Jeff Duncan

UF’s Jon Sumrall didn’t leave Tulane early but he didn’t ‘envy’ Lane Kiffin’s LSU circumstance nola.com/sports/lsu/lsu…

Ole Miss' Pete Golding on tampering: "Let's not act like recruiting in college football the last 100 years is the most moral thing, right? The (current) model obviously has been broken. I'm all for everybody being on the same playing field & doing the same things"

Ole Miss coach Pete Golding says he's been asked about his relationship with Lane Kiffin all the time. People in Oxford whisper to him, "Tell me what you really think about him." "Lane and I are good." Says they text on a regular basis.

Got a chance to catch up with Jon Sumrall at the SEC Media Days in Tampa today. He said he’s looking forward to his first season at Florida and competing on the big stage in the SEC, but added that he also can’t wait to get back to NOLA for Mardi Gras again in February.

Jon Sumrall reiterated a point he's made previously that he would not have left Tulane for the Florida job or any other job if it were stipulated that he would not be able to coach the Green Wave in the College Football Playoff last season. He cast no shade at Lane Kiffin, though, saying no two situations are the same and his was completely different than Kiffin's.

Jon Sumrall got a laugh from the crowd when he relayed a story about Archie Manning, texting him each summer to ask permission for grandson Arch Manning to work out at Tulane during his Texas offseasons: "I said, 'Sure. And ask him if he wants to transfer to Tulane.'"

"I really have a lot of respect for the Manning family as a whole. And the apple doesn't fall far from the tree with Arch in that respect." -- Jon Sumrall on Arch Manning and the Manning family, when asked about the matchup with Texas at SEC Media Days.

Former Tulane coach Jon Sumrall meets the media at SEC Media Days as Florida head coach.

@Pdonk24 As long as I've been alive, the local newspaper charged for subscriptions.

@JeffDuncan_ Or maybe people don’t want to PAY to read about a poverty franchise? Most saints fans I know won’t pay either. Sports news used to be free.

Spot on here. The Pelicans have a following of loyal, ardent fans. Unfortunately, the interest level is not large enough at this time and is reflected in the readership metrics at all of these sites. It's not about the quality of the local Pelicans coverage. Never has been.

@cajunsrock1 Yes. For sure.

@JeffDuncan_ Will they follow the road games and provide summaries as in the past

@cajunsrock1 Rod Walker and Les East have covered the Pelicans for us and will continue to do so in the future. We staff every home game, often with 2-3 people.

@JeffDuncan_ How will The Advocate cover the team once they start playing actual games in October?

@brookechesney @Repo @detroitlionsnfl Huge. Congrats, Brooke! Awesome news.

@cbaise09 @BuiltinDaBoot Good question. My experience is that New Orleans sports fans will always support their local teams, especially if they win and represent the community the right way. The Pelicans do the latter very well. The winning part has been an issue.

@JeffDuncan_ @BuiltinDaBoot Jeff, do you think it’s a combination of a lack of care from ownership and the overall NBA culture that are turning fans off?

@ewbsoccer Pretty sure my post said that.

@JeffDuncan_ Media friendly personnel only does so much to counteract horrendous team performance.

The Pelicans' 45% win rate and meager postseason success have contributed to the tepid interest. When unsuccessful, it helps to have media-friendly/savvy coaches & execs. The Pels have largely lacked those, with the exception of David Griffin & Alvin Gentry. Jamahl Mosley is a huge boost here. The Pelicans media relations team, led by Matt Ryan, has always been excellent. They can only do so much, though.

Exclusive: Longtime stadium executive and former Superdome manager Doug Thornton is stepping down from his role at Legends Global, leaving big shoes to fill and a large hole in the New Orleans sports scene. nola.com/sports/doug-th…

And follow Koki because he’s the man.

@PabloEskobear2 Yep. With about 4 minutes left.

@JeffDuncan_ I was at that game. Bill was so mad he benched Tom Brady when it was clear that it was out of reach.

Arguably, the greatest single passing performance in NFL history.

@gsGOAT Yep. I forget the stat, but, at the time, it was one of the most lopsided losses of BB’s career, along with being one of the most prolific offensive performances allowed by one of his defenses.

@JeffDuncan_ Against a Bill Belichick defense no less.