Bossier Parish hit four home runs in a second-game 8-2 defeat of Trinity Valley Wednesday at BPCC to split the doubleheader of top teams in Region XIV after the Cardinals took the first game 2-0.
Trinity Valley entered the day’s games 6-0 in region play ahead of BPCC and Paris, both 7-1.
The visiting Cardinals got a one-hit shutout in the first game from Alessandra Borjas (9-0). Both of TVCC’s runs came in the sixth inning on a Destiny Menchaca two-out single.
Macie LaRue (13-3) suffered the loss, the first in her last nine outings. The two runs snapped a 35-inning scoreless streak that included four shutouts. TVCC became only the second team to score more than one run on LaRue in a game. She struck out 10 for the third consecutive game of 10 or more, her ninth double-digit K performance on the season.
The BPCC bats woke up in the second-game romp as McKenzie Vestal, Piper Garcia, Taysia Constantino and Skylar Heger all homered. Vestal started it all with a first-inning grand slam and the Lady Cavs never trailed.
After Trinity Valley scored single runs in the second and third innings to pull within 4-2, Garcia sent a line shot over the fence in the bottom of the third for a 5-2 lead.
The Lady Cavs scored three more runs in the fourth as Constantino hit a solo shot for one of her three hits and Heger followed a Bri Deleon single with a drive over the right field fence for an 8-2 lead.
Brielle Moreno (5-2) got the win, allowing just the two runs in five innings on five hits. Rylee Glenn closed out the triumph, retiring the six batters she faced.
Leadoff hitter Madison Ruiz was 2-for-3 as the Lady Cavs finished with nine hits.
BPCC (24-8-1, 7-2) will host Northeast Texas CC Friday in another Region XIV doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.
This is a special time of year, for many reasons. For the outdoorsman and woman, fishing is on the verge of getting white-hot and it’s about time to start chasing gobblers.
There is one thing that more and more outdoor enthusiasts have taken an interest in over the past few years. Seed and feed stores will bear this out. Bird watching has grown into a sport that is attracting not only the Jane Hathaway types but good ole boys and girls as well. Birdseed, feeders and bird books are hot items today.
This is the time of year when a plethora of species make the unbelievable trek from South and Central America to move into our woods, some to nest and some to make brief stops on their way north. The best way to know just which wild bird species are paying you a visit is to get yourself prepared to view them. Here are a few essentials to make this sport more enjoyable.
BIRD FEEDERS – These come in a variety of shapes and styles. You can buy them, or you can make them yourself. My personal favorite is one I once constructed that was squirrel-proof. I nailed a 3-foot square of plywood on top of a length of old power pole that extends some five feet above the ground. Before securing the plywood, I slipped a length of sheet metal pipe, something like a stovepipe, over the pole, making it difficult for squirrels and raccoons to climb.
BIRDSEED – I use two types; a black oil sunflower and wild bird mix. Others use thistle for finches or suet for woodpeckers and nuthatches. Be sure you replenish the supply regularly, especially after a rain since birdseed will spoil if left wet and unattended too long.
WATER – Birds, like humans, need water. A birdbath located somewhere in the yard will attract birds that come to water and bathe. A pump in the bath that circulates water will often attract warblers and other species that are not seed-eaters.
BINOCULARS – Leave a good pair of binoculars near your easy chair or wherever you can sit and watch what goes on around your feeder. Good viewing glasses makes bird identification so much simpler.
BIRD BOOKS – I have several and these are invaluable in helping me determine which species I’m viewing. I also keep a log of new sightings to help me build a list of birds I’ve identified.
Another type of bird will be here any day now, but you won’t find it feeding on sunflower seeds. It’s hummingbird time and they’re easy to attract. All you need to do is hang a couple of hummingbird feeders outside your window for a colorful aerial display.
Here are some facts about these tiny creatures you might find interesting.
Hummingbirds wings beat about 55 times per second in normal flight, and up to 200 beats per second during courtship and territorial displays.
Top speed for the hummingbird is about 60 miles per hour.
During migration, hummingbirds may travel 500 miles non-stop across the Gulf of Mexico.
Their nests are no bigger than a half dollar and their eggs the size of an English pea.
FEEDER TIPS
Make your own hummingbird food by mixing one part granulated white sugar to four parts water; never substitute honey for sugar.
Hang feeders in the open but shaded areas, especially under eaves next to hanging flower baskets.
Clean your feeders every two to three days so the liquid does not ferment. Feeders should be cleaned with vinegar or bleach (not soap) and then rinsed with scalding water.
Don’t worry about when to take your feeders down. Hummingbirds know when to leave. Late season feeding of northern migrants often occurs after your resident birds have already gone. They won’t stay behind and freeze.
While hummingbirds need nectar for energy, they also rely on insect protein for body and feather growth. When insect levels fall, the birds begin to leave.
Bird watching…it’s inexpensive, it’s rewarding and it’s fun. And I’m glad that even good ole boys can enjoy it.
BOM is a Life Scout sponsor of the 2024 Celebrity Waiter Dinner benefitting the Norwela Council – Boy Scouts of America. The event will take place on March 14 at 7pm at Sam’s Town. BOM’s very own Henry Burns will be one of the Celebrity Waiters. Pictured left to right: BOM’s Hilary Peace, Jeff Brasher Executive Director, and Breanne George.
Christus Health acknowledges the significance of National Athletic Training Month, shedding light on its athletic trainers and their commendable contributions.
Athletic training, as defined by the National Athletic Trainers’ Association, encompasses a spectrum of crucial responsibilities including prevention, examination, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of emergent, acute, or chronic injuries and medical conditions.
Christian Campbell, an athletic trainer with Christus Health stationed at Loyola College Prep in Shreveport, emphasizes the pivotal role of athletic trainers as first responders to athlete injuries. Campbell clarifies misconceptions surrounding his profession, stressing his expertise in orthopedics, first-aid, and life-saving skills, in addition to addressing fitness concerns.
During his tenure at Loyola College Prep, Campbell has assisted numerous athletes, including student Ethan Varnadore, who has undergone multiple injuries and surgeries during his basketball career. Varnadore praises Campbell’s prompt assistance and guidance throughout his recovery process, highlighting Campbell’s integral role in facilitating medical care and rehabilitation.
Campbell notes the variability in injury types each season, citing meniscus injuries as a common occurrence. Despite the challenges, Campbell remains dedicated to providing comprehensive care to athletes, ensuring swift recovery and return to sports activities.
