Tag: blogs

In the first installment of Da Chronic's off-season podcasts, Andrew Juge stops by to talk Super Bowl, the new Saints defensive coordinator, and the Saints defensive line with Ralph Malbrough. Will Junior Gallete be the answer to our pass rush prayers in 2012? Who will be back at defensive tackle? Also we discuss heavy drinking, how men trick women into marrying us and the black hole known as non-football Sundays.

Listen right now below, get the feed right here and/or download it on iTunes right here.

Warning: explicit language and adult content.

Click to read the original Saints article by Canal Street Chronicles

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Are we having fun yet!? It's time for another audition candidate in our search for fresh new front page talent here on Canal Street Chronicles, to make the best Saints blog on the net even better.

In case you missed the introduction to our little talent search here, be sure to read it first before continuing. Remember, any and all criticism must be 100% constructive and positive in nature. Keep Da Chronic classy!

Please welcome the next contestant of Da Chronic's Got Talent! S/he is willing to contribute every other week.

Random Observations: An Early Look At 2012

Before we take a sneak peek into the future let's take a brief look at last season. In 2011, the Saints had one of the most effective offenses ever seen in NFL history. They won their division, they broke record after record, and finished 14-4. Throughout the season and post-season they went toe-to-toe with 6 out of the 12 playoff teams this year. Out of those 6 we beat 4! Four of their wins against playoff caliber teams could be considered blowouts:

NO v NYG; 49-24; NO v DET 31-17; NO v DET 45-28; NO v ATL 45-16 (Of course 2 of these were against DET)

Our losses to GB and SF were so close they came down to the last drive of the game while our losses to TB and STL seemed like total flukes. After the loss to the 49ers in the Divisional Round of the playoffs, Saints players, coaches, and staff were already thinking about next year and what they can do to improve.

Looking at next year as a fan, Superbowl XLVII will be played at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, and it would be a historical win if we can get there because no team has even played in a Superbowl at their home stadium much less won it. Can you imagine if the Saints were to fight their way into that game? Well according to the opponents we will see next year it will be a fight! Each team we face presents a different set of challenges which could get worse depending on the final schedule. Here is the list of opponents for the Saints' 2012-2013 season:

Home: Atlanta, Carolina, Tampa Bay, Philadelphia, Washington, San Francisco, Kansas City, San Diego
Away: Atlanta, Carolina, Tampa Bay, Dallas, New York Giants, Green Bay, Denver, Oakland

Another thing that is not in our favor is we don't have a first round pick in the draft. Remember when Ingram was still on the Big Board and we traded with NE? Yes boys and girls ... there went our first round pick for 2012. Oh well c'est la vie! I don't regret the move because Ingram is going to be worth it. Anyway, there is already word going around that Minnesota may be willing to give up the 3rd overall pick in the draft if a team were very needy.

We are not that needy! Since our defense could use the most work let's start there. Yes, we lost old GDub (Gregg Williams), but we gained SpagNOLA who I think will fit better as our DC than even his name implies. He prefers to get pressure from the front four while sprinkling in a healthy combination of blitz packages. He should mix it up a little better than Williams did.

While our defense allowed a lot of yards this year, they seemed to hold their own in the points allowed department averaging a little over 21 a game which isn't terrible because the lowest average was only one TD less. Luckily, most of the defensive FAs on the roster can be replaced if we can't afford to re-sign them. Guys like Jo-Lonn Dunbarand Tracy Porter who are both FAs showed glimmers of potential but haven't really broke out so it's all about price with them. I would actually prefer that we let Franklin and Rogers go because they not impress me this year since we were tied for 31st in average yards per carry. I think Mitch King earned a second look plus I still believe Ellis has potential. Along with King and Ellis, we need to add younger legs with how often SpagNOLA will be rotating our defensive front.

We have some young talent in our DEs and LB corps but we better start looking for Vilma's replacement because the position is so demanding on his body. I don't know if I fully trust any of our current players to fill his role yet. I really want to see what Martez Wilson learned in 2011 and I just want to see if Greg Romeus was worth the wait.

The secondary faired alright with GDub's blitz schemes considering their average age was 23.4 years old. My main concern here is at safety because I really don't trust Harper in deep coverage anymore. Since he already signed a new contract before last season we can still use him for playing close to the line for stopping the run and blitzing the QB. Whatever we do with Harper we have to get Jenkins some help in coverage duties.

