Airing it out: Four years removed from high school and LSU quarterback Zach Mettenberger is still waiting to take his first meaningful snap in an SEC game. Is he ready? ESPN.com reports it could hear “the hunger, pain and focus—all wrapped up into one—very clearly in his voice” when they put that question to Mettenberger recently. “It’s been a long and winding road in my college career so far, and I’ve gone through the trials and tribulations just to get here,” Mettenberger says. “People remember me as the talented guy who got kicked off the team at Georgia. It sucks that it’s that way, but that’s the way the world is until I go out there and show who I really am; and then hopefully people will forget about it. I made a mistake, and I had to pay for it.” Read the full story here.
5 million reasons: The restructuring of New Orleans Saints defensive end Will Smith’s contract makes sense—and cents—reports The Times-Picayune, and it should come as no surprise to anyone who understands the Saints’ predicament. With free agency looming on March 13, the Saints need to work some kind of accounting magic to make the numbers work. They have 16 unrestricted free agents. The six-year, $70 million deal Smith signed in 2008 was a good place to start. Smith’s $10.15 million salary cap figure for this season was the highest on the roster. By guaranteeing most or all of the $8.15 million Smith was scheduled to earn in base salary and bonuses this season, the Saints will save about $5 million to $6 million in cap space. Read the complete story here.
The latest buzz: Although NBA Commissioner David Stern previously predicted a new owner for the New Orleans Hornets could be announced sometime today, there’s been no announcement yet and it looks unlikely that one will be made till another day. As The Times-Picayune reports, two groups have been identified in bidding for control of the team: a California-based consortium led by swimwear manufacturer Raj Bhathal, in union with Larry Benson, Mike Dunleavy and potential New Orleans-area minority investors; and former Hornets minority owner Gary Chouest. The Bhathal group, according to sources, is believed to be the one in the lead, as characterized last week by Stern, with Chouest as a backup. Read the full story here.