Varnadore expresses gratitude for Campbell’s unwavering support and facilitation of medical care, emphasizing the seamless coordination between Christus Health and the rehabilitation process.
In commemorating National Athletic Training Month, Christus Health recognizes the invaluable contributions of athletic trainers like Christian Campbell in safeguarding the well-being of athletes and promoting health and fitness within the community.
Charles Wendell Alford October 2, 1942 — March 22, 2024 Service: Friday, March 29, 2024, First Baptist Church, Newellton.
Jackie Salley Pennell September 23, 1937 — March 25, 2024 Service: Friday, March 29, 2024, 2:30pm at Broadmoor Baptist Church, Shreveport.
Mrs. Dessie Morris November 17, 1932 ~ March 23, 2024 Service: Tuesday, March 2, 2024, 11am at Pleasant Grove Cemetery, Blanchard.
Robert Newton Schwendimann, M.D. July 20, 1944 — March 3, 2024 Service: Saturday, April 6, 2024, Noel Memorial United Methodist Church, Shreveport.
The Shreveport-Bossier Journal publishes paid obituaries – unlimited words and a photo, as well as unlimited access – $95. Contact your funeral provider or SBJNewsLa@gmail.com . Must be paid in advance of publication. (Notice of Death shown above are FREE of charge. You may email them to SBJNewsLa@gmail.com)
LOVE IS IN THE AIR: Lamar Advertising is displaying the“Shreveport” theme on many of their Shreveport billboards. (Photo by TONY TAGLAVORE)
By TONY TAGLAVORE, Journal Services
The “I ❤️ Shreveport” billboards you can’t help but see when driving around town started going up in early February. But the sentiment began December 31, 2022, when Tom Arceneaux was sworn in as the city’s mayor.
“I handed out “I ❤️ Shreveport” stickers at my inauguration,” Mayor Arceneaux told the Shreveport-Bossier Journal. People kept wanting them, but said the stick’em comes off them after awhile. So, BRF (Building Our Region’s Future) provided me with a couple of thousand buttons we began using. I gave all those away, and we ordered another couple of thousand, which I’m in the process of giving away.”
One person on the receiving end of a button was the general manager of Lamar Advertising, who asked his design team to come up with a billboard vinyl which mirrored the button. They did, and what began as two static billboards seen going into and leaving downtown, have turned into multiple digital billboards throughout the city. In many cases, the message proclaims that a particular business “❤️’s Shreveport.”
“It shows the community and our residents that (participating businesses) have a passion for this community and that they’re invested in this community,” April Eskew, Lamar’s sales manager, told the Journal. “They want to see positive things come out of Shreveport. They want to be a part of that positivity.”
In sales, it’s usually the advertising platform which solicits business. But Eskew said this time, it’s been just the opposite, as businesses have come to Lamar.
“It’s usually the other way around, right?” I think people were excited to see something positive. We get used to the negative noise you encounter in the day-to-day, and this was something different. People wanted to be a part of something positive.”
Shreveport is often criticized, even from within, for having low self-esteem. Mayor Arceneaux thinks this campaign, of which the City has not invested any money, can improve that mindset.
“I don’t think we have quite enough pride going for us. We are a very good, analytical group, and sometimes our analysis says, ‘Ok, we could do this better.’ But instead of saying, ‘We could do this better,’ we say, ‘We do this badly.’ I think simply turning that switch to say we have a lot of good things — we could do things better, but we have a lot of great things and we’re proud to be from Shreveport and proud to let people know it.”
However, there is a risk of putting out the same message for a long period of time.
“It has a shelf life,” Chandra Walker-Target, a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner with Willis Knighton Health System, told the Journal. “Over time, it starts to get a little dull, like, ‘Oh, this is just a repeat.’ It can have a positive effect on you in the beginning, but as time goes on, the effects will dull.”
But Eskew said not only aren’t there plans to discontinue the campaign, but there is thought to growing the campaign.
“I don’t see it fizzling out immediately. I think that’s what people maybe thought was going to happen. It was going to be a quick little snippet and done with, but we have some interest in maybe some larger projects . . . . We’ve got interest from other organizations in the community that want to be a part of this.”
Mayor Arceneaux doesn’t take credit for what got all this started. That goes to the late Joe Sampite, the former mayor of Natchitoches, who did it in the 1980s.
“Joe gave away I heart Natchitoches stickers to everybody, everywhere he went. I think it changed the attitude Natchitoches had about itself. I just looked at that and said, ‘By golly, if it worked for Natchitoches, why wouldn’t it work for Shreveport?'”
The annual CORK fundraiser, organized by the Red River Revel, is set to make its return for the 18th consecutive year on April 6, 2024. The event, held at Festival Plaza in downtown Shreveport, Louisiana, promises attendees an afternoon of wine tasting, culinary delights, live music, and exciting raffle items.
Established in 2005, CORK serves as a fundraising event to support the Red River Revel Arts Festival. Over the years, it has become a highly anticipated gathering, attracting wine enthusiasts and supporters of the arts from across the region. This year’s event will feature a curated selection of over 90 wines, including reds, whites, sparkling, sweets, and rosés, provided by Republic National Distributing Company and Southern Glazers Wine & Spirits.
In addition to the diverse array of wines, guests can enjoy bite-size portions from local eateries such as Mi Meza Latin Cuisine, Newk’s Eatery, and Texas Roadhouse, among others. Live music performances by singer/songwriter Haley Brooke and saxophonist De’Lontrell Thomas will provide entertainment throughout the event.
Attendees will also have the opportunity to participate in raffle drawings for a chance to win prizes donated by local businesses and organizations. Raffle items include jewelry by Kendra Scott, rare whiskeys, tickets to local events such as ARTini and Beast Feast, and a signed and framed Joe Burrow jersey.
Tickets for CORK XVIII are priced at $100.00, with raffle tickets available for $10 each. Guests can purchase tickets online or on-site during the event. For those looking to enhance their experience, private driver services are available for groups of 2 to 10 through Shreveport Limousine.
The Red River Revel is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting arts and culture in the Shreveport region. In addition to CORK, the organization hosts events such as the Shreveport Farmers’ Market and the annual Red River Revel Arts Festival, which attracts approximately 100,000 visitors each year.
For more information about CORK XVIII and the Red River Revel, visit their website at redriverrevel.com or follow them on social media (@RedRiverRevel).