Moving on to the offense, we do have a few key players entering free agency that are worth mentioning. First of all, we know Brees' contract is like an elephant in the room, but I'm 99.9% certain we'll make that happen. Especially since Loomis feels his job (and probably his life) would be threatened if Brees isn't re-signed. After Brees, my two main concerns are Carl Nicks and Marques Colston. If we had to lose one I'd rather see us keep Nicks because you can't pass effectively if your QB is on the ground.

I know, I know, Marques Colston is better than good, he's great. He fits so well into this offense because he understands the concept of team and is willing to sacrifice his body, he does not talk trash and keeps to himself. He's the perfect man for the job but we may not be able to afford him. Meacham may have to be the sacrificial lamb here because he's the only other FA WR on the roster and will be much easier to replace.

Remember Graham? He had a huge year and we may want to secure his future services before he becomes a FA. Behind Graham we only had Gilmore, Humphrey, and Higgins who played in place of David Thomas who pulled a Jimmy Hoffa not once but twice this season. We could offer Graham a long term contract of 6 or 7 years to spread out the cost. Then devote some serious scouting to find a receiver/tight end hybrid like Graham who doesn't mind occasional blocking duties.

Don't worry though most of our needs on either side of the ball can be addressed with some savvy free agent moves and draft picks. Until the offseason officially begins our speculations will grow into anticipation over next season! That's all for now my Black and Gold brethren.

Click to read the original Saints article by Canal Street Chronicles

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Tags: blogs, New Orleans Saints, saints news

TWEETS:

LINKS:

Tony Gonzalez still going strong - NFC South Blog - ESPN
Atlanta’s Tony Gonzalez might be the oldest tight end in the NFC South, but he also got way more playing time than anyone else at the position....

EA Sports simulation game picks New York Giants over New England | NOLA.com
The game has been correct in six of past eight

Keisel on Pro Bowl: They "should have just put flags" on players | ProFootballTalk
The first guest of the week on PFT Live undeniably has the best beard in the NFL. Possibly in the history of the world. Steelers defensive end Brett Keisel joined the show and talked about missing the Pro Bowl because he is injured. "Hawaii's a great place.

Saints Nation: Saints Players Make Splash in Pro Bowl | January

Around the NFC South - NFC South Blog - ESPN
Let's take a look at the Monday morning headlines from around the NFC South. In the aftermath of Tampa Bay’s disastrous 4-12 season, there&rsqu

AFC Defeats NFC, 59-41, in Pro Bowl

'NFL Honors' Show to Take Place This Saturday

Take that, San Francisco!: A letter to the editor | NOLA.com
To all San Francisco fans. Too bad, too sad. No Super Bowl for you. It's called pay back, and shame on you for how you treat visiting fans coming into your "house." There's always next year, but do not hope for miracles until you can learn the true meaning of the word sportsmanship! Marie Nastasi Metairie

Drew Brees and Jimmy Graham combine for a TD in the Pro Bowl - New Orleans Saints Football NFL News - NOLA.com
Graham had five catches

Aaron Rodgers beats out Drew Brees for one as most marketable in the NFL - New Orleans Saints Football NFL News - NOLA.com
Brees was fourth on the list

Sneak peek into Matthew Broderick's Super Bowl commercial | NOLA.com
He's reviving the role of Ferris Bueller

VIDEO:

NFL Videos: Graham touchdown
Drew Brees finds TE Jimmy Graham for a short touchdown to put the NFC back on top 21-14.

NFL Videos: Brees attempts dropkick
Saints QB Drew Brees dropkicks the football on an extra point attempt in the Pro Bowl late in the fourth quarter.

Click to read the original Saints article by Canal Street Chronicles

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Tags: blogs, New Orleans Saints, saints news

Below are my answers to most of last weeks reader questions submitted Thursday. Special thanks to all those that participated. Feel free to continue the discussion on any of these topics in the comment section below.

Can the saints learn to play on the road, or is it a case of always striving for the no.1 seed? - Matt M.

Well, I think you always want to strive for that first seed. Home field advantage in the playoffs is certainly the ideal situation. That being said, I think the Saints will always be a better team at home as long as they're relying on their offense to win games. They're a finesse team offensively, and they just don't seem to put up as many points or dominate opponents when they're outside the Dome. Which means if the defense doesn't step up, then games end badly. So until they have a defense that can pick up the slack when the offense isn't clicking, I think the Saints will have more trouble on the road than they do at home.

Do you believe that G.W. knew that he would no longer be D.C. of the Saints before our defeat by the niners? - Tac H.

