Contributor - NewOrleans.com Sports
Les East has been a prominent member of the media covering sports in the New Orleans area for nearly 30 years. A native of New Orleans, educated at Jesuit High School and Loyola University, East has spent the last 16 years as a freelance reporter covering sports in New Orleans.

East has covered the Saints, the Hornets, the Sugar Bowl, college and prep sports for a variety of news outlets, including the Baton Rouge Advocate, the Associated Press, Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, the Chicago Tribune, the Los Angeles Times, the Miami Herald, the New York Daily News, and many others.

East has been a frequent guest on national and local television and radio talk shows around the country, providing insight into the New Orleans sports scene.

Prior to becoming a freelance reporter, East work for 10 years at the Times-Picayune, covering college and professional sports as a beat writer, feature writer, and columnist. He has won numerous awards for his reporting and writing. East has covered numerous major championships, including several Super Bowls, NCAA Final Fours, BCS Championships, the NBA All-Star Game, and the NBA Finals.

Les East's blog on NewOrleans.com was named Best Sports Blog at the 51st Annual Press Club of New Orleans Journalism Awards Competition on July 18. A series of five of East's blogs that appeared during 2008 were selected in judging by members of other Press Clubs around the country.

East also won another first place (Sports Story), a second place (Sports Column), and two third places (Sports Column and Sports Feature) for stories he wrote in the Baton Rouge Advocate.

In addition to his work as a reporter and talk show host, East teaches journalism and communications writing at Loyola University. He also was vice president of communications for the New Orleans Zephyrs from 1994-2001.

Les' Links
Les East's Blogs
Baton Rouge Advocate Sports