Martin Sullivan


My Recent Work

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Looking back on the origins of LSU women’s basketball 50 years later

2025 makes 50 years since women’s basketball became an official varsity sport at LSU in 1975.The founding years were nowhere near the spectacle the team is now. There was no extravagant locker room, no NIL and almost no fans. Instead, the team was staying in makeshift dorms, flying the team plane and a budding championship contender.
Jinks Coleman was the inaugural head coach for the “Ben-Gals.” She coached the team when it was still a club in 1973. Coleman even used money from her pocket to fin...
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‘Sometimes you don’t know where you’re at’: How CTE affects athletes and what scientists, LSU are doing to address it

The pocket collapses, the ball comes loose and Arizona Cardinals linebacker Eric Hill recovers.
On an attempted scoop and score, Hill is drilled in the side of the head by an offensive lineman.
Lights out.
The former LSU linebacker missed the rest of the game, but he didn’t undergo concussion protocol. He played the following week.
That was just football in the ‘90s.
Recently, another gruesome concussion to NFL quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and Brett Favre’s Parkinson’s diagnosis have created a ren...
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The stories behind 100 years of Tiger Stadium told by the LSU community

Tiger Stadium is built not just of concrete and steel but of the devotion and tradition of one of sports defining fanbases. It holds over 100,000 fans and ranks in the top 10 largest U.S. stadiums but now it also holds a century of memories and relationships built around football
This week, LSU celebrates the centennial of Death Valley, a place with a heartbeat as strong as an earthquake. It’s known for the gridiron titans that clash on the field, but its true trademark lies in a folklore of ded...
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Caitlin Clark, LSU and the burgeoning of women’s college basketball

Ticket prices reached hundreds of dollars, fans crossed state lines and millions watched in anticipation of a second-quarter free throw. Caitlin Clark had broken the NCAA scoring record in Iowa City.
The University of Iowa phenom has drowned in records and awards during her four years of basketball, but this one stands above the rest. Her 3,668th point broke LSU star Pete Maravich’s 54-year standing record. Significant in its own right, this achievement is and will forever stand in sports histor...
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From pregnant in prison to professional paralegal: The story of Deidre Thomas

Deidre Thomas entered prison pregnant, suicidal and poisoned by years of trauma. Through love and education, she made her way out and is now a paralegal.
Mental illness from a young age exacerbated by several toxic relationships landed Thomas in prison early in her adult life. But empowered by the love of fellow inmates and the education provided to them, she quickly transitioned from 25 years of prison to working as a paralegal with the Promise for Justice Initiative, a New Orleans-based legal...
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Jared Jones hits three home runs in LSU baseball’s 16-0 win over McNeese State

LSU baseball beat McNeese State 16-0 Tuesday night with help from a career performance from Jared Jones.
After last week’s painful midweek loss to Southern, the Tigers brought the bats Tuesday night. Strong pitching from Kade Anderson and Sam Dutton coupled with juggernaut hitting out of Jones earned an urgently-needed all-around victory.
Head coach Jay Johnson chose to try Jones at leadoff; it paid off immediately and overwhelmingly.
“Tommy was like ‘Dude, you’re leading off today’. I was like...
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Aneesah Morrow shines in LSU women’s basketball win over UIC

A strong second half and a trademark Aneesah Morrow game brought LSU a 91-73 win over a stubborn UIC team.
The Tigers’ typical strengths and weaknesses showed up throughout the game in Chicago. A slow start but a strong second half, too many turnovers and the unflinching reliability of Aneesah Morrow.
Morrow led the Tigers in rebounds, steals and blocks and was second in points and assists.
The game took place just 12 miles north of where she went to high school at Simeon Career Academy.
Along w...
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The complete viewing guide for LSU’s 2024 NFL Draft prospects

The NFL Draft is here, and LSU has many players likely to be answering the phone. This year’s class of Tigers is headlined by flashy offensive weapons and a few mid-round defensive tackles.
Here’s a look at those prospects:
Jayden Daniels, QB
The reigning Heisman skyrocketed up draft boards with a dynamite 2023 season. Daniels threw 3,812 yards, 40 touchdowns and just four interceptions. Daniels completed 72% of throws and finished with 11.7 yards per attempt.
On the ground, Daniels ran for 1134...
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‘It’s very empowering’: How has social media transformed sports?

Social media has played a significant role in all kinds of changes to the world of sports — many bad, many good.
Reporting, economics, public dialogue and the fan experience have all seen dramatic change because of social media. In just over a decade, it has empowered players, shaped NIL and changed how sports are consumed.
While much of this change existed before the legalization of NIL, the industry-shifting decision certainly intensified it.
When asked on The Pivot what made 2023 different fr...