Matters of the heart

What St Stanislaus meant to me as a child, and person:

Matters of the heart are very private to us people, even if it is me speaking about me. I will not question what is in my heart. Just instead go on to wish myself good luck. My responses to my responsibility will continue each day throughout this week, and the rest of my life. These after the fact hurricane pictures are hurting my emotions. I was there when the St Stanislaus buildings were standing strong, and tall. Nothing but young children going from class to class. Talking to the brothers, who gave their time and energy to teach the children, as best they could. That of course is a tall order. Teaching children.

The location of St Stanislaus was atop the built up earth besides the sandy white beachfront stopping against the clear water of the Gulf Of Mexico, in Bay St Louis Mississippi.  I remember how nice it felt to be there. even the air that I was breathing felt good then. The sight and sounds of St Stanislaus has always been inside me from those days. I don't think that I really ever left.

So what I see now in the pictures showing how much of what I remembered was hurt, or destroyed. I am not so moved about these pictures to tears. Or buy the destroyed large over the road pier, that is now gone, or missing school buildings. That I now don't see. Buy rather. I feel the strengths of the gallant brothers, and naive children, who still go to school there. Just like when I went there. That in time the St Stanislaus  spirit will build the grand look of St Stanislaus back into full view. For other generations to enjoy. I was one of the lucky guys who once went to school there then. Hurricanes or any other natural force can change that. https://www.schlatter.org/Katrina/aerial photos.htm
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http://www.privateschoolreview.com/school_ov/school_id/15531

St Stanislaus High School

304 S Beach Blvd, Bay Saint Louis, MS, 39520-0395
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What is Les Miles saying?

“We’re anxious for the new group of players to be coming in,” LSU coach Les Miles said of the early enrollees while at the Chick-fil-A Bowl last month. “It’s always motivating to bring in the new ones.

Tinker Town: "Is that it?"
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http://www.dandydon.com/LSU_Football_2013_The_Return.php

LSU Football 2013 - The Return

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http://theadvocate.com/sports/lsu/4953744-123/rabalais-no-matter-what-les

theadvocate.com

Rabalais: No matter what, Les Miles cannot win

By scott rabalais
Advocate sportswriter
January 20, 2013

3 Comments

Saw former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer hanging out at the college football playoff meetings the day after the BCS National Championship Game in Miami.

Fleischer was hired to help the BCS with its image problem. Now that a playoff is coming, don’t know if Ari did an absolutely stellar job or is out of one, but you have to admit college football’s image has improved on his watch after the BCS dragged it down to lawyer/journalist levels of public approval.

Now that Ari is likely to have some more time on his hands, one wonders if he can help LSU coach Les Miles with his image issues.

Miles wins, but he can’t win enough or at the right times, it seems. A 10-3 season in which the Tigers suffered scores of injuries, defections, suspensions and generally bizarre situations — Alex Hurst doing a midseason Patty Hearst vanishing act comes to mind — wasn’t good enough. Not with Alabama hoisting another BCS trophy. A last-second Chick-fil-A Bowl loss to Clemson in which the offensive strategy left much to be desired also conspired to flip the collective mood on Miles from sweet to sour again.

Recruiting was supposed to help resuscitate Miles’ image, as he cast his hat out into the rough recruiting waters and scooped up yet another top-10 haul.

But again, Miles can’t catch a break.

University High defensive end Tim Williams committed to Alabama this week, resulting in much wailing and gnashing of teeth around Tigertown.

“How can Les Miles let the No. 1 recruit in his state, from the same city as his university ... wind up in Tuscaloosa?” one online scribe wrote. “Given the fact that LSU will have to replace their entire defensive line next season, the miss on Williams looks even worse.”

Oh, the Landon Collins of it all.

Williams is the No. 1 prospect in Louisiana according to ESPN. Tre’Davious White, a cornerback from Shreveport-Green Oaks, is ranked No. 1 by the other major recruiting services: Rivals, Scout and 24/7 Sports.

