On the Saints' last possession of the Falcons game when Brees breaks Marino's record, consider the flwg:

On the first play of this record-breaking drive -- the Falcons blitzed. I have not heard or read one person point out this aggressive defensive approach by the Falcons. Should the Falcons have thrown in the white towel and not blitzed?? NO they were still playing to reach their goals -- playing to get the ball back so they could score.

So why should the Saints not be allowed to counter this aggressive approach by the Falcons. The Falcons blitzing on 1st down of this drive is huge when one takes in "all the facts of the situation". Suppose the blitz worked and Brees was blind-sided (possibly hurt) would the Falcons receive abuse --- I expect not.

The fact the Falcons blitzed gave the Saints the license to be as aggressive on offense as the Falcons were on defense!!!!!! BUT, of course, no one wants to consider this because it does not fit the narrative some choose to pursue!!

Definitely fits the Payton-Loomis model as his background clearly has the makings of a "diamond in the rough" story!!  His college team played against Tiffin - sound familiar??

Can he pick-up the blitz and protect Drew? He does play special teams and has the build of a power back with some speed. We might very well learn a whole lot about him real fast!!!

http://espn.go.com/blog/afceast/post/_/id/13984/on-the-radar-joique-bell

A Challenge -- Yes, But not a reach!!  The Saints' "Ace in the Hole" is they have only 2 conference losses now. The results of only 3 games (in next 2 weeks) separate the Saints from both the Division title and the Conference #1 seed and the Saints control their destiny in 2 of them. 

Assuming the Falcons lose to both the Saints and Panthers (bigger upsets have occurred, particularly after the Black and Gold have turned the Falcons black and blue Monday night) and the Saints beat Tampa, Saints win not only the division title but also the overall #1 seed, no other outside help needed, even if Eagles and Bears win out.

Under this scenario, only 4 NFC teams can finish with 4 overall losses -- Falcons (have 2 now), Eagles (have 4 now), Bears (have 4 now) and Saints (have 4 now). For the conference #1 seed, any combo of teams that have 4 overall losses with the Saints -- tie break advantage Saints as they will have fewer conference losses at 10-2 and no head to head with Bears or Eagles.

First, Saints must beat Falcons and things will get real interesting very fast. Don't assume the Panthers will lose to the Falcons -- it is a division game and most likely John Fox's last game with nothing to lose, Jonathan Stewart running crazy, the Panther defense playing well and the Panthers (under Fox) will never quit. Plus, how do the Falcons respond to the pounding the Saints will put on 'em Monday night???

It's all too perfect!!!  The Falcon board and nation is talking about the NFC Championship game against Vick and the Eagles!! One thing we know in sports is it never happens the way people expect!!!!

Make it a great week -- keep hope alive!!!

With the Saints at the doorstep of completely changing their "national brand" (much like the Red Sox when they finally won the World Series) the rest of the nation is still trying to digest the persistent statement that the Saints are different to New Orleans in a way unlike any other team is to their resepctive city?  It is difficult for many to comprehend both the depth and breadth of the very, very long and passionate relationship the Saints and the city of New Orleans have shared for 43 years.

From Day One, the main attraction, driving the Saints to get so deep into people’s core, has always been centered on "Celebration, New Orleans style"!!  Remember, in the city that "care forgot", our tradition allows us to celebrate death (jazz funerals) the same as life – with thanks, rememberance, hope and pride!! 

Losses and wins have never been the sole component that binds the Saints to us and vice versa!!  If the Saints lost, the city had a Jazz funeral if they won the city had a Jazz party — with thanks and celebration all the time, no matter the result.

New Orleans became "Big Time" with the awarding of an NFL franchise and immediately it meant an ongoing celebration "New Orleans" style — which is always heartfelt, over the top but most importantly an authentic display of the history and culture of New Orleans.

Point is -- it was the journey, the hope, the despair, the emotion, the memories, the plays on the field, the moments before the game, during and after — but most of all it is about "celebrating" all things Saints!

From the Fleur-de-lis to Al Hirt, from the agonizing losses to the rare glimpses of victory (Archie and 63yds), from Tulane stadium to the Dome, from the ultimate double-header (the Saints at Tulane stadium) to the ABA Buccaneers at Loyola Fieldhouse all in one Sunday, from the annoying sizzle of Ruth's Chris Steakhouse commercials to the roar of the blocked punt in the 1st 2 minutes back in the dome after Katrina, from the several Falcon's Big Ben plays  (dagger in the heart) to Favre throwing across his beaten body --- celebration followed but always New Orleans style!!! The days of and after Katrina have added "the dynamic of rebirth" which has simply put the relationship completely on an overdose of steroids!!