I think Gregg Williams knew this would be his final season with the Saints. But that may have been a realization he came to as early as the beginning of the season or at any point throughout. I certainly don't think it had anything to do with his approach to the 49ers game or the fact that the Saints lost, if that is what you are insinuating.

Dave, How long have you had your season tickets for the Saints? - B.R. Saints

Since the 2006 season. But I haven't missed a Saints home game, including the NY "home" game (2005), the Baton Rouge games (2005) and the London Game (2008) but with the exception of the San Antonio games (2005), since 2004.

Should the Saints bundle some draft picks, And or trade a current player in order to get back into the 1st round so they can get a QUALITY linebacker, DE, or DT.?.... -Tim P.

I'd prefer the Saints to keep all of their draft picks, maybe even add more, and I'd like to see them find talented guys in the later rounds instead of trying to hit a home run. The front office has been great at finding offensive talent in unlikely places. They need to start doing that on defense.

Who are you pulling for in the Super Bowl? - Mountain E.

The Giants, for sure. I see no reason why you wouldn't.

Which team in the NFC will show the most improvement next year, and which will show the steepest decline? - Ben D.

That's pretty impossible to answer at this point since the off-season hasn't even officially begun. We still need to see what happens in free agency and the draft. But I'll play along anyway. The Rams should definitely see the most improvement. Not too difficult after a 2-14 injury-riddled season.They've got a whole new coaching staff to revitalize the team. On the other end of the spectrum, the 49ers will decline steepest. No playoffs for them.

What do you do after a loss? Home games and away games. - Acquired P.

I do the same thing after every game, regardless of win/lose or home/away: break it down for you guys on Canal Street Chronicles. That's really the only post-game constant. It's my therapy. I don't punch walls, though I used to; I don't have to get drunk, though it helps. The only thing that really helps is time.

You mentioned going to a Mardi Gras Party after NO/SF Div. gm 1. Was It a Krewe Ball (or just among friends) 2. Have you/or do you belong to a Krewe? 3.Do you have a Carnival tradition, i.e. Bacchus on Napoleon/St.Charles, Mask up & catch Zulu early , or sleep in, head to the FQ, party later? - Metry M.

1. It was a party for Empress XXXIII of the Krewe of Caesar.

2. I am a member of the Krewe of Caesar.

3. I do not have a tradition actually. I used to live directly on the uptown parade route on Napoleon Ave. for about four years. That was a blast. My tradition then was to just play host for anyone and everyone.

Click to read the original Saints article by Canal Street Chronicles

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And the hits just keep on coming in our search for fresh new front page talent here on Canal Street Chronicles, to make the best Saints blog on the net even better.

In case you missed the introduction to our little talent search here, be sure to read it first before continuing. Remember, any and all criticism must be 100% constructive and positive in nature. Keep Da Chronic classy!

Please welcome the next contestant of Da Chronic's Got Talent! S/he is willing to contribute once a week.

Darren Sharper: The Missing Factor

Does Darren Sharper still have anything left in the tank? If so, Mickey Loomis please bring him out of retirement.

During the Saints 2009 Super Bowl season when Sharper was the starting free safety, the defense displayed many of the same vulnerabilities that have plaqued it in 2010 and 2011. While Who Dat Nation has been blessed by a Black & Gold Golden Age over the last three seasons, the defense's tendency to give up big chunks of yard on the ground along along with an inconsistent pass rush under former Coordinator Gregg Williams' heavy blitz scheme have continued to be works in progress. In what has been particularly gut-wrenching for Saints fans, these flaws have been put on full display while ending the Saints playoff march towards a Lombardi repeat. The highlight clips of running back Marshawn Lynch stiff-arming his way right through the Saints defense for his 67 yard touchdown run to clinch the Seahawks 2010 Wildcard win, and 49ers quarterback Alex Smith going untouched leading his team down the field before throwing the 14 yard game winning touchdown pass to tight end Vernon Davis with nine seconds left seems to have run endlessly.

The Saints' Super Bowl winning defensive unit of 2009 also at times gave up too many big plays on the ground and gave the quarterback too much time in the pocket. They did not seem to display the kind of toughness that would draw comparisons to the Dome Patrol, the Steelers Steel Curtain Defense of the 1970's or the 1986 Chicago Bears defense under outspoken coordinator Buddy Ryan. However, the 2009 Black & Gold defense did one thing very well that compensated for the amount of yards they gave up that the 2010 and 2011 versions have failed to replicate. They created turnovers as if it was widespread grand theft larceny. They snagged twenty one interceptions, five of which were returned for touchdowns, including Tracy Porter's pick six off of Peyton Manning in the final minutes of the Super Bowl, which forever will be one of the greatest plays in franchise history.