ESPN may be the Howard Stern-like self-styled king of sports media. But among recruiting zealots, um, devoted followers, it ranks behind the other three.

Of course, Rivals, Scout and 24/7 between them don’t have one 24-hour cable sports channel. ESPN had, as of the close of trading Friday on Wall Street, about 23.

There is no doubt Williams is a big-time recruit. There is also little doubt in recruiting circles that LSU cooled on him in recent weeks. Last year, you saw LSU continue to put the Frank Wilson full-court press on Collins all the way up to national signing day. It’s doubtful you will see Wilson or any other LSU assistant coaches camped on Williams’ front lawn.

LSU will have a great class. Williams could have a great career at Bama. The reality is both can win, but perception trumps reality, and the perception is Miles has lost to Nick Saban again.

Somebody get Fleischer on the phone.

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http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/stan-musial-the-man-dies-st-louis-cardinals-at-92-01913

Hall of Famer Stan Musial dies at 92

video
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http://theadvocate.com/sports/lsu/4961080-123/bowl-attendance-continues-to-lag

theadvocate.com

Bowl attendance continues to lag

By scott rabalais
Advocate sportswriter
January 20, 2013

The scene at this year’s BCS national championship game in Miami was typical for what you would expect for the season’s ultimate contest.

In the parking lot among tailgaters, crimson-bedecked Alabama rooters and the occasional Notre Dame bagpiper, fans held up outstretched fingers, straining their necks above the milling crowd to seek out ticket scalpers. Here and there, buyer would find seller, come to an agreeable price in a hushed huddle and complete the transaction with numerous $100 bills involved.

Inside the stadium, the stands were packed, the announced attendance of 80,120 the largest for any sporting event ever at Sun Life Stadium. Notre Dame fans, eager to see their team play for its first national title in nearly a quarter-century, appeared to slightly outnumber Alabama fans watching their team play for its third championship in four years.

By the second half of the Crimson Tide’s 42-14 rout of the Fighting Irish, most of those Notre Dame fans had melted away, many of them surely wondering why they had parted with so much cash for a seat to a game that was over by halftime.

There was something else about the second-half remnants of that record crowd: It resembled the way sparsely filled stands looked at many bowl games this year. According to the Birmingham News, bowl attendance reached its lowest average in more than 30 years for the second straight season.

Average attendance for the 35 2012-13 bowl games was 49,222, down 2 percent from the year before and the lowest average since 48,404 in 1978-79. That year, there were 15 bowl games.

Overall, 18 bowls had attendance increases from the year before. Some, like the Cotton Bowl matchup between Texas A&M and Oklahoma, had no problem selling out, including the allotments of 12,500 tickets each school was required to purchase. Ole Miss fans, emboldened by a 6-6 regular season after two straight losing ones, snapped up more than 30,000 tickets for the typically attendance-challenged BBVA Compass Bowl in Birmingham, Ala., against Pittsburgh.

But other bowls struggled to sell tickets. The Sugar Bowl drew only 54,178 for Florida/Louisville, the game’s lowest attendance since 1939, when it was played in old Tulane Stadium.

The Chick-fil-A Bowl, despite being the most-watched non-BCS bowl in ESPN history, was played in a Georgia Dome that was only about two-thirds full. LSU and Clemson were unable to sell a combined 14,500 tickets from their allotments. Read more...http://theadvocate.com/sports/lsu/4961080-123/bowl-attendance-continues-to-lag
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http://theadvocate.com/sports/lsu/4958421-123/checking-lsus-recruiting-board-as

theadvocate.com

Checking LSU’s recruiting board as Signing Day nears

By scott rabalais
Advocate sportswriter
January 20, 2013

Seventeen days remain until the start of the national signing period Feb. 6 and, despite being full enough with 26 commitments, LSU remains in play for a number of high-profile prospects.

Here’s a look at the biggest targets still on LSU’s board, with position, height, weight and current school:

Robert Nkemdiche, DE, 6-4, 265, Logansville (Ga.) Grayson
Highest rating: Consensus national No. 1 prospect.

