SB Nation User Blog: Grumps

Former Saints Pro Bowl DT La'Roi Glover announced his retirement from football. A fifth-round...

Grumps — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 18:09:48 -0000

Former Saints Pro Bowl DT La'Roi Glover announced his retirement from football.

A fifth-round pick by the Raiders in 1996, Glover made his mark with the Saints. His 17 sacks in 2000 led the NFL while ranking second in history among defensive tackles. The six-time Pro Bowler finished his 13-year career with 83.5 sacks, an outstanding number for a defensive tackle.

Rotoworld

Happy belated Fathers Day and a wedding coming up!

Grumps — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 14:03:21 -0000

Happy belated Fathers Day to all the Dad's out there. This was my first year as a father and my wife bought me a gift that i thought i would share with you. Soon to adorn the wall in my basement, once i get it put in a shadow box frame, is a signed Deuce McAllister jersey. I think my expression didn't change for about half an hour when i opened the box. I think the first words out of my mouth were "holy crap".

Can't wait to explain to my son why Deuce is such a role model in life.

As as aside, how are the wedding plans coming along Dave? Nervous? Only a handful of days left!

Should the Saints resign Deuce and move PT to LB???

Grumps — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 12:42:03 -0000

Good morning Saints Faithful! As for the title of this post, i'd still love to resign Deuce, but was kidding about the LB move (better state the fact before i am labelled as a wingnut).

In case you weren't aware, NFL.com has a segment where they line up various players and have an open chat forum with the fans. Well PT was yesterday. I assume that they do questions in order or sort out duplicates as my question wasn't asked (i asked about Deuce's impact oh him and how he felt the extra size he put on is helping/hindering his performance). However it seems that both of my questions were touched on by others. So if you want to know PT's various thoughts from the fans i have included the Q&A courtesy of NFL Live Chat (my vote for most ridiculous question goes to the fellow who asked the first question):

NFL.com

Pierre Thomas will be with us shortly. Thanks for sending in all your questions.

Pierre Thomas, New Orleans Saints

Let's go. I'm ready for your questions.

Frank D., New Orleans, LA

03:10 PM ET
How much do you think you rating is going to go up in Madden '10?
Pierre Thomas, New Orleans Saints

I really don't know about that one. Hopefully, my breaking tackles rating will be up to 90. I don't know, that's a good question. Hopefully they'll rank me as a 90.

Ben B., Rochester,Ny

03:10 PM ET
What other team do you fear most in the South?
Pierre Thomas, New Orleans Saints

I really don't fear any one of them. I don't fear them at all. The one I think that gives us the most competition is a tie between Carolina and Tampa. Sometimes Carolina gives us a good battle and I know Tampa, we go at it a lot. They are both tough teams.

Ross, New Orleans

03:11 PM ET
Who Dat Pierre! Its an honor to have the opportunity to chat with Deuce Jr haha. The family and I are pulling for you 100% buddy. I know it's only June, but has Gregg Williams been earning his money with the defense so far?
Pierre Thomas, New Orleans Saints

Oh yes, definitely. He's definitely earned his money with the defense. He's put in a lot of work, he's got these guys running around, attacking the ball. The things they are doing now is unbelievable, they are flying around, coming after us. It seems like they are looking for blood. That's their main goal is to go after everybody.

Buster, H-Town

03:12 PM ET
who the fastest offensive player on the Saints team?
Pierre Thomas, New Orleans Saints

That might be a toss-up between Reggie Bush and Devery Henderson. Devery has some good speed, but Reggie has speed and quickness. I think Reggie might beat Devery. His first step is real quick. Robert Meacham is right behind them. I know Devery is one of the fastest guys on the team if we are running long distance. He's always got that deep ball.

Rhodri Jones, Tredegar, Wales

03:14 PM ET
Hi Pierre. As an undrafted player what is the biggest thing you have learned about yourself on getting to this point in your career ? Thanks and good luck.
Pierre Thomas, New Orleans Saints

The biggest thing I've learned about myself is that I'm capable of doing anything. I'm capable of learning anything you put on me, to go out there and apply and accomplish it. I'm not afraid to try and go out there and give it a shot. The sky's the limit and I'm going to go and do whatever it takes to be successful.

