Tag: hurricane ida

Rockets deliver Hurricane Ida relief supplies to Houma, Louisiana

The Rockets, Kroger, and owner Tilman Fertitta’s Golden Nugget Lake Charles Hotel & Casino delivered relief supplies after Hurricane Ida.

The Houston Rockets, Kroger, and the Golden Nugget Lake Charles Hotel & Casino (also owned by team owner Tilman Fertitta) teamed up Thursday to deliver relief supplies to Houma, Louisiana, which was one of the areas hit hardest by Hurricane Ida in late August.

Rockets employees left Toyota Center early Thursday morning and stopped off at the Golden Nugget Lake Charles to pick up more volunteers before proceeding to Houma, which is located an hour southwest of New Orleans.  Kroger transported the supplies from Houston to Houma via an 18-wheeler, and the volunteers handed items out at a distribution event in conjunction with the Red Cross.

“We have seen what it’s like,” said Sarah Joseph, senior director of community relations for the Rockets, from the distribution site. “We know what it’s like, as Houstonians. So to be able to come in and support this community, it means a lot to us. It’s just who we are as an organization. It’s important to the Rockets, and to the Fertitta family.”

Video footage can be viewed below. In order, the featured speakers are Lawrence DeHart, executive director of the Terrebonne Churches United Food Bank; Sarah Joseph, senior director of community relations with the Rockets; and Mike Buckley, operations director for the Golden Nugget Lake Charles. The video concludes with distribution footage.

[lawrence-related id=38815,13390]

Aaron Rodgers auctions off jersey worn vs. Saints for Hurricane Ida relief

Aaron Rodgers auctions off jersey worn vs. Saints for Hurricane Ida relief

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbyahgz6p2j3xp7 player_id=none image=https://saintswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

This is cool: Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers donated the jersey he wore when the New Orleans Saints throttled his team in a shocking 38-3 Week 1 victory, putting it up for auction to benefit the Gulf Coast Renewal Fund. Started by Saints owner Gayle Benson and flush with donations from around the NFL community, the fund has worked to support organizations working to help Louisiana recover from the impacts of Hurricane Ida.

Rodgers was probably eager to part with the jersey after wearing it during the worst game of his pro career, but it’s good to see the it go to good use. If there’s any justice, some enterprising Saints fan will frame it and put it up as a trophy. Preferably after getting the players who intercepted and sacked Rodgers to sign it.

[lawrence-related id=50427,50307]

[listicle id=50389]

Sean Payton says Saints will return to New Orleans after Week 3 Patriots game

Sean Payton says Saints will return to New Orleans after Week 3 Patriots game

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbyahgz6p2j3xp7 player_id=none image=https://saintswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Here’s good news: New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton said Friday that the team will make its return home after their Week 3 road game with the New England Patriots, ending a five-week stint in Texas following Hurricane Ida’s impact on Southeast Louisiana.

So that’s one more week practicing at the TCU Horned Frogs’ facilities in Forth Worth, Texas, following Sunday’s game in Charlotte, N.C. against the Carolina Panthers. Payton added that the trip to New England is a longer flight, so the Saints plan to leave sooner and return home immediately after.

That means the Saints will be ready to kick off their true home opener with the New York Giants in Week 4 at the Caesars Superdome. And it’s a safe bet that New Orleans will be eager to welcome the black and gold back home.

[listicle id=50369]

Owen Field getting a makeover as OU hosts Tulane’s ‘home opener’

In a touching tribute, Owen Field gets a makeover for the Oklahoma Sooners and Tulane Green Wave home opener.

The Oklahoma Sooners and Tulane Green Wave have dealt with unusual circumstances leading into their season opener tomorrow. The two teams were originally scheduled to play in New Orleans but had to adjust on the fly as Hurricane Ida made landfall last week.

With the game moving to Norman, the Sooners will play host to the Tulane Green Wave. Speaking to the media on Friday, athletic director Joe Castiglione shared how the University of Oklahoma is viewing this game.

And the Sooners are putting their money and time where their mouth is. In preparation for tomorrow’s opener, the Sooners are painting the Green Wave logo on the Owen Field.

This is a touching tribute to Tulane and to a fanbase that has been rocked by Hurricane Ida. There will be a lot of recovery to come after the game, but for a team that has their schedule and lives turned upside down in the last week, it’ll be a fun moment running onto Owen Field and seeing their logo.

It’s such a great decision by Joe Castiglione and the athletic department. It shows a lot of camaraderie and heart. They could have very well gone with the status quo, but this thoughtful decision shows their support for Tulane, its players, and is a symbol of the brotherhood of college football.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes and opinions.

[lawrence-related id=38189]

Top storylines as the Oklahoma Sooners get set to face the Tulane

As the Sooners get set to kickoff the 2021 season with their matchup vs Tulane, what are the top five storylines heading into week 1.

Less than 24 hours from now, the Oklahoma Sooners will open the season against the Tulane Green Wave.