Outlook: Nkemdiche is the Flying Dutchman of LSU’s 2013 recruiting efforts, always sailing just over the horizon but never finding another port. He is at Florida this weekend, Ole Miss (still his leader) the next and LSU on Feb. 1 (provided Ole Miss doesn’t lock him up). If that doesn’t happen, LSU has a chance to pull a surprise on Signing Day. Getting Nkemdiche may also mean landing one of his teammates — cornerback David Kamara (5-10, 175), a three-star prospect.

Priest Willis, S, 6-2, 199, Tempe (Ariz.) Marcos de Niza
Highest rating: No. 41, Scout 300.

Outlook: Willis took a visit to LSU the weekend of Dec. 14 and came away impressed and conflicted; before he was a serious lean to UCLA. Of the big fish still on LSU’s board, Willis seems the Tigers’ most likely catch, though his official visit to UCLA this weekend isn’t a comforting sign for LSU. If he returns uncommitted, LSU is still in play.

Tahaan Goodman, S, 6-2, 184, Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.
Highest rating: No. 46, 24/7 Sports Top 247.

Outlook: Goodman was scheduled to make an official visit to LSU but went to UCLA with Willis instead when his travel plans didn’t come together in time. He still could visit LSU either of the next two weekends, but that appears unlikely. Though talented, Goodman is a lower priority for LSU as some project him as an outside linebacker.

Artie Burns, CB, 6-0, 183, Miami Northwestern
Highest rating: No. 52, 24/7 Sports Top 247.

Outlook: Burns committed to Miami over the summer and took his official visit to Coral Gables this weekend. His trip to LSU was in November, yet LSU coaches still harbor hopes of flipping Burns. He’s worth the effort, even if it looks like a long shot. The same is true for fellow Miami commitment Jamal Carter (6-1, 190), an athlete from Miami Southridge who’s at No. 223 on the 24/7 list.

Tashawn Bower, DE, 6-5, 241, Somerville (N.J.) Immaculata
Highest rating: No. 132, ESPN 150.

Outlook: A longtime Auburn commitment, the coaching change there led Bower to re-examine his options. He visited Florida State and Florida (this weekend) and is scheduled to visit LSU next weekend. LSU will continue to press Bower, hoping to land him or Nkemdiche.

Eddie Jackson, WR, 6-1, 178, Lauderdale Lakes (Fla.) Boyd Anderson
Highest rating: No. 157, 24/7 Sports Top 247.

Outlook: Jackson was considered a near lock for Florida State late last year but has since garnered major interest from the SEC West. He’s at Alabama this weekend, LSU the next and is slated to wrap up Feb. 1 at Arkansas. FSU remains the favorite, though, so LSU must get Jackson on campus and really impress him to have a shot.

Josh McNeil, TE, 6-5, 226, Durham (N.C.) Milford Academy
Highest rating: No. 171, ESPN 300.

Outlook: A former Alabama commitment who later tried to commit to LSU, McNeil wound up at Copiah-Lincoln (Miss.) Community College per 24/7 Sports. He plans to sign with LSU when he finishes at Copiah-Lincoln. Check back in 2015.

Cethan Carter, TE/FB, 6-4, 240, Metairie Rummel
Highest rating: Three stars, 24/7 Sports.

Outlook: Carter committed Thursday to Nebraska, but LSU immediately tried to get him to come this weekend for a visit. That didn’t happen. LSU will keep trying to bring him in for an official visit, but the Tigers are reportedly only dangling a grayshirt opportunity. At this point, that seems unlikely to trump the Cornhuskers’ full-fledged scholarship offer.

Kevin Spears, WR, 6-2, 191, New Orleans Holy Cross
Highest rating: Three stars, 24/7 Sports.


Outlook: Spears started playing as a junior and began garnering big-time attention after catching 65 passes for 1,115 yards and 11 TDs as a senior. Spears committed to Louisiana Tech last Sunday, but an official visit to LSU this weekend gives the Tigers serious momentum. A flip from Tech to LSU appears likely.