This past year the defense had nine pass interceptions returning only one for a touchdown. That's quite a dropoff. WWL Radio Hosts Deke Beleveia and Bobby Hebert had an over the air contest in 2009 for coming up with a nickname fo the defense. Fans would often call in suggesting names like Swamp Dawgs and Dome Patrol II. I never called in, but my idea was Den of Thieves because they were constantly taking the ball away from the opposing offense.

Nine of those twenty one interceptions in 2009, came at the hands of the hands of 13 year NFL veteran Sharper. Sharper not only had a nose for the ball, but a nose for the end zone. He returned three of those picks for touchdowns and had a fourth called back on a penalty. His 376 interception yards set a new NFL single season record. Darren Sharper only had one full season as a Saint, but I would argue that he has had as great an impact of any Saints defensive player in franchise history with the exception of Rickey Jackson (that would just be blasphemy). Sharper resigned with the Saints after becaming an unrestricted free agent in 2010. However, health issues kept his playing time at a minimum, and the likely future Hall of Famer eventually retired.

I don't want to sound overly critical of the current Saints defense. They have produced some standout performances over the last two years. In the 20-10 victory over the Steelers in the Superdome on Halloween Night in 2010 and their sack fest of Chicago Bears Quarterback Jay Cutler early this season in that 27-9 victory they definitely demonstrated they could play old school, hard-nosed football. However, the thieving ways that marked the unit when Sharper patrolled the secondary seems to have disappeared.I am also confident that had Sharper been back there against the 49ers, Vernon Davis would have been held in check and not caught the winning touchdown pass.

Malcolm Jenkins, Sharper's replacement at free safety, is an incredible talent with a high degree of playmaking potential. But with just three interceptions over his three year career, he falls far behind Sharper in creating turnovers. I sometimes wonder if Jenkins, who was the Saints first round draft pick at cornerback out of Ohio State in 2009, would be a better fit at his original position or at strong safety. At 6 feet, he seems a little short for free safety. Ironically, in the 2008 BCS National Championship between Ohio State and LSU, Jenkins intercepted a Matt Flynn pass which led to a Buckeyes touchdown. After he was drafted by the Saints, I wondered if his interception in the Superdome would be a foreshadowing of more to come.

Hopefully under new Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo it will be, and the big shoes left behind by Sharper will finally be filled. Jenkins' best day as a pro is already linked to Spagnuolo. Two of his three career interceptions came against Spagnuolo's St. Louis Rams in 2010, one of which he returned 96 yards for a touchdown.

At the age of 34, Darren Sharper intercepted nine passes and outraced players much younger to set up Drew Brees and the offense in excellent scoring position, or he just took it all the way back himself. Three years later, I say he is still good for four interceptions and a touchdown return. If Father Time hasn't totally physically wiped out Sharper, then General Manager Mickey Loomis should make an offer to re-sign him. Or at least hire him as the new secondary coach to replace Tony Oden who has gone to the Jaguars. Maybe some of his turnover creating tendencies would then rub off and the void would be filled.

Click to read the original Saints article by Canal Street Chronicles

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Here it is, folks. Your place to hang out and watch the Pro Bowl while jawing with your CSC homies (homeys?), peeps, or buds.

Game coverage starts at 7:00, and the Pro Bowl GameCenter on nfl.com is right here for all the stats, play-by-play and highlights, updated in real-time increments.

And here's ESPN.com's GAMEHQ for it. For a laugh, you should check out the scouting report/preview...HA! It's the effing Pro Bowl, people, no one takes it that seriously. Seriously.

We'll want to keep our eyes on Drew Breeeees! Jimmy Graham, Jahri Evans, Carl Nicks, and Jermon Bushrod, to see exactly how they tear it up during the game to make us proud.

Are there any other players you'll be watching closely?

Any player tweets you'll be hoping to read during the game? I wonder if NBC will have a "tweet-window" on the screen like VH-1's pop-up video bubbles...that would be cool. Maybe.

Click to read the original Saints article by Canal Street Chronicles

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Tags: blogs, New Orleans Saints, saints news

OK, now that you've had 24 hours to get your answers posted in the Saints Pro Bowl Quiz Bowl Challenge-palooza (SPBQBC), it's time for you to see the answers, and find out which of us knows the most Saints Pro Bowl Info.