For today, a step away from sports and a step into Easter for a look at a trio who witnessed that first Easter weekend …
Simon of Cyrene could not have known when he woke up that first Good Friday that his life would, in mid-morning, change forever. After all, he was just passing through. By divine circumstance, his path crossed the path of the beaten and bleeding Savior.
A scared and timid step forward, a shove, and Simon was in an unwanted spotlight, “compelled” by a soldier’s whip and order into a moment that would capture his life in God’s Word for eternity.
But it would also capture his heart.
He was told to help carry the condemned man’s cross.
Few people run toward the cross. Most of us have to be compelled by the soldier of misfortune, suffering, disease, and any of a thousand pains and problems. Even then, we pick it up kicking and screaming.
But what if we could be like Simon. Surely . . . after looking into Jesus’ eyes that day, after seeing up close his shredded back, His crown of thorns, surely . . . Simon knew that, in comparison, the yoke was easy. Jesus always does the hard part.
How could Simon look at that and not be changed forever?
That Friday evening, while Simon and so many others tried to process the events of the day, Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus took the body of Jesus and wrapped it in strips of linen “in accordance with Jewish burial customs,” John writes in his gospel record. They did it secretly for fear of the Jewish leaders. But, with Pilate’s permission, they did it.
These two Jews — well, Pilate too — knew there was something about Jesus. Something…
As tombs go, the new one where they placed the body of Jesus after the crucifixion wasn’t used for very long.
On the third day, a day we celebrate as Easter, Jesus rose, by the power of God.
That’s the kind of power that’s available to us. Wonder-working power, is how the old hymn puts it.
Our actions say so much about the human condition when we consider how we fret over things that God wishes we wouldn’t. We have his power available to us, and we so often ignore it.
The tomb, the scriptures say, was close to Golgotha, a Latin word meaning “the skull.” But in the shadow of death there on that hill was eternal life. On Easter, God raised his son.
An empty tomb represents what God accomplished in the fullness of time. The empty tomb represents what God offers through his son: grace and life, protection, provision, and peace.
In the emptiness is a fullness only God can offer, grant, and sustain. Forever.
Joseph and Nicodemus must have been among the first to have heard the news of the empty tomb. More than curiosity must have pulled them to the place where they’d placed the dead man. But they’d found only linens. No body. “We knew,” they must have thought, “that something was different.” They just didn’t know how different.
A whole new way of dying. And a whole new way of living.
Then in the days and weeks after, as news of the Resurrection spread and reached Simon, I imagine his horror of that day turned into an overwhelming feeling of honor. I imagine him on his knees and, through tears, gazing toward Heaven, arms extended, awed, overcome. I imagine his arms around his sons, his grateful whisper in their ears: “I walked with that Man . . ..”
HIS TIME: Chris Hilton Jr. is poised to emerge as the next high-round NFL Draft pick among LSU’s wide receiver corps. (Photo by SIERRA BEAULIEU, LSU Athletics)
By RON HIGGINS, Journal Sports
BATON ROUGE — LSU redshirt junior wide receiver Chris Hilton Jr. has been excited during the current spring practice since play calls for tunnel screen passes have become more frequent.
“It has the potential to be a game-changer,” Hilton said. “I ran one in high school that won the state championship game.”
Yes, it’s a play that will forever live in Zachary High football lore.
In the 2018 Class 5 state championship game in the Superdome, No. 1 seed West Monroe leads No. 6 seed Zachary by four points. First-and-10 for Zachary at its 20-yard line with about 2 minutes left in the game.
Broncos senior quarterback Keilon Brown bobbles the shotgun snap, then throws a wobbly to speedy sophomore Hilton who catches the ball behind two of his offensive linemen.
Instead of squeezing between his blockers, Hilton correctly reads the defense, bounces outside to his right, jets around the West Monroe containment and sails 80 yards for the game-winning TD with 1:51 left, glancing at the Jumbotron to check out the position of defenders chasing him.
“I didn’t realize he (Brown) bobbled the ball,” Hilton said. “I remember coming back to the ball. But he got it to me, I caught it. Hit the crease. Gone.
“I don’t know what made me look up the big Jumbotron in the Superdome while running. That was the first time I’ve ever done that.”
This season will be the sixth anniversary of the play. It seems like a lifetime ago for Hilton, who’s showing this spring he’s ready to ascend to become LSU’s next breakout wide receiver and a potential NFL Draft first-round choice.
Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas, Jr. are projected as first-round picks in the April draft, as is LSU Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Jayden Daniels. That duo will be on display along with 12 other ex-Tigers when LSU holds Pro Day today in its indoor practice facility.
Six NFL head coaches and 100 assistant coaches/scouts/other personnel will be on hand. So will Hilton, who wants to familiarize himself with the process and cheer on his former teammates.
After the first 8 of 15 spring practices, there has been a palpable buzz about the 6-foot, 190-pound Hilton.
“At times (in the past), maybe you could argue that he lacked consistency, whether it was hurt or whether he would drop a ball,” LSU head coach Brian Kelly said. “He’s had a really good spring, he’s been consistent. He’s out there daily practicing at a high level.”
Following two injury-riddled seasons and a slight breakthrough in 2023 with 13 catches for 225 yards and two TDs, Hilton is now flashing 4.31 seconds 40-yard dash speed and showing the vertical that made a three-time high school high jump champion with a best of just over 7 feet.
“I feel what I bring to the table is I’m a game changer,” Hilton said. “Like it’s just like all it takes is one play to be a game changer.”
Hilton played that way in high school, catching 73 passes for 1,388 yards and 18 TDs combined in his junior and senior seasons.
He was one of five receivers signed in previous LSU head coach Ed Orgeron’s final recruiting class in 2021. The others were Nabers, Thomas, Deion Smith (who had grade problems at LSU, transferred to a junior college and signed with Ole Miss last December) and Jack Bech (who started 11 games for LSU in two seasons before transferring to TCU a year ago).
Hilton was the only signee who didn’t come roaring out of the game as a freshman. He tore the meniscus in both knees, returned at the end of the year and caught an 89-yard TD on the final play in the Texas Bowl vs. Kansas State.
His 2022 season started with 7 catches for 109 yards combined in two early non-conference games before missing the last 10 games after surgery for a torn labrum in his shoulder.
The second injury mentally blindsided Hilton.
“I found myself in the dark hole,” he said. “There were points in time when I was wondering what I was really doing because I got hurt three times in two years. So, you get to questioning yourself like, `What are you doing with your life?’”
Hilton’s strong religious faith, his teammates urging him to stay the course and counseling from LSU’s assistant director of football player development and engagement Dr. D.F. Arnold all flipped him to a positive mental path.