Cody V, New Iberia, Louisiana

03:15 PM ET
We have one heck of a schedule this year, playing all teams in the NFC East and the AFC East. Is there any team that you look forward to matching up against?
Pierre Thomas, New Orleans Saints

One team I'm really looking forward to playing is the Cowboys. You hear about the Cowboys, the history, the record, all the legends who have played on the Cowboys. I always wanted to play against them, plus I have a college buddy who plays for them now (CB Alan Ball). I don't know what it is about Dallas, but I want to go after them and test them out. That's probably the biggest team I want to play.

John B., Houston, TX

03:17 PM ET
Who were your favorite NFL players to watch when you were just a young kid?
Pierre Thomas, New Orleans Saints

When I was really young, I didn't know too much about it. But as I got older, I learned about Walter Payton. As a kid, just playing in the backyard with some of my friends, they called me little Barry. I hung around with an older crowd, because I was really shifty on my feet, and they didn't even call me by my name, they called me "little Barry, we want Little Barry on our team". I really followed him. His leg power, that's what really drove him. Emmitt Smith and Terrell Davis also had big legs. That's what you need, those big legs, so you can drive and get that extra yardage. That's what motivated me to work out and get that leg strength. Barry Sanders had to be my role model growing up.

Ken, NJ

03:19 PM ET
What's your relationship like with Reggie Bush? How do you feel about splitting carries with him?
Pierre Thomas, New Orleans Saints

Off the field, we hang out. We've traveled together before. Reggie is a cool guy. I look at him as one of those guys you have to get to know. Don't judge a book by his cover. I've heard some people say he might not seem like a nice guy and he's quiet, but once you get to know him, he's a really nice guy. We go out, we like to go bowling. We like to talk smack and have fun. On the field it's the same. We talk and communicate out there and help each other. It's a competition, but it's a friendship. When all is said and done, you are going to remember that friendship and the experiences you have with guys. You are going to remember games, too, but you are going to remember the friendships.

Wayne Ellis, Letchworth, UK

03:21 PM ET
Did you enjoy the experience of playing at Wembley last season and do you think the NFL should continue to host games overseas?
Pierre Thomas, New Orleans Saints

It was a wonderful experience. Especially going to London and seeing a different culture. I never thought I would go overseas, especially to a place like London. But going over there and learning their culture, and getting to know them, was great. Come to find out there are a lot of Saints fans out there. It made me feel comfortable. I had a great time. The experience out there was unbelievable. It reminded me of playing at the Supderdome. The crowd was loud. Words can't express how wonderful it was. It was so beautiful.

J.Till , New Orleans

03:23 PM ET
What do you love most about New Orleans? Would you like to finish your career as a Saint?
Pierre Thomas, New Orleans Saints

It has to be the food. The food here is unbelievable. It's so good. And the people here are so friendly. That's what I tell a lot of people. Die-hard fans. The best fans any team could ask for. They support you 100 percent. If you on a losing streak, they are still there to support you. Even if we do lose, they are going to have a bad week, but they'll have your back and that next Sunday they'll be right there to support you and cheer you. You hear about Gumbo, the city is like that, you never know what you are going to get.

Michael S., San Diego

03:25 PM ET
You say you don't fear Atlanta. Man don't cash checks you can't pay
Pierre Thomas, New Orleans Saints

I'm not saying Atlanta isn't tough, but they are a rival. So I think it's more of a fun, exciting game. Really fun to play those games. They do give us tough games, though. But I just think the past couple years, Tampa and Carolina have given us the hardest games. I put the Atlanta game No. 1 on the schedule in terms of my interest, because that's a fun rivalry game, it gets me pumped up.

Kris, MA

03:26 PM ET
If you could have any Quarterback handing you the ball, past or present, who would it be?
Pierre Thomas, New Orleans Saints

That's a tough one. I'd say it's a toss-up between my QB now, Drew Brees, and Joe Montana. Drew is an unbelievable quarterback. I could see him making the Hall of Fame. He's exciting, he's fun to be around. And Joe Montana, seeing the things he did in San Francisco is unbelievable. He's one of the best and Drew is on his way to being one of the best. I gotta stay with my boy Drew, but that's a tough one.

