the only option for transfer. The Times-Picayune's source also says Mathieu, who has moved back home to New Orleans, will make a decision on transferring by Wednesday. As ESPN reports, it has been unclear whether Mathieu had been declared permanently ineligible since he was booted off the team on Friday for violating team rules. "If Tyrann chooses to return to LSU as a student he can do so. We are not speculating on anything...
State Police: No evidence of Saints wiretapping
Louisiana State Police Col. Mike Edmonson says his investigators have found no evidence at this time that the Saints or General Manager Mickey Loomis rigged Superdome wiring with a view to intercepting opposing coaches' radio communications. Edmonson says state police investigators have run an extensive probe in conjunction with the FBI since the eavesdropping allegations surfaced in news reports in April. He says numerous interviews by his agency investigators have shown "there is no evidence that state laws have been violated." Edmonson says he cannot comment on the status of related federal probes. He also says state police will reopen their investigations if new allegations surface. Loomis and the Saints have emphatically denied the allegations, and the Saints have hired the firm of former FBI director Louis Freeh to conduct its own investigation.
CATS adds town square to LSU football shuttle schedule
There's a new spot to catch a shuttle to Death Valley this fall: the North Boulevard Town Square downtown. Besides bypassing pricey parking fees around Tiger Stadium, Downtown Development District Director Davis Rhorer says the $4 roundtrip ride—an increase of 50 cents over the shuttle fee in years previous—is a safe and relaxing alternative that is also a good option for fans who have issues walking long distances. The buses stop in front of the stadium's gates. Besides making stops at the town square, the buses also run to and from the corner of Convention and Lafayette streets, as well as under Interstate 10 at Florida Boulevard and L'Auberge Casino. The CATS buses begin running about three hours before kickoff and make their last pickup about an hour before kickoff, Rhorer says. Town square will also feature past game highlights on a video screen and music to pump up Tiger faithful, though it's unclear if "The Honey Badger" will be included in the reels. "Fortunately...
News alert: Mathieu reportedly wants to return to LSU in 2013
Recently dismissed LSU cornerback Tyrann Mathieu has expressed interest in sitting out this season, staying in class, and hoping for a return to the football program in 2013, if it can be worked out with the school, ESPN is reporting, citing multiple sources. The possibility of future reinstatement would have to be approved at many levels, including by university administration and head coach Les Miles, and it is being discussed. Read the complete report from ESPN here.
Judge does not rule in Saints LB Vilma lawsuit
A judge has heard arguments on the NFL's motion to dismiss New Orleans Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma's lawsuit seeking to overturn his bounty suspension without making a ruling. U.S. District Judge Ginger Berrigan today urged all parties to work toward a settlement. The judge could potentially rule on Vilma's request to be allowed to temporarily return to the Saints while the case proceeds. When Vilma left the courthouse, quarterback Drew Brees gave his teammate a hug and pat on the back. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has suspended Vilma for the entire 2012 season, saying the Saints linebacker was among the ringleaders of a program that improperly offered Saints defenders cash bonuses for injuring opponents.
LSU's Mathieu kicked off team for violating rules
LSU's national championship hopes were hurt today when Heisman Trophy finalist Tyrann Mathieu, better known as The Honey Badger, was kicked off the football team for breaking team and school rules, head coach Les Miles announced at a pre-practice news conference. Miles would not specify the exact reason Mathieu was dismissed from the team, saying only that Mathieu is a "quality, quality guy that had a behavior issue and that's it." Athletics Director Joe Alleva says Mathieu, who was suspended for a game in 2011 for failing a drug test, violated an athletics department rule and had his scholarship revoked. Mathieu could stay at the school and pay tuition, but Alleva says that's probably not likely. The 20-year-old Mathieu won the Bednarik Award as national defensive player of the year last season and was big-play machine at cornerback and on special teams. The All-American scored four touchdowns—two on punt returns and two on fumble returns—intercepted two passes and...