Last season, Hilton began sitting in on early morning meetings with Daniels, the other quarterbacks and assorted personnel. It proved to be enormously beneficial.
“I learned to pay attention to the small details,” Hilton said. “When you play in this conference (the SEC), the competition is way better. Everybody’s on an equal playing field. So, you’ve got to the small stuff to separate yourself.”
Hilton started his march toward the upcoming season on Jan. 1 when he had 3 catches for 56 yards and a game-tying 14-yard TD in LSU’s 35-31 ReliaQuest Bowl win over Wisconsin.
Once back in school for the spring semester, he turned it up a notch.
“I’ve seen Chris go up and get balls, his vert is crazy,” projected starting LSU center DJ Chester said. “He can really run fast and he has great hands.”
Kelly sees a different Hilton who’s aware all the eyes in the receiving room are looking at him because he’s now a veteran.
“He knows that the mantle has been passed to him,” Kelly said. “And it’s his time. He’s really done an outstanding job being the next wide receiver up at LSU.”
NEW CHIEF IN CHARGE: Former Northwestern State and Ruston High head coach Brad Laird is taking the helm as football coach at District 1-5A member Natchitoches Central. (Photo by CHRIS REICH, Northwestern State)
By DOUG IRELAND, Journal Sports
NATCHITOCHES – At first glance, Tuesday Natchitoches Central High School hired a recently deposed college football head coach to be the Chiefs’ third head coach in as many seasons.
Look again, says Jarrod Baugh, head coach of the state champion Ruston High Bearcats. His longtime friend Brad Laird has a long series of involvement with powerful high school programs (Ouachita, West Monroe, Nashville, Ark., and Longview, Texas) led by legendary head coaches, and was himself a great player on a state championship team for Ruston and later a successful head coach who helped set the foundation for the Bearcats’ return among Louisiana’s best.
Natchitoches Central principal Micah Coleman and athletic director Dean Johnson announced Laird’s hiring Tuesday morning, just over a week following the departure of Jess Curtis to the Lafayette area’s Southside High. Curtis, who guided his hometown Many High School to three small school state titles and three more state finals appearances in his last nine seasons there, admittedly relocated not because he was disenchanted with NCHS, but because of the opportunity in football down south along with nurturing a developing romance.
For Laird, taking over at NCHS continues his affection for his adopted hometown.
“The city of Natchitoches has been great to me. For 28 of my 50 years have been in Natchitoches in some form or fashion, and now I have the opportunity to stay in this community and be a part of Natchitoches Central Chiefs football and a great high school,” he said.
NCHS is the lone member of District 1-5A not located in Caddo or Bossier parishes. The Chiefs were 2-8 last season under Curtis and had their only winning record in many years, 7-4, in 2021 under second-year coach James Wilkerson, now an assistant at state champion Calvary Baptist.
Laird was considering opportunities outside of football when the NCHS job opened. He was also mulling an offer from Curtis to join the Chiefs’ staff as offensive coordinator.
When Curtis moved on, Laird immediately surfaced as the leading candidate for the post. He had resigned last October as head coach at Northwestern State, and while his 16-41 record in 5 ½ seasons was unimpressive and the Demons’ season was cancelled after six games by NSU president Marcus Jones in the wake of the off-campus shooting death of a player, Laird was hardly a pariah in the community. His hiring was widely hailed by locals on social media Tuesday.
Ruston’s Baugh joined the chorus.
“I know he’ll do a great job at Natchitoches Central. They’ve got a helluva football coach,” said Baugh, who landed in Ruston from Texas as an assistant on Laird’s staff over a decade ago.
“Brad’s done a lot of things in coaching, and was raised by a great coach (his late father Billy Laird). He’s coached on both sides of the ball and when he was here as head coach, he handled our special teams and we were always very good there,” said Baugh. “He’s a well-rounded coach, extremely knowledgeable, and does whatever he can to help kids. It’s going to be a very good situation for those folks.
“He has a lot of experience at several really good high school programs. It won’t be like he’s going to be feeling his way through. He’s going to be at the top of the scale as far as coaching high school football.”
Laird’s interest and that of the school system’s administration was mutual. As discussions proceeded last week, they agreed giving the new coach oversight of the feeder junior high school programs for NCHS was vital to developing the program – something Laird helped facilitate in his three years as Ruston’s head coach.
“The administration has been great. Their vision and mine aligned, and I’m so excited about the future,” said Laird.
“It starts at the top, in whatever business you’re in. With superintendent Dr. (Grant) Eloi, principal Micah Coleman, athletic director Dean Johnson, we have great leadership, and it feeds into the dynamics of the school. You’ve seen success in boys and girls basketball, in baseball and softball, in volleyball, and more throughout the year. So you can foresee the success that will happen in the future in football.”
JUNIOR SHOWCASE: Junior tennis players will converge on Shreveport-Bossier next weekend for the Independence Bowl’s Junior Tennis Classic. (Photo courtesy Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl)
JOURNAL SPORTS
For the first time since 2019, the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl Junior Tennis Classic will return to the Shreveport-Bossier area, hitting the courts on Saturday, April 6.
The Junior Tennis Classic is a USTA Southern Level 5 Open tournament featuring singles and doubles format for boys and girls 12s, 14s, 16s, and 18s. Matches will be played from Saturday, April 6 through Monday, April 8 primarily at Pierremont Oaks Tennis Club in Shreveport, with matches also possible at North Bossier Tennis Center and Cockrell Tennis Center in Shreveport.
The USTA Southern Section comprises the following nine states: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. During the 2018 and 2019 Junior Tennis Classics, players and their families came to Shreveport-Bossier from all nine states. Current entrants hail from various states, including Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama and Kansas.
The singles draw will feature up to 16 entries for each age group, and doubles will have up to eight teams in each. Singles will be a “modified feed-in consolation” format, while doubles will be single elimination.
Boys and girls 12s and 18s will be played on hard courts, while boys and girls 14s and 16s will be played on clay. Admission to all match sites will be free and open to the public for the entirety of the tournament.
The Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl and Pierremont Oaks Tennis Club renewed the Junior Tennis Classic in 2018, bringing the tournament back for the first time since the early 1980s. The tournament is returning for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
The 2024 Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl Junior Tennis Classic is supported by the Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission, USTA, Louisiana Tennis Association, Carter Credit Union, CB&T, SOBO Promotions, Honeybaked Ham, Raising Cane’s, Coca-Cola Bottling United, Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux, Dillas Quesadillas and On the Geaux Catering. Sponsorships for the tournament are still available and include logo placement on signage and promotional materials. For sponsorship inquiries, contact Director of Events and Operations Jennifer Rider at jennifer@independencebowl.org or Director of Partnership Development Matt Shanklin at matt@independencebowl.org.