John, New Orleans

03:28 PM ET
Who's the one defender you'd love to hit straight up and let them feel what its like for a change?
Pierre Thomas, New Orleans Saints

I love competition. One of the defenders is Brian Dawkins. I heard some stories that he can come down and really deliver a blow. I've seen him hit some people before and it was like Whoa! I wonder if I could get him. Instead of him getting me, I would like to see if I could get him. That's one defender I'd like to go against.

Tyler, Missouri

03:30 PM ET
Who's the most cocky player you've ever played against?
Pierre Thomas, New Orleans Saints

That's kind of a tough one. I never really listen to those guys. I block everything out. I hear them talking, but I don't listen to them. We never really get to cocky on the field. It's more cracking jokes. But if I'm watching tv, it looks like Ray Lewis is the one who seems to talk a lot. But when I'm out there playing, I just play, I don't listen to that.

DJC, North Carolina

03:33 PM ET
You appear to be very grounded. Who is or was your inspiration while growing up?
Pierre Thomas, New Orleans Saints

My mother. She took care of me and my sister. She taught me everything I know. She taught me how to go out there, play hard and never give up. When I was little, I never wanted to go to practice and work hard, but she told me I needed to go out there and work hard and give it my best and have fun. That's the most important thing. She always drove me to be my best. There's really nothing else I could ask for, she's been everything to me. She's had my back since I was little and I first started. She was my biggest inspiration. She worked so hard day-in, day-out, to provide me and my sister what we needed.

kelly klarkson, baton rouge LA

03:35 PM ET
heyy...ma and my friend have arguements all the time over which is better f-ball or b-ball, whats your opnion
Pierre Thomas, New Orleans Saints

Aww, common. You know football is better. Football is No. 1.

Chris, New Jersey

03:36 PM ET
Hey Pierre, my grandpa passed away recently and he was a huge saints fan, i would love to see you guys do well this season, from your point of view how do you think you guys as of now?
Pierre Thomas, New Orleans Saints

I believe that if we stick to what we are being taught right now on offense and defense, we can go out there and do exactly what we need to do to get to the playoffs and work extra hard to get to the Super Bowl. Right now we are on the right track, learning the plays and assignments. We have to go out there and accomplish everything set in front of us. We can only beat ourselves and that's what we have to eliminate. Correct all the mistakes we made last year. If we do that, we'll be a tough team to beat.

Cody, Tennessee

03:37 PM ET
If you could play any other position, which one would it be and why?
Pierre Thomas, New Orleans Saints

Well, I've always played defense, but I never got the chance to. The position I really wanted to try was defensive line. But I'm a little guy, so I knew that would never happen. So in reality, linebacker, maybe outside linebacker. The reason why is because I'd get a chance to sneak in and maybe get on a blitz and sack the quarterback, or attack the running back. Or I might be able to pick off a pass and maybe take it to the house. The linebacker position seems like the most fun.

Mason, Maine

03:39 PM ET
Do you feel that football is best played in the elements or in a dome?
Pierre Thomas, New Orleans Saints

I think both have their good points. It's a toss-up. There are times where I think playing outside is a lot of fun. Sometimes playing in the snow can be fun, being cold is the bad part about it, but it can bring excitement. Playing in the rain can also being fun, too. I always like playing in the rain, because I feel I can cut better in the rain and can make players slip and fall. But playing for the Saints at the Superdome, it's so exciting. Everything is so locked in. When that crowd gets loud, you can hardly hear anything. It turns up the intensity level inside, I don't know what it is, but it makes you want to play harder, run faster. When you hear the crowd it's unbelievable.

Charles, Champaign Ill

03:42 PM ET
Hey pierre..How bad do you wanna come back to Champaign and run the table with Juice.
Pierre Thomas, New Orleans Saints

Haha. Juice is a great guy, I think he has a lot of potential to be a great player and it would be nice to go another round with him as my quarterback, but no hard feelings to Juice or Illinois, but I feel comfortable with the Saints. I need to be here with the Saints.