The team’s original owner, John Mecom, was a rich-kid brat from Texas that only knew how to do 2 things well -- spend his oil money and party. He was miserable as an owner, but he sure was a great believer in making the whole Saints event "entertainment" and a full-fledged party. What place better to "have a party" than New Orleans – thats a big reason why New Orleans remains a favorite of those "in the know" for Super Bowls.

As part of the Saints' mission of Celebration, the team used to put on the most amazing pre-game (not only in the stadium but all-around town) and halftime shows -- once again, unlike any other. Think Mardi Gras – floats, the Southern band, flambeaux carriers, girls dancing, acrobats flying into Tulane stadium on parachutes, jet-packs and hot-air ballons (for a regular season game), second-line, best musicians worldwide, beer vendors with mini-kegs on their backs cause no one wanted to leave their seats before the game or during halftime, and on and on!!

Its all these kinds of events (both on the field and off) that sit at the core of why the Saints are so special to the city and to its fans. For the fans that have not been around for 25-43 years, thought you might want to get a flavor of what it is that happened in those early years of the franchise that have led us all to knowing -- no matter how much we want to swear them off -- divorce is not an option, they are in our core!!!

And now, 43 years from the beginning, we have experienced the season we have all been hoping for!!  Of course, no matter how the story ends, Celebration - New Orleans style is a "guarantee"!!! Just consider the Buddy D dress parade!!! Or, how wild and crazy the pre-announced parade on Tuesday will be no matter Sunday's result -- where else can that happen??

Bonus Thought - Once the Saints are World Champions Sunday hopefully our fans will handle this sudden change in the Saints' "national brand" much better than Red Sox fans -- what an obnoxious group they have become!!! Red Sox fans were much more tolerable when they were "lovable losers".

If you sensed that Drew Brees’ performance Monday night vs. the Patriots was “uniquely special” then what you are about to read should stun you!!  Where does  Brees’ stat line of 18-23, 371 yds., 5 TD’s, 0 INT’s fit in the history of Pro Football (since 1892) --- Enjoy:

As most fans know, the max passer rating a QB can attain is 158.3. This is considered a “perfect game” or max available rating given the formula used.  In the history of Pro football (even before the NFL) the total number of pro games played is a bit over 12,750 games giving us over 25,500 opportunities for QB’s to have attained the perfect rating (2 QB’s ea game).

Monday night, Drew Brees  was the 58th player to accomplish a “perfect rating” for his performance  (remember this is of over 25,500 opportunities) – Impressive and special...but it gets better.  

Continue reading this post »

Today, November 1, is the 43rd anniversary of the NFL awarding an NFL franchise to New Orleans. For my money, until the Saints win a Super Bowl, this date will remain the most important date in Saints history.

It is because of the franchise being awarded on November 1, 1966 -- All Saints Day -- that a few short months later, early Jan 1967, the team officially became known as the Saints. 

As is always the case with history, it is because of the earliest days of the franchise that the seeds of passion, love, pain, glory, life-long memories, celebration, defeat, anxiety and so much more unrelenting emotions prevail to this day.

November 1, 1966 -- what a Great Day for all Saints fans, young and old (all over the world) and those no longer with us that started it all!!  

 The simple answer is -- Celebration, New Orleans style !!  

New Orleans became "Big Time" with the awarding of an NFL franchise and immediately it meant an ongoing celebration "New Orleans" style — which is always heartfelt, over the top and difficult for outsiders to truly understand.

From Day One, the main attraction, driving the Saints to get so deep into people’s core, has always been centered on "Celebration". Remember, in the city that "care forgot", our tradition allows us to celebrate death (jazz funerals) the same as life – with thanks, hope and pride!!  Losses and wins have never been the sole component that binds the Saints to us and vice versa!!  If the Saints lost, the city had a Jazz funeral if they won the city had a Jazz party — with thanks and celebration all the time, no matter the result.

Point is it was the journey, the hope, the despair, the emotion, the memories, the plays on the field, the moments before the game, during and after — but most of all it is about "celebrating" all things Saints!

The team’s original owner, John Mecom, was a rich-kid brat from Texas that only knew how to do 1 thing well —party. He was miserable as an owner, but he sure was a great believer in making the whole Saints event "entertainment" and a full-fledged party. What place better to "have a party" than New Orleans – thats a big reason why New Orleans remains a favorite of those "in the know" for Super Bowls.

As part of the Saints' mission of Celebration, the team used to put on the most amazing pre-game and halftime shows -- once again, unlike any other. Think Mardi Gras – floats, the Southern band, flambeaux carriers, girls dancing, acrobats flying into Tulane stadium on parachutes, jet-packs and hot-air ballons (for a regular season game), second-line, best musicians worldwide, beer vendors with mini-kegs on their backs cause no one wanted to leave their seats during halftime, and on and on!!