State police: Saints wiretapping probe ongoing
Louisiana State Police Col. Mike Edmonson says he still has an investigator working with the FBI on wiretapping allegations involving the New Orleans Saints, but adds that no evidence has been turned over to federal prosecutors at this time. Authorities have been working on the case since April, when ESPN, citing anonymous sources, reported Superdome wiring was rigged so Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis could listen to opposing teams' radio communications during games. Loomis and the Saints have denied those allegations, and the Saints have hired the firm of former FBI Director Louis Freeh to do its own investigation. Edmonson says his investigator has been conducting interviews along with FBI agents but that it is too early to discuss whether those interviews have produced any credible leads.
NFL disputes report of Vilma settlement offer
The NFL is calling an ESPN report that it has offered a settlement and reduced suspension to Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma "completely inaccurate." Vilma has been suspended for the 2012 season for his role in the alleged Saints bounty program, which he adamantly has claimed did not exist. Citing anonymous sources, ESPN.com this morning reported that the league offered Vilma an eight-game suspension if he would drop his defamation lawsuit against NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. "No such settlement offer has been made," NFL spokesman Greg Aiello says. "We will continue to respect the court proceedings on this matter and have no further comment at this time." A judge has ordered the league and Vilma's representatives to hold confidential settlement talks. A person familiar with those talks tells The Associated Press he had "not heard anything that concrete from...
Tiger Stadium called No. 1 in the SEC
"Nothing comes close." That's what best-selling author and columnist Steve Eubanks says about Tiger Stadium in a column ranking the best football stadiums in the SEC. "The home of the LSU Tigers is consistently rated as the toughest venue for visiting teams, and the loudest stadium in all of college football. A night game in Baton Rouge is like being trapped beside a roaring airplane engine. Sound has feel in there," Eubanks says. "Tiger Stadium also has the advantage of being in Louisiana, where the natives pride themselves on out-cooking every competitor in the region. Tailgating fare invariably includes étouffée and oysters with some of the finest seasoned grits anywhere in the South. Throw in the fact that LSU fans refuse to let you leave on an empty stomach, and it's easy to see why Tiger Stadium is the No. 1 venue in the SEC." Check out Eubanks' full list
'225': A tested Mettenberger looks forward, mostly
"I was in the backseat of a truck," the lanky LSU quarterback recalls of the one night a year ago that every Tiger fan wanted to talk about—the night when things went bad. "Everybody was out. It was my first camp, but it was a tradition. The last night of camp, we all go out and celebrate the end of camp. Getting through it is like freshman initiation; you're finally part of the team. So we all go out, and I'm in the backseat of a truck, and I literally had a front-row view of what went down, and I kept my ass in that truck the whole time and high-tailed it out of there as soon as I could." After leaving Shady's Bar, the players returned to the dorm. Even after what happened, some continued to celebrate. "Y'all don't understand what's going to happen tomorrow," he told them. "I've been in trouble. I got arrested in a small town in Georgia, and I was thinking no one was going to find out. The next morning I'm on the front page of the Athens paper, the Atlanta paper, every...
Talking a big game
“I was in the back seat of a truck,” the lanky quarterback recalls of the one night a year ago that every Tiger fan wanted to talk about. The night when things went bad. “Everybody was out. It was my first camp, but it was a tradition. The last night of camp, we all go out and celebrate the end of camp. Getting through it is like freshman initiation; you're finally part of the team. So we all go out, and I'm in the back seat of a truck, and I literally had a front-row view of what went down, and I kept my ass in that truck the whole time and high-tailed it out of there as soon as I could.”
Reloaded for the reckoning
In mere weeks, the world will be right again for LSU fans—or pretty close to it, anyway.
Q&A with Eric Reid
Growing up in Dutchtown, the son of two former LSU track stars, Eric Reid has been a football star at every level and is now regarded as one of the top safeties in the country. Here he tells 225 about his LSU idol growing up, his own gridiron legacy and his favorite thing about playing in Tiger Stadium.
Party on, Garth
We all wait for it. The team is warming up, the crowd in Tiger Stadium is in a frenzy, and then out of the speakers blares the familiar line, “I spent last night in the arms of a girl in LOUISIANA!”
Hodson Heisman
No way Tommy Hodson was getting knocked off the wall. Not by “Bad Boy” Isaiah Thomas. Not by anyone. Despite my pushy friend's hard sell, I wasn't going to budge. I was a Bulls fan, anyway—plus, he wanted a Hamilton for the poster of the famous Detroit Piston, and—well, 10 bucks was a lot of money to come by in elementary school.