Erin Rodriguez, new orleans

03:43 PM ET
how is the rookie malcom jenkins looking to you?
Pierre Thomas, New Orleans Saints

He's coming along. He's looking pretty good out there. He's learning the program well and picking it up. There's not a whole lot you can look at until training camp starts, but he seems like he's doing very well and understanding what's going on. I really can't say until they put the pads on, though.

Bobby, Slidell

03:44 PM ET
Has the extra weight you put on affected your speed and agility?
Pierre Thomas, New Orleans Saints

No, not at all. I don't know if I'm going to carry this weight into camp or not. I'm still trying to get the coaches to be more lenient and let me work with it, but they haven't let me know yet if it will be ok for me to come to camp at this weight. Hopefully we can get to that agreement. I feel the extra weight would come in handy. But what they want, I'll do. As to your question, I haven't lost any agility and my speed is still there.

Wayne Ellis, Letchworth, UK

03:46 PM ET
Although his departure obviously means more playing time for you, how hard was it to see a Saints legend like Deuce McAllister move on?
Pierre Thomas, New Orleans Saints

It was very hard. My thought was, what was the reason? Why? Most people said, mabye because they want to see me. But in my eyes I say we could still use him. He's a smart guy, he'd been in the league for a while. Everybody loved him and he brought a lot to this team. He was one of my teachers. I loved watching him, loved his vision. I feel I could get a better grasp if he was still around and I could still see him running. Seeing him go was really hard, but it's a tough business. He wished me the best of luck, he's praying for me and anything I need don't be afraid to call him. I told him I appreciate everything he's done for me. He's a great guy. I'm definitely going to ask him a lot of questions as we get closer to the season.

Pierre Thomas, New Orleans Saints

Thanks for all your great questions. A lot of them were really good, tough questions. And thanks for all the support. I'm going to try to do big things this season and hopefully I'll get to talk to a lot of you next year.

In case you are interested in reading the transcripts of other Q&A's i was able to find one for Darren Sharper and another for Sean Payton. Enjoy.

Well We Need Another LB

Grumps — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 20:55:05 -0000

It looks like Dan Morgan is already out for good. Ala Rotoworld:

The agent for LB Dan Morgan, Drew Rosenhaus, writes on his Twitter page that Morgan has informed the Saints he will retire again.
Morgan announced his first retirement in May 2008, citing a slow recovery from Achilles' surgery. Now 31 and still unable to stay healthy -- he strained his calf at New Orleans' June minicamp -- Morgan's latest retirement is probably for good. He will finish his career having never played more than 13 games in a season, although when healthy Morgan was one of the league's fiercest middle linebackers as a Panther in the early- to mid-2000s.

Is Ellis still available? Lets go get him.

From Rosehhaus's twitter page:

Dan Morgan has informed the Saints that he has decided to retire due continued injuries. Dan would like to thank the Saints for the chance to come back this year, but injuries would not let him continue his career. His decision is final and he will be moving on to focus on his restaurant business in Charlotte. Dan also wants to be able to spend more time with his wife and children.

Big Hole in the middle

Grumps — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 15:23:32 -0000

Well it looks like they have officially released the big man...from Rotoworld and boy is he steamed (see what i did there??? Heh):

Saints released DT Hollis Thomas.
The move saves money, and Thomas doesn't have much left in tank at age 35, but the Saints are now hurting for depth inside. Rod Coleman is returning after a year away from football, but he wouldn't fill Thomas' situational run-stopper role. While last year's fifth-rounder DeMario Pressley has the size, his talent is questionable.

Completely unrelated Saints post

Grumps — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 14:20:47 -0000

Good morning...

As i wait for my morning meetings, i figured i would share a few links with you that shows the current situation in the city i live in. Obviously this is not comparable to what New Orleans dealt with, but I live in a city where two rivers merge. Almost every year we have various flood issues. This year is fairly problematic, but would have been much worse if we hadnt expanded our floodway (basically a big ditch around the city).