For more information, questions, or messages about the tournament, contact Tournament Director Hassan Abbas at hassan.potc@gmail.com.
Forward-facing sonar is how 95 percent of today’s tournaments are won. The young Japanese anglers, as well as the younger American anglers, have already taken this new technology to a level never seen before.
Recent professional Elite Series tournaments on Toledo Bend and Lake Fork saw the top 10 anglers advancing to the final round by using forward-facing sonar. In a matter of minutes, anglers were able to locate bass and catch them with precision casting in real time. Today we’re going to ask a few questions about where this new way of fishing is headed and what it means for the professional angler.
I’ve always heard that tournament bass fishing is a young man’s sport, but now that I’ve reached that older angler status, I’m wanting to prove that quote is simply a myth. If you’re wondering if the game has changed, let me go ahead and confirm one thing — it has!
The legends of the sport, guys that have set the bar for what we know as the Bassmaster’s, are struggling to make not just top 10’s but top 20 finishes as well. No longer are anglers required to have years of experience to compete against the best anglers in the world. All they need is forward-facing sonar and the patience to chase bass in open water.
What does this mean for the older generation of anglers who have spent years and decades developing their bass fishing skills? Why is their style of fishing no longer good enough to win or, in some cases, even get a check?
From this angler’s perspective, it’s a case of young anglers understanding how to use the new technology better than the older generation of touring pros. They have adapted and mastered forward-facing sonar at lightning speed while the older anglers have been a lot slower about jumping on board this new way of fishing. It’s kind of like trying to teach an old dog a new trick; there’s always going to be a little bit of resistance.
Will this force many of the older anglers to consider retiring way before they originally planned? Or will this new way of catching bass be like so many other new techniques that over time tends to fade away? One thing about today’s bass fisheries, they are getting a lot more pressure than they did 20 years ago. Bass are becoming educated more quickly due to this fishing pressure. Therefore, new techniques in the last five years don’t seem to last as long as they used to.
After two Elite Serie events, I looked at the Angler of the Year (AOY) standings and was totally surprised. What got my attention and was shocking for me to see was that legendary anglers who have had major success were sitting in the bottom 50 of the AOY. There were anglers such as Michael Iaconelli, Scott Martin, Greg Hackney, Rick Clunn, and Gerald Swindle to name a few. This is new uncomfortable territory for this caliber of professional anglers. These are guys who have won Bassmaster Classics, Angler of the Year titles and numerous Elite Series championship events.
As this controversy continues over forward-facing sonar, older anglers will be forced to either get better with it or decide if they no longer want to fish for a living. Or maybe they just ride out this new wave of bass fishing and try to hang on until the next technological advancement comes along. But 2024 has been a very frustrating year so far for so many of the older anglers on the Bassmaster Elite Series as the young guns have made their mark.
‘Til next time, good luck, good fishing and make sure to check out Tackle Talk Live podcast, as well as the Hook’N Up & Track’N Down Show on You Tube.
The Shreveport Police Department recently announced the apprehension of a suspect involved in serious criminal activities within the community. On March 23rd, officers encountered 23-year-old John Thompson in the area of Hollywood Avenue and Hearne Avenue. Recognizing Thompson from a previous event, officers approached him, prompting him to flee on foot. Despite his attempts to evade capture, officers successfully pursued and apprehended him, recovering a discarded handgun in the process.
Subsequent investigation revealed Thompson’s connection to a stolen vehicle pursuit incident that occurred on February 27, 2024. As a result of the arrest, Thompson faces multiple charges, including felon in possession of a firearm, theft of a motor vehicle, aggravated flight in a vehicle, and possession of a stolen firearm. The press release emphasized that suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty.
The Shreveport Police Department commended the vigilance and commitment of the officers involved, noting that their actions have successfully removed a suspect linked to serious criminal activities from the streets.
Dorothy Perry February 4, 1934 — March 21, 2024 Service: Wednesday, March 27, 2024, 2pm at Rose Neath Funeral Home, Bossier City
Ottis “Leo” Sanford October 4, 1929 — March 22, 2024 Service: Wednesday, March 27, 4pm at Rose Neath Funeral Home, Southside.
Charles Wendell Alford October 2, 1942 — March 22, 2024 Service: Friday, March 29, 2024, First Baptist Church, Newellton.
Jackie Salley Pennell September 23, 1937 — March 25, 2024 Service: Friday, March 29, 2024, 2:30pm at Broadmoor Baptist Church, Shreveport.
Robert Newton Schwendimann, M.D. July 20, 1944 — March 3, 2024 Service: Saturday, April 6, 2024, Noel Memorial United Methodist Church, Shreveport.
The Shreveport-Bossier Journal publishes paid obituaries – unlimited words and a photo, as well as unlimited access – $95. Contact your funeral provider or SBJNewsLa@gmail.com . Must be paid in advance of publication. (Notice of Death shown above are FREE of charge. You may email them to SBJNewsLa@gmail.com)
49 YEARS AND COUNTING: Bossier City’s Rick Rowe decided to stay home and tell the stories of our people and our places. (Photo courtesy KTBS-TV)
Everyone has a story.
Each week, the Shreveport-Bossier Journal’s Tony Taglavore takes to lunch a local person–someone who is well-known, influential, or successful, and asks, “What’s Your Story?”
By TONY TAGLAVORE, Journal Services
It was his last live shot of the morning news. The day was Tuesday — make that Tasty Tuesday — so Rick Rowe was showcasing an area eatery.
Rick doesn’t remember where he was, but does remember what he ate. In particular, its taste.
“Try my Chitlins. That’s what everybody loves,” the owner — a nice, older lady — told Rick. “I said ‘Okay.’ I had never tried Chitlins. Oh my gosh, buddy. Tony, literally, I bit into it and it tasted like crap. Like dog poop. Of course, I can’t say that. So I said, ‘This is not bad.’ I couched it in a way that didn’t hurt her. I couldn’t do that.”
Talk about self-control.
“I’m almost sure I didn’t swallow. I did not. Buddy, it was the worst food I’ve bitten into in my entire life . . . . It comes from the (pig) intestines, but I figured it had been cleaned and all of that.”
