The Rail: Louisiana vs. Washington seafood on the line

NFL: When the New Orleans Saints play the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday, there’s more on the line than just which team moves on in the playoffs.

The Port of New Orleans is betting fresh Louisiana seafood that the Saints will be victorious. The port’s president and CEO, Gary LaGrange, challenged Port of Seattle CEO Tay Yoshitani by putting seafood on the line including boiled crawfish, wild alligator and New Orleans-style barbecue shrimp.

Yoshitani is betting a Washington seafood sampler, including crab, salmon and halibut.

Associated Press

Michigan adds ex-Vandal Nussmeier

College football: Michigan hired former Idaho quarterback Doug Nussmeier away from Nick Saban and Alabama to be the Wolverines’ offensive coordinator on Thursday.

Alabama hired Nussmeier nearly two years ago to be Saban’s offensive coordinator after he directed the Washington Huskies’ offense the previous three seasons.

Nussmeier, who won the 1993 Walter Payton Award after throwing 33 touchdown passes and leading Idaho to an 11-3 record, also spent one season as offensive coordinator at Fresno State.

Associated Press

Sounders sign Barrett, two others

MLS: The Seattle Sounders announced they signed forward Chad Barrett to a contract, while also signing homegrown players Aaron Kovar and Sean Okoli.

Barrett was selected in the re-entry draft in December. Kovar and Okoli are the second and third homegrown players signed by the Sounders. Kovar, a midfielder from Seattle, was the Pac-12 freshman of the year in 2012 playing for Stanford. Okoli, a forward, grew up in Federal Way and played at Wake Forrest. He was a first-team all-ACC selection in 2013.

Associated Press