Here are a few links to some photo archives from a local paper if you are bored and want to see Winnipeg and other areas just outside of the cityin its current state. The City for the most part is fine. But some of the smaller towns outside the perimeter are toast.

Archive pictures part 1

Archive pictures part 2

Gonzalez to the Durty Birds!!!

Grumps — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 18:51:22 -0000

Well it looks like those durty birds have another receiving threat...again from our good friends at Rotoworld:

Falcons acquired TE Tony Gonzalez from the Chiefs in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2010 NFL Draft.
KC got its asking price, but not for this year. Gonzo is 33, but coming off a 96-catch, 1,058-yard, 10-touchdown season. He obviously has a lot left, and going to a dome can't hurt. Atlanta relies on the run more the 2008 Chiefs did, though, and while Matt Ryan can only get better Gonzo's numbers will likely dip some. He'll steer some attention away from Roddy White, but could also cut into possession receiver Michael Jenkins' targets.

Lance Moore Injury more serious than thought?

Grumps — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 20:51:04 -0000

Looks like Lance's injury may be more of an issue than previously thought...from our good friends at Rotoworld

Saints GM Mickey Loomis admitted Wednesday that he's unsure of Lance Moore's (shoulder surgery) status for training camp.
Loomis says Moore should be ready for Week 1, but hinted he may miss crucial summer work. Moore tore his left labrum and dislocated his shoulder while lifting weights this winter. It's a serious injury we'll monitor closely.

Transcript of Deuce McAllister Press Conference

Grumps — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 21:52:26 -0000

Here is the Deuce transcript from the New Orleans Saints homepage. The guy is talking about his release and is taking time to thank all the people in the background (equipment guys, secretaries, etc). This guy is a class act pure and simple. Sorry i am not as educated in the form of posting these little nuggets as Dave and some of the others. At this point i don't have the time to read his instructions on proper posting. So my apologies in advance if it is not professional looking.

Opening Statement—Deuce McAllister: "I want to start by thanking the New Orleans Saints organization for this opportunity, Mr. (Tom) Benson, Ms. (Rita) Benson LeBlanc, Coach (Sean) Payton, Mickey Loomis, even the guys like Randy Mueller and Jim Haslett for giving me the opportunity to be a New Orleans Saint. They say all good things must come to an end. As a player, this is a day that you dread happening. If you don’t go out on your own terms, this is eventually a possibility that may occur. And, to the fans of the New Orleans Saints, it’s been a blessing and an honor to be able to play every Sunday, Monday and Thursday, or whatever day it may have been and just to hear my name and my teammates’ name to be called and through the good and the bad times that we’ve obviously had together, obviously from going through a situation like Katrina and then having an opportunity in 2006 to play in the NFC Championship game. To have all those things happen to me and for me, I’ve been blessed. I just want to tell everyone thank you. A lot of times, I guess it’s a little odd for a player to get released to have this sort of deal done (a press conference). There’s no animosity between myself and the Saints. I’m thankful. I’m happy that they would allow this to happen and happy that they would allow me to thank everybody for the opportunity that has been given to me.”

Question: When did you start thinking that your current tenure with the Saints could be ending? Was it when you weren’t playing as much this season at times?

Deuce McAllister: “That may have been a sign, but I’ve always felt like I could still play. That’s how I feel to this day. It’s just a situation where it didn’t work out to this point. 3.5, 3.2 (seasons), I think that’s the average life of a running back and to play eight, I’ve exceeded expectations already.””

Question: Do you think you’re going to play again?

Deuce McAllister: “Hopefully I can play again.”

Question: What’s the next step for you?

Deuce McAllister: “The next step is to continue to rehab. I had a ‘scope, six weeks on Thursday. (I will) just continue to rehab and get that stronger. It was just basically removing some cartilage that was causing me some problems as far as the knee swelling up earlier this year. Hopefully we will have that rectified. Basically that’s the next step in getting it stronger.”

Question: Has it set in yet that you are not currently part of the roster for the first time in eight years?