Rick may have fooled some viewers, but not all viewers.
“I knew what you were doing,” the news anchor later told Rick. “I knew you were lying about the Chitlins.”
Rick didn’t lie about that story, or his story, which he shared over lunch at a place of his choosing, McAlister’s Deli in Shreveport. Chitlins weren’t on the menu, so Rick settled for a club wrap and a half-sweet/half-unsweet tea. I devoured a Pecanberry Salad, and washed it down with water.
In the world of local television, Rick is an outlier. Not only has he been in the business 49 years, he’s been at the same station (KTBS Channel 3) 49 years. Rick is also one of the finest storytellers in the country. Trust me, I’ve seen a lot of them. Yet he chose to stay home, declining early career offers from big city stations in New Orleans, Oklahoma City, Phoenix, and Miami.
“Every time I got an offer, (KTBS) always matched it.”
That’s not to say Rick doesn’t wonder about what could have been.
“I never will know what might have happened if I had gone that route. That’s probably the one regret in my life — I never tried it to see what might have happened.”
But home is home, and Rick loves the Ark-La-Tex. On March 6th, he and Donna celebrated 34 years of marriage. They have two children, and a one-year-old granddaughter. Ask Rick about Noelle (born two days before Christmas) and watch his face light up like the nighttime sky on July 4th.
“The first time I held her, I cried. It was an experience I had never felt before. I’ve always liked kids, and I love my own kids, but there is some attraction that she has to both me and my wife . . . . Her face when she smiles at us — I’ve heard about this all my life. People have told me about this, but I’ve actually experienced it. It’s real.
One of three sons to an Air Force dad and a housewife mom, Rick was born at Barksdale Air Force Base. He went to Waller Elementary, Rusheon Middle School, and Bossier High School.
“We didn’t have any money. We weren’t rich at all. We weren’t privileged. None of that.”
What Rick did have was a father who instilled values, and a mother who preached religion.
“Every time the church doors were open, I was there. It was not an option. I was going to be in church. We were there Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night prayer meeting. There were many times I didn’t want to go.”
Including the Sunday night in 1964 when The Beatles made their American television debut on The Ed Sullivan Show.
“I thought, ‘Surely they’re not going to make us go to church when The Beatles are on Ed Sullivan! You’re kidding me?’ I’m in the back seat of the car and I’m trying to get out of doing this. We’re pulling out, and I’m holding my breath, hoping I will pass out and we won’t go to church — they will bring me back so I can watch The Beatles.”
Instead of watching John, Paul, George, and Ringo, Rick watched his preacher.
As a child, Rick didn’t dream of being on TV — except as a football player. He was consumed with the sport. Rick played in middle school and high school (“The middle guard is usually 300 pounds, and I was 160 pounds.”) and was planning on becoming a coach.
That is, until a comment from his speech teacher, in Rick’s senior year, changed everything.
“One day I gave my speech, I’m coming back to my desk, and Mrs. Jaynes says, ‘Ricky, you have a nice voice and you speak well. Have you ever thought about a career in broadcasting?’ Tony, a light bulb went off in my brain.”
So instead of majoring in Physical Education at LSUS, Rick concentrated on Communications.
“When I wanted to move into the world of broadcasting, I had no confidence, no talent, no skill.” But that didn’t stop Rick’s loving mother from lighting a fire under her son’s seat.
After Rick’s first year of college, his mom said, “Get up, we’re going to look for jobs.” I said, ‘Mom, I’m 18 years old. Nobody’s going to hire me.’ She said, ‘Come on, we’re going.’ She practically had to grab me and put me in the car. We drove to a couple of radio stations. Then she said, ‘Now, we’re going to go to Channel 6 (KTAL).’ Rick said, ‘What? You’re kidding me. A television station?’ Channel 6 at that time, and unfortunately still is, was the number three station (in the market). She figured if anyone would hire her son, it might be them. She had seen the quality of talent they had on the air.”
A summer job getting video of car wrecks and house fires at KTAL led to a job the next summer at KTBS. After three years of college, Rick chose not to return and graduate. He was learning much more in the field than in the classroom.
Like the time he was pressed into duty on the anchor desk.
“I was working on the weekends, and our anchor got drunk and didn’t come in . . . . They said, ‘Rick, you gotta do the news.’ I wasn’t ready. I was 20 years old. I had no real experience . . . . I wasn’t very good, and it was obvious . . . I said, ‘If I can’t do this maybe I need to think about something else.'”
But after Rick died on the news set, he rose again, working in the station’s sports department. There, Rick found his calling, or as he likes to say, his God-given gift.
“I started to find something I could do reasonably well — telling stories. Then I realized, ‘Yeah, I can do this. Maybe not as an anchor, but from a story-telling aspect.'”
The rest is history. Rick, who is a boyish-looking 69 years old, figures he’s told thousands of stories on his way to winning a multitude of awards. Stories that have made you laugh. Stories that have made you cry.
Rick does it all. He is his own shooter, writer, and editor. Rick owns his equipment, and puts the stories together in his home studio. While he has many talents, videography may top the list.
‘Capturing beautiful images, nature, Oh, I love it. Lots of people go golfing, fishing, hunting. I go hunting with my camera or a drone. My joy and my passion is to get up early on cold mornings, get my drone out, and capture a beautiful sunrise. Flowers in the spring . . . . The thing that people get when they catch a big bass, I get when I capture those beautiful images.”
Knowing Rick, as the station’s live morning reporter, had been up long before sunrise, it was time to ask my final question. As always, what is it about his life story that can be helpful to others?
Personally speaking, “You get what you give . . . . Most of life comes back to you. The good that you do comes back eventually in one way or another, and the bad that you do. It’s a spiritual law. You sow, seed, and reap the fruit. You sow bad seed and generally at some point, bad seed is going to come back.”
Professionally speaking, “If you really want to be paid well and have job security, be excellent at your job. Put in the time and effort. Invest. To get a return, you have to have an investment.”
So how much longer will Rick invest in the time and effort it takes to tell our stories on a daily basis?
“As long as I’m physically and mentally able, I would love to tell stories. That’s just the truth. I think it’s good for me physically, and I know it’s good for me mentally, emotionally, and spiritually, because of the nature of the stories I am able to tell.”
Hundreds of youth of all ages flock to the LSUS campus in the summer for more than 50 summer camps. Enrollment is now at www.lsus.edu/youthcamps. CREDIT: LSUS Continuing Education
LSUS Continuing Education is raising the educational bar with the power of STREAM (Science, Technology, Reading, Engineering, Art, and Math) summer day camps for kids and teens in the community. LSUS youth camp programs offer an array of fun and educational experiences to stem the summer slide.