Courtney Gardner, WR, 6-3, 215, Sierra (Calif.) College
Highest rating: No. 2 junior-college prospect, 24/7 Sports.

Outlook: A former Oklahoma commitment, Gardner has never been able to get his academic house in order. He reportedly wanted to commit to LSU during his November official visit, but his academic issues got in the way. The latest is he may try to go straight to the NFL.

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http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/highschool/football/broward/fl-signing-day-flippers-01120-20130119,0,7530065,full.story

Sun Sentinel

National Signing Day surprises could be coming

Atlantic DT Keith Bryant enjoys keeping everyone guessing

By Steve Gorten, Sun Sentinel 6:13 p.m. EST, January 19, 2013

With National Signing Day less than three weeks away, Atlantic High defensive tackle Keith Bryant remains a recruiting mystery.
He likes it that way.

"It's good to keep people on their toes and keep them guessing," said Bryant, who verbally committed to Miami last January and then decommitted from the Hurricanes last month.

The 6-foot-2, 300-pound senior All-American wants to keep everyone in suspense, which is why he will wait until Feb. 6 at 1:30 p.m. to announce his college decision live on ESPN. But also because, he said, he wants more time to sort out his feelings while taking his final three official visits these final three weekends before Signing Day.

"It's a big mix-up," he said, adding that he's "very wide open" and four or five schools, including UM, have a legitimate shot at him. "Anything can happen."

National Signing Day features surprises every year, with some recruits making up, or changing, their mind the morning they sign their binding national letter-of-intent. Will Bryant, University School receiver Jordan Cunningham, South Plantation running back Alex Collins or Northeast receiver Stacy Coley — all highly rated prospects who remain verbally uncommitted — provide a surprise this year?

Or will it be a prospect who has already committed — once, twice, or in the case of Seminole Ridge defensive tackle Kyle Shortridge, three times?

"That's always the hardest question to answer every year," said ESPN recruiting analyst Jamie Newberg. "Everybody wants to know what the surprises will be."

Last year, one of the nation's most notable surprises was Miramar cornerback Tracy Howard signing with Miami after heavily favoring Florida in the final weeks.

"The night before, literally, was the actual change of heart," Howard's high school coach, Damon Cogdell, recalled this week.


West Boca linebacker Jawand Blue switched on Signing Day last year, decommitting from Virginia Tech and inking with Miami after the Hurricanes found themselves with an available scholarship to offer when one of their commitments, Reggie Northrup, signed with Florida State.

Two years ago, Boyd Anderson defensive back Demar Dorsey spurned FSU and UF and stunningly signed with Michigan.

"It was a lot of fun surprising everyone," Dorsey said at the time. "Everyone was trying to figure out what school I was going to. Everyone thought it would be Florida or Florida State. No one knew about Michigan."

Newberg said Collins or Coley could surprise some people with their decision.

In Coley's case, "Most people think it's going to be Florida State, but it will be a surprise if it's Cincinnati or Ole Miss, and to some it might even be a surprise if he stays at home and goes to Miami," Newberg noted.

Cunningham, who coach Roger Harriott says decided as a sophomore he would wait until Signing Day to announce so his teammates could benefit from the increased publicity that day, is another who has a handful of finalists to choose from.

"There's been rumors about him preferring Stanford, but those are just rumors," Harriott said. "You never know which one he's going to pick at the end of the day. There could be a big surprise."

Uncertainty surrounds even players who've already committed. Might Cunningham's teammate, defensive lineman Maquedius Bain, switch from LSU after already decommitting from Florida State?

Harriott laughed.

"Because of his history? You never know, man," he said, but added he expects Bain to remain firm in his commitment to LSU.

Shortridge insists there will be no surprise with him. "Nah. I'm definitely going to Louisville, [to whom he committed last month]." He initially committed to Wake Forest in July, then decommitted one week later. He dropped his second commitment, to Purdue, after coach Danny Hope was fired.

