Under review: Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma is appealing his season-long suspension resulting from the NFL’s bounty investigation, which named him as a ringleader of the cash-for-hits system. In papers filed today, Vilma argues that Commissioner Roger Goodell should not hear the appeal and asks for a delay in the process until the jurisdictional issue has been settled through NFL Players Association grievances filed last week. Vilma’s appeal also says the NFL has failed to present evidence linking him to a system in which players were paid to injure opponents. Read the full story by The Associated Press here.
Taste beats heat: A Texas couple took away the top prize at this year’s Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival étouffée cook-off on Sunday, though the voting was almost too close to call. John and Jennifer Self of Katy, Texas, tied with a dish by Jimmy Blanchard and Whitney Gary in the first round of judging, forcing the judges to return for a tiebreaker taste-off—which the Selfs won in their fifth year of competing in the cook-off. John Self says the essence of a great étouffée is the seasoning. He says a great étouffée is all about the flavor, not the heat.
Bouncing into Tiger Town: LSU men’s basketball coach Johnny Jones announced today that Tom Kelsey, the current men’s basketball head coach at Belhaven University in Jackson, Miss., will join the staff as the Director of Basketball Operations. Jones and Kelsey worked together in 2000-01, when Jones was an assistant with Kelsey on Mark Gottfried’s staff at the University of Alabama. Kelsey has served as head coach at Belhaven for the last seven seasons, advancing this past year to the NAIA national tournament in Kansas City. Kelsey posted a record of 137-115 in his seven years at Belhaven, advancing to the national tournament on two occasions. LSUsports.net has the full story here.