Deuce McAllister: “That won’t be the end of it. This will still be home. I still feel like I can still stop by and see the guys and everybody in the office. Probably one of the toughest things is seeing everybody in the office and seeing everyone that makes this team work, the back end people who are not on TV and a lot of people that people on the outside don’t know…The secretaries, the people in administration, the scouts. They don’t get a lot of recognition. That was tough to see those guys and thank them for the opportunity because they make this thing work.”

Question: Were you shocked or surprised that you were released?

Deuce McAllister: “In the day and age that we are in now, you look at the role the salary cap has to play with each team. You have to look at the economy, different things, not here, but in the world in general. Nothing’s really going to shock you at this point and this stage (of the game). I’ve been in the game long enough to see guys come and go. Eventually you see that it may be you one day.”

Question: Do you think you’ll be playing somewhere next season if you can come around physically to your parameters?

Deuce McAllister: “Yes. That’s the goal. I still have that itch to play. I still want to play. I still feel I can contribute and help a team. The most important thing for me right now is to continue to get healthy.”

Question: Were there any talks like last year of restructuring your contract?

Deuce McAllister: “I won’t necessarily get into the details of what gave or what led to the release of myself, but they were good talks. They were spirited talks about doing different things. At the end of the day, it just didn’t happen.”

Question: Would you have stayed here in a similar role or did you need the ball more?

Deuce McAllister: “If you’re a player, you want it more, that’s a quarterback or wide receiver, or even a defensive end. He wants sacks. As an offensive player, you want the ball. At the same time, it has to be in a role where I’m healthy. It has to be a situation where I’m healthy and helping the team. It would be naive of me to say that I’m still that 25, 30 carry a game type of back. It’s got to be in the best interests of the team. I guess I have to find a niche that fits for me.”

Question: Did you feel that you were helping the team at the end of the season?

Deuce McAllister: “Any opportunity that I had, I felt I was contributing. I felt I was contributing and trying to make plays for this team, that’s going to be the biggest issue, whatever happens, how comfortable I am and how I’m helping that team to be better.”

Question: How difficult was it looking at the possibility that this day could come?

Deuce McAllister: “That’s the toughest part. The New Orleans Saints are the only team I know as far as professionally. You move up from high school to college. You want to stay with one team your whole career. You never know what might happen. I might get to a point where rehab is too tough and then you talk about maybe retiring, so this might be that final time, but until that day comes, as far as I know, I can’t do it anymore, I still want to go.”

Question: If you don’t sign with another team, do you look at having done everything you wanted to accomplish bedsides participating and winning a Super Bowl?

Deuce McAllister: “Outside of a Super Bowl, that’s probably the only thing I have left to accomplish. I’ve been to Pro Bowls. I’ve had success as far as being a starter, being the quote, unquote bell cow running back. My only goal now is to win a Super Bowl.”

Q: Can you discuss the love affair between yourself and the New Orleans sports fans?

Deuce McAllister: “I don’t know. I just try to do it the right way. I think the people have respected it, whether it’s just going to a basketball game, all the fans yelling my name. You’re thankful for it, but at the end of the day I just try to go out there and make plays on Sunday.”

Question: What stands out about your career here?

Deuce McAllister: “I think the opportunity to play, getting drafted by the New Orleans Saints. Being close to home, a lot of friends and family could come see me play. Some of the success we had. I think when I was drafted in 2001, you look back and would have said ‘the Saints are a team with talent, but they’re not a good team.’ I don’t think you can say that anymore. I think you can say they’re a team with talent, and they’re a good team.”

Question: Based on how you know your body, do you think you have one, two or three seasons left?

Deuce McAllister: “I think the limit for me is three.”

Question: Do any specific performances stand out to you?

Deuce McAllister: “The Philly game will always be special, the divisional game. That will always be special for me, but also probably my first touchdown against Atlanta. It was a sweep left, 54, 56 yards, something like that. I think it was Kyle Turley pulling. It was pretty special.”

Question: Do you want to say anything to the fans?

Deuce McAllister: “It’s definitely a shock. I understand in some ways it might hurt for some fans, but at the same time, I want them to continue to support the New Orleans Saints. They were hopefully a Saints fan before I got here and I want them to continue to be a Saints fan once I’m gone. The players and coaches will change, but it’s either in you or it’s not. I’m just thankful. I want them to continue to support this organization and hopefully bring a championship to this team.”