Shortridge said this week he would have signed with Purdue if Hope had been retained, but also noted: "I like Louisville more than I ever did Purdue."

Why even commit a second, and consequently third time, after admittedly rushing to make his first commitment? Shortridge said he considered waiting until Signing Day, "but it seems like schools are starting to fill up [with commitments], so I didn't want to lose Louisville."

He added: "It's been pretty hard making the decision of choosing a school this late, but the best school stuck out at the end."


Shortridge said he's seen himself criticized on the Internet for switching commitments, but that it doesn't bother him. He repeatedly referred to the recruiting process as "a business." He has one official visit remaining, and said some schools, Kentucky in particular, keep encouraging him to visit. He won't, he said.

As for Bryant, ranked the nation's 14th best prospect at his position by ESPN.com and 17th best by Rivals.com, the courting continues.

"After I committed [to Miami last year], it actually picked up," he said of recruiting. "Why not push harder? I am the best defensive tackle in the Class of 2013. It's only right to push harder for me."

Who's still in the mix for him? Who really knows?

Bryant told the Sun Sentinel on Wednesday night that he would visit Miami this weekend, Tennessee next weekend and either Alabama or LSU the final weekend before Signing Day. Later, he tweeted that South Carolina might also be a possibility for that final weekend, ending his tweet with "...decisions, decisions."

When he announced on Twitter that his signing ceremony would be televised on ESPN, he included the hash tag "SemiCockVolCane" — an obvious abbreviation for Seminoles, Gamecocks, Volunteers and Hurricanes. Later that day, he tweeted "SemiVolCaneTiger."

On Signing Day, he said, he'll choose one of three ballcaps. Go ahead: take a guess which.

sgorten@tribune.com. Follow him on Twitter @sgorten
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http://www.shreveporttimes.com/article/20130119/SPORTS0202/130119017/

Shreveporttimes

LSU coaches putting finishing touches on 2013 football recruiting class

Purchase Image

Green Oaks star Tre'Davious White leads a stellar 2013 LSU recruiting class. / Henrietta Wildsmith/The Times

Written by

Glenn Guilbeau

BATON ROUGE — The reinforcements are coming.
LSU picked up nearly as many new football players in the last week as it lost underclassmen to the NFL Draft in the previous few weeks. And by national signing day on Feb. 6, there may be as many as 29 signees in all.

LSU’s 2013 class is ranked No. 6 in the nation by rivals.com at the moment.

Eight early signees — two less than the number of underclassmen on the 2011 team to enter the NFL Draft a year early — enrolled with the beginning of the winter semester beginning last Monday. Four of those will be back counted on the 2012 class as that one contained just 21 — four below the minimum. A maximum of 25 can be counted toward a signing class, according to the new Southeastern Conference limit as of 2012.

LSU currently has 20 commitments toward its class of 2013 expected to sign on Feb. 6. Another four of the early signees will count toward the 2013 class for 24. Other signees on Feb. 6 could be forward counted toward the 2014 class in order to keep at the 25 limit.

Either way you slice it, help is on the way.

“We’re anxious for the new group of players to be coming in,” LSU coach Les Miles said of the early enrollees while at the Chick-fil-A Bowl last month. “It’s always motivating to bring in the new ones.”

Enrolling throughout the past week were wide receiver John Diarse of Neville High in Monroe, offensive tackle Fehoko Fanaika of San Mateo Junior College in Sacramento, Calif., quarterback Anthony Jennings of Marietta, Ga., wide receiver Avery Johnson of Hargrave Military Academy in Virginia, defensive end Christian LaCouture of Southwest High in Lincoln, Neb., offensive tackle Ethan Pocic of Lemont, Ill., quarterback Hayden Rettig of Cathedral High in Los Angeles and tight end Logan Stokes of Northeast Mississippi Community College in Booneville, Miss.
All can participate in spring football, which opens on March 14 and runs through April 20 with spring break in between from April 1-5. This is later than in recent years, as LSU coach Les Miles may be adjusting his coaching staff.

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