Get your road game on
Following the Tigers on the road doesn’t have to mean drive-thrus, economy lodges and watching TV in the hotel just waiting for game time. Whether you travel with family, a significant other or a group of fun-loving friends, each destination on LSU’s schedule offers something worth experiencing. Here’s your 225 guide to making vacations out of LSU road games.
Miles: Tigers not quite ready to show BCS scars
LSU football coach Les Miles says the Tigers have scars from their season-ending loss in the BCS championship to Alabama, but they're not ready to show them just yet. Miles, speaking to the Rotary Club of Baton Rouge today, says the Tigers met with five speakers on various occasions since the end of last season, after LSU won the SEC Western Division title and defeated Georgia for the SEC title. "We're going to hang two banners," Miles says. "There's a banner we didn't hang and we recognize that." Miles says one speaker in particular, a Navy SEAL, put everything in perspective for the Tigers. "If a navy SEAL makes a mistake, he hopes he only loses his life," says Miles, paraphrasing the SEAL. "I think we're still healing," Miles says, "And we'll eventually want to show our scars." Though Miles acknowledges the reality of the 21-0 loss to Alabama for the national title, he likewise shares the accomplishment of winning 13 games and boasts of LSU's 77% graduation rate of football...
NFL asks court to dismiss Saints player's claims
The NFL asked a U.S. District Court judge today to dismiss Jonathan Vilma's motion seeking to have his season-long suspension overturned. The New Orleans Saints linebacker is scheduled to have a hearing on Thursday. But the NFL wants the case dismissed because the collective bargaining agreement reached last August to end the lockout gives Commissioner Roger Goodell the authority to punish players for "conduct detrimental" to the NFL. Vilma and Saints coach Sean Payton have been suspended for the 2012 season for their roles in the alleged bounty program the NFL says went on for three seasons. The NFL also states that Vilma and three other players suspended refused to defend themselves during the appeals process. Saints defensive end Will Smith is suspended for four games, current Green Bay Packers DE Anthony Hargrove is out eight games, and current Cleveland Browns linebacker Scott Fujita can't play in three games. "By refusing to participate in the merits of the CBA appeal process...
$100M contract makes Brees the NFL's highest paid player
The Who Dat Nation can finally breathe a collective sigh of relief. Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints agreed today to a five-year contract worth $100 million, making the 33-year-old quarterback the highest-paid player in NFL history. Brees took to Twitter to announce the blockbuster deal—which will see him bank $40 million in the first year alone—saying: "Deal is Done! Love you, Who Dat Nation. See you soon!" And, as The Times-Picayune reports, he later told ESPN's Ed Werder: "I appreciate the diligence and steadfast efforts by both sides to get this deal done. I love my organization, team, and the city of New Orleans. Thank you especially to [owners] Gayle and Tom Benson for the opportunity. Now I need to go earn it." Brees is expected to do a radio interview tonight in New Orleans but isn't planning any other interviews until a press conference, likely Sunday. The average salary of $20 million surpassed the $19.2 million per year that the Denver Broncos gave...
News alert: Brees, Saints reportedly agree to $100M contract
Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints have reached an agreement on a five-year, $100 million contract that all sides concur will guarantee Brees an NFL-record $60 million, including a first-year take in 2012 of $40 million, ESPN is reporting, citing sources with the league, players union and team. The deal was struck this morning in the latest round of negotiations between the Saints' general manager, Mickey Loomis, and Brees' agent, Tom Condon.
Downtown Radio to broadcast SU sports
Downtown Radio 97.7 FM announced today that it will begin broadcasting Southern University sports on Sept. 1, debuting with SU's first football game of the 2012 season. The station will provide full coverage of 11 football games in total, six home conference men's basketball games, four women's home basketball games, and four Saturday baseball games, all doubleheaders. All broadcasts will also be featured online at the station's website and iHeartRadio.com, while football games will be replayed on Sundays at 2 p.m. on Hallelujah 1210 AM. "This broadcast coverage is part of 97.7 FM Downtown Radio commitment to embracing the community and the city of Baton Rouge," says Michael Hudson, Clear Channel Media and Entertainment Baton Rouge regional market manager.