Following the jump you'll find the official answers to all ten questions, as per wikipedia, pro-football-reference.com, and my memory. Why my memory? Because (surprise!) wikipedia had some errors, and I knew a couple of things about the Saints that the page had incorrect.

As I mentioned above, I found some errors on the wikipedia page, and for this reason, I am open to changing anyone's score if they dispute the accuracy of it, and can back it up with reputable proof.

Here are the errors I detected: they listed a Michael Owen as a pro bowl right guard for the Saints, but I found no such player on the Saints all-time roster, and they failed to note either Michael "Beer Man" Lewis, and Eric Allen as pro bowlers for the Saints.

Here are the SPBQBC questions (with answers):

1) Who was the first Saints player selected for the Pro Bowl as a Saint? (One point)

Dave Whitsell, CB, 1967.

2) How many Saints players have been named to the Pro Bowl (all-time) as Saints? (One point)

53

3) Following which season did the Saints have the most players selected to the Pro Bowl as Saints? (One point)

The Super Bowl season of 2009 saw seven Saints make the Pro Bowl (Drew Brees, Jonathan Goodwin, Jahri Evans, Jon Stinchcomb, Jonathan Vilma, Roman Harper, and Darren Sharper). The Saints placed six players in the game following the 1987, 1992, and 2000 seasons.

4) What notable Pro Bowl record/distinction was earned by the Saints following the 1992 season? (One point)

The Saints placed their entire linebacking corps, the famed Dome Patrol (Rickey Jackson, Vaughan Johnson, Sam Mills, and Pat Swilling), into the game. This was the first time (and only time, perhaps?) in NFL history that this happened.

5) Which position has seen the most Saints Pro Bowl selections all-time as Saints? (One point each.)

Running back and linebacker - seven. Guard and defensive end - five.

6) Which Saint holds the record for most career Pro Bowl honors as a Saint? (One point)

Willie Roaf - seven. Rickey Jackson and Morten Andersen had six each.

7) Which Saint holds the record for most consecutive Pro Bowl selections as a Saint? (One point)

Again, it's Willie Roaf, with seven from 1994-2000.

Which Saint player was named MVP of the Pro Bowl as a Saint? (One point)

Chuck Muncie was the MVP of the Pro Bowl following the 1979 season.

9) Following which season did the Saints coaching staff coach the NFC squad in the Pro Bowl? (One point)

2006, after losing the NFC Championship Game.

10) Following which season did New Orleans host the Pro Bowl, and at what stadium was the game played? (Two points)

The Louisiana Superdome was the site of the Pro Bowl following the 1975 season.

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Three other notes from my statistical research:

1) The Saints went eight straight seasons (1970-77) without putting anyone in the Pro Bowl.

2) The longest streak of seasons with at least one Saint in the Pro Bowl is 26 seasons (1981-2006), which means that...

3) 2007 is the only year in the last 30 in which no Saint made the Pro Bowl.

If you are interested in getting your hands on the Saints Pro Bowl Statistical document I created, just ask me and post your email address in the comment section, and I'll send it along...my 2012 Pro Bowl Gift to you.

* * *

And here's how the CSC players finished in the Challenge-palooza...

Clayton (cajuncommando58) - 8

1) Archie Manning - WRONG
2) 24 - WRONG
3) 2011 - WRONG
4) The Dome patrol...all 4 LB'ers made the Pro Bowl...Swilling,Johnson, Jackson, & Vaughn - YES
5) LB'er - YES (running back would also be accepted)
6) Willie Roaf....but Drew is trying to catch up - YES
7) Willie Roaf - YES
Chuck Muncie...1980 - YES
9) 2006 - YES
10) 1975 season played in the LA Superdome in January of 1976 - YES and YES

hooahsaint - 5

1) Tom Dempsey - WRONG
2) 21 - WRONG
3) 1987 - WRONG
4) All 4 linebackers were selected to the probowl YES
5) LB - YES (RB also correct)
6) Willie Roaf - YES
7) Willie Roaf - YES
Drew Brees - WRONG
9) 2006 - YES
10) Pfft, uggghh 1967, Tiger Stadium - WRONG