Kids ages six to 18 can discover diverse interests, meet new friends, and create memories that last a lifetime.
Registration is open to the public for the more than 50 summer camps offered on LSUS’s campus throughout June and July. Call 318-798-4177 or visit www.lsus.edu/youthcamps for camp details and to register.
“LSUS is dedicated to offering lifelong learning opportunities for our community,” said Leigh Anne Chambers, Interim Executive Director of Enrollment Management for LSUS. “One of our more beloved programs is our extensive summer camp series, available every June and July. Our goal is to ignite a passion for lifelong learning in the younger generation.”
As the digital age progresses rapidly, developing lifelong learning is crucial to mental sharpness, self-development, confidence, better mental health, and more opportunities.
Lifelong learning also prevents boredom, and with LSUS summer camps throughout June and July, kids can discover new areas of interest through hands-on learning.
Each summer camp is designed with the tools and activities to engage kids’ imagination and encourage exploration of interests.
Summer is the perfect opportunity for kids’ abilities to soar as they develop new modes of thinking, express ideas through art, and play team-building sports.
LSUS is revved up to offer a variety of STREAM summer camps, including new camp offerings and the return of top-level favorites.
LSUS Continuing Education provides quality-learning experiences with professional instructors offering a flexible course schedule on campus and at other locations throughout the regional community for a multi-faceted and diverse population based on their educational needs. For more information and a full list of courses, please visit www.lsus.edu/continuing-educationor call 318.798.4177.
CHALLENGE AHEAD: LSU baseball coach Jay Johnson, disappointed with the Tigers’ approach through two SEC series, is trying to point his team in the right direction as this week’s SEC series at Arkansas approaches. (Photo courtesy LSU Athletics)
By RON HIGGINS, Journal Sports
BATON ROUGE — The margin in SEC baseball between winning or losing a weekend series is often minuscule.
After No. 4 LSU beat No. 6 Florida 6-1 in the series opener last Friday night in Alex Box Stadium, the Tigers were two strikes away from capturing a 4-3 win in Saturday night’s Game 2 to take the series.
Instead, Florida right fielder Ty Evans slapped a game-tying, two-out single in the ninth inning on a 1-1 pitch from LSU reliever Nate Ackenhausen. The Gators won 6-4 on first baseman Jac Caglianone’s two-run homer in the 11th inning.
Then in the series-deciding Game 3 on Sunday afternoon, Caglianone showed why he was the SEC’s preseason Player of the Year. As Florida’s starting pitcher, he allowed just 3 hits and 2 runs in 7 innings as the Gators scored a 12-2 run-rule victory in eight innings.
So instead of exiting its first two SEC weekends at .500 after losing the opening league series at Misissippi State, the Tigers dropped both series. After hosting Southeastern Louisiana tonight at 6:30, the now No. 8 ranked Tigers (19-6, 2-4 SEC) face the ominous task of a three-game SEC series at Arkansas starting Thursday night.
“When you go through tough times, the competitive character gets tested,” Johnson said after Sunday’s loss. “We’re going to need to elevate our grade on that test. I have great faith in the players in terms of the people that they are, and believe that they’ll be up for that challenge.”
While 10 LSU pitchers – three starters and seven relievers – limited Florida to 19 runs in the series (14 less than the 33 scored by Mississippi State – the Tigers allowed 11 runs with two outs.
After the first two SEC weekends, LSU’s opposition has scored 65 percent of its runs (34 of 52) with two outs. Combined with LSU’s anemic offense, which is hitting .236 (47 of 199) in SEC play so far, it’s a recipe for losing in a league with six teams ranked in the top 10 including LSU’s next three SEC opponents.
The normally mild-mannered Johnson was ejected at the end of the fifth inning of Sunday’s game.
LSU’s Jared Jones hit a two-out solo homer off Caglianone. Both players exchanged words with each other, followed by umpire Michael Banks to issue unsportsmanlike conduct warnings to Johnson and Florida head coach Kevin O’Sullivan.
Caglianone then struck out Tigers’ catcher Hayden Travinski to end the inning. As Travinski turned and walked back to the LSU dugout, Caglianone began yapping at Travinski.
Johnson immediately rushed out of the dugout and angrily demanded Banks enforce the second violation of the unsportsmanlike conduct rule, which calls for the ejection of the player and the restriction of the head coach to the dugout for the rest of the game or the ejection of the head coach.
“There’s no point in giving a warning if you’re not going to do something about it when something happens 30 seconds after you issued the warning,” Johnson said.
Banks quickly chose to toss Johnson for his animated protest. “It (being ejected) used to be the thing that should fire up the team, which we obviously needed to be fired up,” Johnson said. “But I’ve felt this way a long time, so this isn’t specific to this team.
“I think they just look at it (at a coach being ejected) as something is really wrong when a coach loses his poise. So, I don’t think it has any value and it clearly didn’t have value for our team. I’ll be staying in the game from this point forward, at least with this team.”
Johnson watched the remaining action on TV until the Tigers were run-ruled in the eighth inning. What he saw – Florida pitchers retiring LSU’s last 9 of 10 batters including the first six via pop-ups – made him nauseous.
“That was tough to watch on a TV,” Johnson said. “It was like you’re dead, you’re actually getting to watch your life play out and you’re disappointed watching that happen.
“(Our) concentration, attitude, effort from the sixth inning on was clearly lacking,” Johnson said. “Saturday was a tough loss. Our expectation (on Sunday) wasn’t winning the series or coming out on top in the game.
“It was that there was no question that it (the game) was more important to us than it was to the opponent. And we fell short of that. Those (last) innings are the most disappointed I’ve been in a long time.”
Two of LSU’s three starting pitchers – Game 1 starter Luke Holman and Game 2 starter Gage Jump— vastly improved their performances after giving up a combined 9 runs (6 earned) and 14 hits with 6 strikeouts and four walks vs. Mississippi State.
In the Tigers’ 6-1 series-opening victory over the Gators, Holman got the win by allowing 1 run and 1 hit in six innings while striking out 13 and walking three. Jump got a “no decision,” giving up 2 runs and 2 hits, striking out 5 and walking 3 in 5.2 innings.
LSU batted. 222 vs. Florida, almost 30 points under the .250 it hit at Mississippi State.
