The Saints’ stunning improvement over the last two seasons is cemented by the numbers. In 2015, the Saints’ point differential was minus-68. It improved to a plus-15 one year later, and, in 2017, the Saints scored 122 more points than their opponents in 16 regular-season games.

She left a team that she thought was poised to win a national championship for a team that had never had a winning season. “I love Loyola University,” said former women’s head basketball coach DoBee Plaisance. “I had no intention of leaving.”

The Saints’ latest venture into veteran free agency has been relatively uneventful. And, that is a good thing. The Saints didn’t overpay for defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh and tight end Jimmy Graham. New Orleans brought back three former Saints, cornerback Patrick Robinson, offensive tackle Jermon Bushrod and tight end Ben Watson.

It was two of the most intriguing weeks in recent Saints history, and it had nothing to do with football. Saints owner Tom Benson was laid to rest last Friday, but not before a three-day celebration of his life. The Who’s Who of national sports figures came to pay their respects, but it was the people who knew Benson best who shined.

During Super Bowl week in 2010, Saints owner Tom Benson and his wife Gayle invited media members to a breakfast. When the meal ended he asked two reporters to interview his wife. One, was Times-Picayune legend Pete Finney. I was the other. I considered it to be quite an honor.

The interest from Southeastern Louisiana came quickly. “I didn’t go out looking for anything,” said Nicholls State football coach Tim Rebowe. But, with one year remaining on his original contract, Rebowe signed a new, four-year deal. “Our administration understands the value of athletics,” said Rebowe.

For those of you looking for a football fix, you get it starting this week. LSU and Tulane both kick off spring practice. And, both face challenging 2018 schedules. The website www.southern pigskin.com says LSU has the ninth-toughest schedule of the 66 schools in Power 5 conferences. Only Texas A&M, at No. 6, has a tougher schedule in the Southeastern Conference. By the way, Alabama’s schedule checks in at No. 57.

For fans of big league baseball, this is a great time of the year. Spring training games have started, and first pitch of the regular season is less than one month away.

Maybe it is my fault. Last fall, I told my wife to push our summer vacation back, after July 1. When LSU reached the championship round of the College World Series in 2017, we returned home on June 29.

National Signing Day seems to be all about the four- and five-star players announcing their college choice. But, in many locales, it is so much more than that. In St. Charles Parish, students from Destrehan and Hahnville announced their future destinations but also showed a level of maturity and awareness for which they do not get enough credit.

The pass over the middle was a blue dart, caught by the wide receiver as the rest of the LSU Tigers cheered. The video of Gov. John Bel Edwards tossing footballs at a practice was pretty impressive.

When it isn’t broke, don’t fix it. That is what principals in the Louisiana High School Athletic Association said about their basketball playoffs. By a vote of 205-120, the principals voted down a proposal that would have united public and private schools in the same brackets.

It was early in 2000. At Muss Bertolino Stadium, a local television reporter and his photographer were doing stories on some of the draft prospects working out with trainer Tom Shaw. While we were taking pictures of some of the prospects, the father of an obscure quarterback came up to the reporter and introduced himself.

When you are the interim head coach who is promoted, you are fighting a perception problem. For the last 21 games, LSU’s Ed Orgeron has fought that battle. As so it is for new offensive coordinator Steve Ensminger.

This season, the Saints have discovered a consistent winning formula. Now, they play a team who knows that formula, too, and does it a little better.