It sure feels good to type those words. Tomorrow, starting at 11:00 a.m. CST, the Oklahoma Sooners will finally begin their journey toward the national title.

As they get set to host Tulane’s home game, the Sooners will defer choice of uniform to the Green Wave creating the possibility the Sooners will be on their road whites on Saturday.

As “talking season” as Lincoln Riley likes to call it, comes to a close, let’s take a look at the top storylines heading into week one.

Texans S Justin Reid giving away free tickets at Hurricane Ida fundraiser

Houston Texans safety Justin Reid is giving away free tickets as part of his fundraiser for Hurricane Ida relief.

It is more blessed to give than receive.

However, in the case of Houston sports fans who help Texans safety with his relief campaign for victims of Hurricane Ida, they will receive free tickets to Texans games.

Reid posted on his official Twitter, from his location in Green Lot at NRG Stadium: “I’m giving away Free Texans tickets for people who come out and donate to my hurricane relief drive!! One voucher per car.”

Ida’s path did go through the New Orleans area, including Reid’s hometown of Prairieville, Louisiana.

Reid won the Ed Block Courage Award in 2019.

Panthers announce relief efforts towards Hurricane Ida recovery

The Carolina Panthers organization is pledging support in the recovery from Hurricane Ida.

Football is family. And when family needs help, they come together.

On Wednesday, the Carolina Panthers announced the organization will be providing relief in the path to recovery from Hurricane Ida. Carolina Panthers Charities, the Nicole & David Tepper Foundation and the David A. Tepper Charitable Foundation are donating $1 million to the efforts in New Orleans and its surrounding areas.

The Teppers have also pledged their support for the areas more local to the state of North Carolina that have also been affected by the hurricane.

Ida has now been recorded as the second-most powerful hurricane to ever hit Louisiana. Firms estimate, according to The Wall Street Journal, damages of up to $15 billion across the states of Lousiana, Alabama and Mississippi.

The New Orleans Saints, who gave a tip of the cap to the Panthers for their support, will not be playing the season opener in their home of the Caesars Superdome as a result. They will, instead, meet the Green Bay Packers in Jacksonville at TIAA Bank Field for their Week 1 matchup.

[vertical-gallery id=639942]

Podcast: No team is built for adversity quite like the Saints

Podcast: No team is built for adversity quite like the Saints

The newest episode of the Saints Wire Podcast is live, brought to you weekly by Saints Wire managing editor John Sigler (@john_siglerr) and host Ryan O’Leary (@RyanOLearySMG). You can subscribe for new episodes on Apple Podcasts or your podcast app of choice, and catch up on past episodes in the playlist embedded below.

It’s been an eventful week for the Saints so far. They’ve evacuated to Dallas in the face of Hurricane Ida and have had to scramble to find practice facilities and a venue for their season opener — when they haven’t been busy filing dozens of roster cuts and assembling the practice squad. Get up to speed:

Alabama opens indoor facility to Tulane football team

What a great display of class by Greg Byrne and Nick Saban

It’s no secret that Hurricane Ida left much of the state of Louisiana in ruins. Tulane University was at the center of that, being located in New Orleans.

Tulane was in the midst of their preparations for their week 1 matchup with the Oklahoma Sooners when Ida’s rain and damage forced the Green Wave to relocate their practice.

Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne and head football coach Nick Saban stepped in and allowed Tulane to use the indoor practice facility in Tuscaloosa.

Charlie Potter of 247 Sports tweeted Nick Saban’s response to opening the facility to the Green Wave.

Tulane travels to Norman this Saturday to face the Sooners at 11:00 a.m. central time.

Stay tuned to Roll Tide Wire for all the latest on the Crimson Tide!

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Stacey Blackwood on Twitter @Blackwood89.

Saints announce practices to be temporarily held in TCU’s Fort Worth facilities

Saints announce practices to be temporarily held in TCU’s Fort Worth facilities

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbyahgz6p2j3xp7 player_id=none image=https://saintswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

It’s a good day to be a Horned Frog. On Wednesday, the New Orleans Saints announced their agreement with Texas Christian University (TCU) to temporarily hold practices as well as strength and conditioning sessions in Fort Worth while New Orleans continues to recover from the impact of Hurricane Ida, confirming multiple earlier reports from NBC Sports’ Charean Williams and ESPN’s Mike Triplett, among others.

Saints coach Sean Payton previously suggested TCU and nearby SMU as potential options, pointing to the ease of access to facilities for a college team compared to a rival NFL squad. This also means the Saints can remain in the Dallas-Fort Worth area after holding several practices at the Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium this week.

It also means that the Saints will be road warriors early this season. Their first regular season game has been moved from New Orleans to the Jacksonville Jaguars’ TIAA Bank Field, where they will kick off against the Green Bay Packers on Sept. 12. From there the Saints are scheduled to play road games in Weeks 2, 3, 5, and 7, with a Week 4 home game with the New York Giants and an early bye in Week 6. Hopefully they can return to New Orleans sooner rather than later.

[listicle id=48802]