Travinski and designated Ethan Frey were the only Tiger starters who batted over .300 against the Gators.
Former Bossier City Airline standout Travinski hit .333 (3 for 9) with a solo homer, 2 runs scored, 1 RBI, 3 walks and 1 strikeout. Frey started twice and hit .429 (3-for-7) with one RBI and one run scored.
Other Tigers who excelled at the plate at Mississippi State, like third baseman Tommy White, were erased by Florida pitching. White hit .384 with 3 homers, 7 RBI and 4 runs scored vs. MSU, but batted .083 (1 for 12) with 1 run scored against Florida.
LSU’s midweek game vs. Southeastern this evening is a rematch of the Tigers’ 4-3 comeback win over the Lions on March 6 in Hammond. Paxton Kling’s two-run double capped a three-run rally with two outs in the top of the ninth to erase a 3-1 Southeastern lead.
After that, the Tigers have consecutive SEC series at current No. 1 Arkansas (19-3, 5-1 SEC), home vs. Vanderbilt (19-6, 3-3 SEC) and at No. 5 Tennessee (21-4 3-3 SEC).
The last time LSU opened its SEC schedule losing its first three league series was in Paul Mainieri’s last season as head coach in 2021. LSU hasn’t dropped its first four SEC series since 1969.
“We’re in a tough stretch of games right now,” Johnson said. “ And it has a real opportunity to force growth because that only comes when things are a little bit uncomfortable.”
What is the aspiring young football player looking for in a role model?
Today’s answer for kids around here could easily be L’Jarius Sneed, Minden native, Crimson Tide football alumnus, product of nearby Louisiana Tech, two-time Super Bowl champion with the Kansas City Cheeeeeeeefs … and about to be set for life, as of Wednesday.
By most accounts, not just Sneed’s bank balance, they’d be on target. Sneed has overcome some rocky influences, and has already been doing some nice things for other people like taking part in a recent food distribution from the Northwest Louisiana Food Bank at Minden’s Mt. Calm Senior Hamlet, along with his volunteer work with the Boys & Girls Club in Kansas City. Expect more of that from him. Mama Sneed raised him right.
There will be nine young role models celebrated Thursday night at East Ridge Country Club, Class of 2024 high school seniors saluted by the North Louisiana S.M. McNaughton Chapter of the National Football Foundation and presented $1,000 college scholarships. They have been exceptional scholar-athletes at their schools, outstanding football players on Friday nights, and have been involved with school and community service activities.
Also to be honored, briefly, as that’s all he would tolerate: the memory of Leo Sanford, for many years the president of the McNaughton Chapter, and for all of its 44 years, a board member who wrangled money for those scholarships year after year, because those young people deserved something extra special for being extraordinary. Mr. Sanford crossed the ultimate goalline at midnight last Thursday, age 94.
A week later, nine young men will receive the latest fruits of Leo’s labor. What he didn’t do himself, he inspired others to do. Step back and consider how many dozens of big boys received scholarships from the NFF’s McNaughton Chapter because Leo, Bobby Aillet, Milton McNaughton, Tony Sardisco, Orvis Sigler, Bob Griffin and others made it possible since 1980.
Playing in the NFL is a dream come true. Leo lived that life in the 1950s, making two Pro Bowls, winning an NFL championship in his last pro game, with the 1958 Baltimore Colts.
Being in the NFL, then and now, is a business, a short-term opportunity. It’s said NFL stands for “Not For Long.”
Sanford made it for eight seasons, in an era when players had off-season jobs to make ends meet. Sneed will begin his fifth season in September, with all the means needed to live the rest of his life more than just comfortably.
The numbers boggle the mind. Not just today’s salaries, but the odds.
Only 1.6 percent of college players make it and earn a regular-season NFL paycheck. If you go back to the high school ranks, the chances are that 0.23 percent of boys playing on Friday night get to play on Sunday afternoons.
Once in the league, an average NFL career lasts 3.3 years.
While the glory of being a pro player is significant, the opportunity to earn extraordinary income sufficient for a lifetime is obviously fleeting. The chance to obtain generational wealth by playing in the NFL is even more rare.
Chosen in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft, Sneed has been playing on a four-year rookie contract worth $3.9 million that with incentives and postseason pay expanded to $5.5 million. That surely makes him the most prosperous former student who was walking the Tech campus in 2020, and for quite a few years before and certainly since.
That contract expired after the Chiefs won the Super Bowl early last month. It was his second Super Bowl triumph with Kansas City, in his third appearance in the NFL’s championship game in four seasons as a pro.
Sneed is 27 years old, the average age for an NFL player. There are 1,696 men playing for 32 teams in the NFL at the start of each season. Only a few dozen are elite. Sneed joins those ranks, financially speaking, Wednesday.
The Chiefs recognized his current value when they applied a “franchise tag” on him last month, locking him in on a $19.8 million salary for 2024 with hopes to work out a long-term deal. However, much of Kansas City’s salary pool is already obligated to quarterback Patrick Mahomes, defensive tackle Chris Jones and tight end Travis Kelce. Contracts for Jones and Sneed expired after the Super Bowl, and Kansas City made keeping the building block of their interior defense their priority, signing Jones to a $158 million deal last month.
Sneed emerged as one of the NFL’s top cornerbacks in the 2023 season, according to Pro Football Focus and other NFL media outlets, on the heels of a very impressive 2022 campaign.
He’s about to sign a new four-year deal, worth $76 million, with $55 million guaranteed, according to multiple NFL sources. The deal will make him the third-highest paid cornerback in the league, all-time, and the 53rd-best paid player in the NFL – for now – according to Sportrac, a sports business news source.
The Chiefs were unwilling to match what some competitors were willing to pay Sneed, and he directed his agent to explore options. Along with Tennessee, Indianapolis was an ardent suitor for his talents. The devil was in the details – Kansas City justifiably wanted compensation in draft picks.
The deal struck, to be executed Wednesday following a required physical exam, is for a 2024 seventh-rounder and a 2025 third-round pick, per ESPN NFL analyst Adam Schefter.
NFL analyst Jeff Howe of The Athletic gave Tennessee a grade of “A” and saddled Kansas City with an “F” for the deal, with a headline “Titans win big; what were Chiefs thinking?”
As for Sneed’s soon-to-be former teammates, Jones probably summed up their perspective with a brief message on X: “@jay__sneed blessings brotha,” he Tweeted.
Indeed.
In much different, and more profound ways for the greater good, we all have been blessed with Leo Sanford among us, the epitome of a role model.