NFLPA sues, calls Goodell 'biased' in Saints bounty case
The NFL Players Association filed a lawsuit against the NFL this morning on behalf of three players suspended in connection with the Saints bounty investigation, calling Commissioner Roger Goodell "incurably and evidently biased." The lawsuit, filed in federal court in New Orleans, says Goodell violated the labor agreement by showing he had determined Will Smith, Anthony Hargrove and Scott Fujita participated in a bounty system before serving as an arbitrator at their hearing. The NFL says the action is an "improper attempt to litigate," adding there is "no basis for asking a federal court to put its judgment in place of the procedures agreed upon with the NFLPA in collective bargaining." "These procedures have been in place, and have served the game and players well, for many decades," NFL spokesman Greg Aiello says in an email to The Associated Press. The lawsuit asks a judge to set aside earlier arbitration rulings and order a new arbitrator to preside over the matter. The suit...
Brees: Small details getting in the way of big contract
As a guest this morning on ESPN Radio's Mike and Mike in the Morning, Drew Brees shed little light on how close the New Orleans Saints and he are to finalizing a long-term contract for the All-Pro quarterback, The Times-Picayune reports. Brees says he believes that smaller details are preventing a deal from being completed. "Why do contract negotiations take this long anyway?" Brees wondered aloud on the show. "It should be a much more simple process than it is. Certainly, it comes down to certain provisions of the contract. There are little things here and there that take time to resolve." Brees says he still remains confident that the two sides will forge an agreement before the looming July 16 deadline to complete the contract. "I'm confident we'll reach that point, hopefully sooner than later," he says, adding he's not yet worried about what will happen if an agreement isn't in place by training camp. A question about how the league has handled its bounty program...
NFLPA asks NFL to restart Saints bounty investigation
NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith is asking the NFL to restart from scratch its investigation into the alleged New Orleans Saints bounty scandal, NFLPA spokesman George Atallah confirms. Though Atallah says the NFLPA would not comment on the matter, Pro Football Talk has obtained the letter the NFLPA sent to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and has posted it online here. The letter calls the investigation "unprofessional, unsubstantiated and incomplete." In it, Smith also points to witnesses who have "clearly and publicly stated that the NFL grossly mischaracterized the information they provided to NFL investigators and knowingly misrepresented the facts surrounding this investigation." The letter concludes with the request for a new investigation. "I ask that you order that the investigation of this matter be redone thoroughly and...
NFL wins arbitration ruling in Saints bounty case
An arbitrator ruled this morning that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has the authority to discipline New Orleans Saints players for their role in a bounty system. The NFL Players Association challenged Goodell's power to impose penalties for what the league says was a three-year bounty program that targeted specific players. Stephen Burbank, a University of Pennsylvania law professor, took only five days to determine that Goodell has the power to punish the players under the collective bargaining agreement reached last August to end the lockout. Goodell suspended Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma for the entire 2012 season and teammate Will Smith for four games. Former Saints defensive end Anthony Hargrove, now with the Green Bay Packers, was suspended for eight games, while linebacker Scott Fujita, now with the Cleveland Browns, was docked three games. Those players have appealed the suspensions. And the players union says this morning it expects to appeal Burbank's decision because...
Free agent QB Delhomme joins MidSouth Bank roster
UL Lafayette great turned NFL quarterback Jake Delhomme—currently a free agent after playing for the Houston Texans last season—will be helping call some of the plays for MidSouth Bank as an advisory director to the bank's board of directors. "The MidSouth Bank Board, like anyone who knows Jake, has long been impressed by his energy, enthusiasm and drive," says MidSouth Bank President and CEO Rusty Cloutier in a news release. "Never has anyone been told 'no' so many times and proven people wrong so many times as Jake Delhomme." Cloutier says the bank plans to utilize the leadership skills Delhomme honed on the football field to inspire and encourage young leaders at the bank and to help instill a strong work ethic in them. Delhomme was signed by the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent in 1997 and went on to a successful career with the Carolina Panthers, where he holds multiple franchise records and led the team to Super Bowl XXXVIII in 2003, setting a Super...