One Sunday, (early 70’s) the halftime show (@ Tulane Stadium) was a large-scale reenactment of the Battle of New Orleans (War of 1812). We’re talking hundreds of fully uniformed soldiers (both Andrew Jackson’s army and British), the marching band playing the Hymm of the Battle of 1812, 4 or five cannons in each of the 2 end zones blasting away (sorry no cannon balls) – just way over the top stimulation and activity (think Saints return to the Dome vs Falcons in 2006).

About halfway thru the show, we all suddenly see this long ramming shaft spear looking thing(@ 10 ft long used to pack the cannon gunpowder down the cannon tube) literally launch from the South End End Zone about 75 yards down the field (think a Javelin with a big bowling ball on the end).

What had happened is the soldiers in the South End Zone were suppose to dump a bucket of water down the cannon tube after each shot to cool the cannon down before packing the next package of gunpowder. Unfortunately, on this one cannon the guys loading it got so into the moment they forgot to cool the cannon down, so when the poor guy jams the next pack of gunpowder down, it inadvertently cause the cannon to fire and yes the guy doing the packing was pretty much standing right in front of the cannon opening — he was critically hurt, (lost his right hand and more — was launched to about the 10 yard line and I guess the best way to explain the surreal aspect of it all was about 3 days later, the Tulane football team was practicing and one of the players found a part of the guys finger under the team bench. Unfortunately, this put a screeching halt to the off the charts halftime shows!!

Its all these kinds of events (both on the field and off) that sit at the core of why the Saints are so special to the city and to its fans. For the fans that have not been around for 25-43 years, thought you might want to get a flavor of what it is that happened in those early years of the franchise that have led us all to knowing -- no matter how much we want to swear them off -- divorce is not an option, they are in our core!!!

And now, 43 years from the beginning, we have experienced a start to the season like no other. Where will it go from here - TBD. Of course, no matter how the story ends, Celebration - New Orleans style will be at the core.

Yes, Tom Dempsey's 63 yd FG was absolutely special, but so many other things happened around that field goal - I remember it all like it was yesterday. 

First, from 1966 -1969, the Saints had enough games that they were on pace to having won more games than any other expansion franchise in NFL history. Hopes in New Orleans for the 1970 season were high. In 1969, Billy Kilmer had started to make it happen, Danny Abramowicz had his 1st (and only) All-Pro selection and the defense led by Davey Whitsell, Doug Atkins and Dave Rowe were respectable. But in 1970, the team started 1-5-1 under Tom Fears.  On Tueday before the Lions game, Fears (the teams first and only coach to that point) is fired and in steps J.D. Roberts as the interim. It was a sad time in the Saints short history to that point.

The Saints played the Lions game with tremendous emotion in honor of losing their head coach. They led for a majority of the game until the Lions (Errol Mann) kicked an 18-yard  field goal with 9 seconds left.  The ensuig kickoff to the Saints was downed in the End Zone. On the first play, Billy Kilmer drops back and throws a 17 yd sideline wobbler (again) to Al Dodd who made one of those amazing sideline toe-tap catches (think Danny Abramowicz  type) to kill the clock with 2 seconds left. This play alone was phenominal.

Understand, the season had started with such high expectations and here the Saints were headed to lose another game after the Lions FG to go up 17-16.  Many people were leaving Tulane Stadium in total disgust and missed the kickoff, the Al Dodd amazing catch and the FG.

So when Dempsey steps out for the Field Goal, there truly is disbelief by all in the Stadium. Even the Lions would later say, "no way, why even rush the kick"!!!

As the kick is in the air, it started out with tremendous height. I very much remember thinking no way.  I looked at the ball - I looked at the goal post - looked at the ball - looked at the goal post  and pretty much thought no way but it just kept going and going til it takes a very sudden dive at about the 15 and then it was just did it have enuff life left and next thing I know we were all dancing like maniacs.

I was 11 at the time, sitting about the 45 yd line, West Sidelines (Saints side). It didn't matter who was close to you, it was absolute bedlam with screaming and dancing.  A couple of other things that were quite memorable were several Lions helmets flying down the field in disgust (later learned it was Alex Karras that had thrown his helmet so far it rolled to the South End Zone). Also, so many people actually returned to the stadium (even some that were in their cars) and celebrated for several hours in and around Tulane Stadium. Besides the SaintsPhilly playoff win, this was easily the most emotional moment for me in saints history.

Besides this game, about the only other piece of good news from the 1970 season 2-11-1 finish is it led the Saints to drafting Archie Manning. 

P.S. Another incredible moment in Saints history is Archie's 1st ever Regular season game vs the Los Angeles Rams and their vaunted Fearsome Foursome defensive front.  Think Bert Reynolds in the original Longest Yard movie on his 1 yard run to win the game vs the guards because that is exactly what Archie did on the last play of the game from 1- yard out to win the game 24-20. Again, the place went wild and hopes were once again "Sky-high".

Oh, those early days were so special!! So many moments, so many memories!!