Question: Is there any animosity between you and the team?

Deuce McAllister: “There is no animosity. I just had the opportunity to speak to Mr. Benson a second ago and I’m happy and thankful Rita came in here today. There’s no animosity at all in my part. It just didn’t work. At the end of the day, it didn’t work, but at the same time, I’m going to remember the good memories that we had.”

Question: Do you still anticipate being involved with your foundation here?

Deuce McAllister: “Yes, we’re still going to do some things here. We’re still going to be a part of the community. I’ll still be a part of this community here in New Orleans, not only as far as being a fan and a resident, but as well as someone who does community work and events here, we’ll still be a part of it.”

Question: Can you see yourself being a part of the organization in a non-playing capacity?

Deuce McAllister: “Yes, I can see myself being a part of this organization in a non-playing role. The coaching side of it, I don’t know if that’s it. Those coaches put in a lot of time, a lot of long hours. I might end up working out that way, because this will basically be home. Or even if it works out where unfortunately I may have to go with another team, New Orleans will always be home for me.”

Question: Did this come down to a difference of opinion on how you’d have to offer next season?

Deuce McAllister: “Pretty much.”

Question: You’ve always been an even-keeled player and not worn your emotions on your sleeve like maybe some other players. Did you have any times, maybe by yourself or with your wife about not possibly being a Saint anymore? Do you think that will hit you?

Deuce McAllister: “I have my shades here and I was hoping that I wouldn’t get emotional about it. Probably the toughest part for me, not only saying and telling the guys goodbye and that I’ll be in touch with them, but saying I know the work that the equipment guys put in, I know the work that the secretaries put in and what they go through. I’m thankful for them. That’s probably the toughest part, telling those individuals goodbye.”

Question: Can you comment on your legacy touchdown this year to become the club’s all-time leader. Is that something you’ll file away?

Deuce McAllister: “I think as I get older, I’ll appreciate it a lot more. You’re definitely thankful for it now, but as you get older, you’ll feel wow, that’s something that I actually did.”

Question: Can you discuss finding a team where your skill set fits?

Deuce McAlister: “As any player, you have to do your homework, because if you don’t, you’re kind of cheating yourself or shorting yourself. Looking around as far as teams are concerned you have to try to find that fit. It will be up to myself and my agent’s, just to try to find that fit and see if it’s going to work with somebody else.”

Question: Can you recollect the return to the Superdome and how special that game was for you?

Deuce McAllister: “It ranks highly. I think that game on a team level will be the all-time greatest game for the all-time New Orleans Saints’ history, not only because of what it meant to us as players, but because of what it meant to the city. Coach Payton, I’ll never forget how he commented on how he’s have to try to tone it down as far as monitor our spirits, because getting us hyped up to play would not be a problem.”

Question: Besides an opportunity to contribute and a chance of going to the Super Bowl, is there anything else you are looking for in a new team?

Deuce McAllister: “Just the opportunity to contribute and the realistic chance to go to the Bowl. That would play a part into it. As a football player you want to play, you want to be involved and you want to feel like you can contribute, so I think those will be the biggest issues out there.”

New Orleans Saints Release Deuce McAllister

Grumps — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 17:04:04 -0000

As per the Times Picayune

The Saints and tailback Deuce McAllister officially will part ways in a joint press conference this afternoon, ending one of the most successful and popular runs in franchise history.

"Decisions like this are always very difficult ones to make," Executive Vice President/General Manager Mickey Loomis said in a statement before the press conference. "Deuce has epitomized hard work, leadership and productivity throughout his career and has been a source of great pride for all of us associated with the team. His records and accomplishments on the field speak for themselves about the type of player he was in a Saints uniform. He truly ranks as one of the greatest players in our club's history, and we are very respectful of everything he has meant to the Saints and our community."

Sad, sad day for me. I am hoping this is just someone jumping the gun and trying to break a story that has no substance behind it. God i am getting sick of breaking bad new on this site.