HansDat - 5

1-3: I got nothin' - WRONG WRONG WRONG
4) First time in history a team's entire LB crew made it - Dome Patrol!!!! YES
5) no clue - WRONG
6) Willie Roaf - YES
7) Willie Roaf - YES
Chuck Muncie - YES
9) 2006 - YES
10) you got me - WRONG

metryman - 4

1. D. Witsell (DB) or Abramowicz (WR) - NO POINTS FOR WAFFLING
2. All Time total over 40/45 - YES, BUT NOT SPECIFIC ENOUGH - NO POINTS
3.1992 that team was loaded, Stinking, Drunk, Green Birds.... I cringe remembering Reggie White bull rushing Stan Brock for a safety on Bobby Hebert. - WRONG
4.It's probably Morten Andersen, most points? - WRONG
5.Got to be the Dome Patrol LB's seemed like they all went every yr. (#‘s 57,51,53,56) TOO SPECIFIC - WRONG
6.Got to be Willie Roaf, went every yr, plus his KC days - YES, BUT KC DAYS DO NOT COUNT
7.Thought Andersen, but going Willie R. again during those lean mid/late nineties years he was probably the only Saint chosen. - YES
8.Muncie, I only know it b/c of a recent post on CSC. - YES
9.I'm confused, the Div. Rd losers' staff goes now, but I thought it was Conf. Ch. loser in the past, which makes it S.Payton 2006, if not him it's Haslett. i just can't remember Haslett in Hawaii. So, Payton final answer. FINALLY, YOU MADE IT...YES
10.Are we talking 64/65 civil rights boycott, and the gm moved to Houston,TX... Rice Stadium? UM, I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, BUT I KNOW IT'S WRONG

FriarBob - 3

1,2,3,6,7,10 - absolutely no clue - ALL WRONG
4) entire linebacking corps sent to the pro bowl (the dome patrol) ALL RIGHT - YES
5) linebacker - YES (RB ALSO CORRECT)
Drew - WRONG
9) 2006 - YES

Click to read the original Saints article by Canal Street Chronicles

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Tags: blogs, New Orleans Saints, saints news

Twitter

drewbrees Watching the sunset with the family in Oahu. Just appreciating the little things in life

T_Porter22 Blackjack table ♠♥♣♦....I need some luck

j_bushrod7475 Colossians 3.23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as for working for the LORD, not for men!

camjordan94 Wildest night n boise by far I might Neva come back

camjordan94 All wrong im headed back to az ASAP I might Neva come back to Boise... Real talk I've learned a lot

MattBowen41 A great read here from the Trib's @BradBiggs on concussions and the #NFL. Former players need to see this. trib.in/wf8oAM

ltorrence24 Happy Sunday Folks!

hakimdropsball "@MichelleDBeadle: Where in the city of Indy might one be able to view tonight's Royal Rumble?" perfect woman? Perfect woman.

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Pro Bowl Blather

Drew Brees: Pro Bowl Is The "Second-Best Place To Be" - WWL | AM870
In our weekly "QB to QB" chat, Saints quarterback Drew Brees talked with Bobby Hebert and Deke Bellavia from Hawaii. Includes link to full interview.

5 Saints Players Showcased in Pro Bowl Tonight | thesaintsnation.com
Andrew Juge

The NFL's Pro Bowl serves no purpose, and needs one | ESPN.com
Scoop Jackson - The Pro Bowl … People -- players (?!) -- will tell you, "You have to be there" to enjoy it or even to understand it. (HansDat note: 'Scoop' sounds like a Tim Meadows character from SNL...)

-

Times-Picayune's 175 Years of New Orleans History

King Cakes | NOLA.com
Judy Walker - King cake season is to New Orleans bakeries what Valentine's Day is to florists and Christmas is to retailers.

Super Saints | NOLA.com
Mike Triplett - The 2006 season was just the beginning of the greatest era in Saints history.

Dave Dixon | NOLA.com
Jeff Duncan - Dixon was the catalyst behind the effort to land the Saints and the visionary behind the construction of the Superdome.

Buddy D | NOLA.com
Peter Finney - It was his unbridled, nonstop passion for sports that kept him young at heart, made him a singular personality and a Big Easy legend.

The Super Bowl | NOLA.com
Jimmy Smith - When the NFL expanded into New Orleans in 1966, the city quickly became synonymous with the league's premier event.

-

Lagniappe

The New England Patriots' dynasty began against the New Orleans Saints | NOLA.com
Jeff Duncan - Bill Belichick made gutsy decision to stick with Brady.

Deuce McAllister heads list of eight inducted into Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame | NOLA.com
Ted Lewis - LSU's Eddy Furniss, Terry Robiskie also named to Hall.

2 Years Ago: Thousands Of Men In Dresses Marched In NOLA - WWL | AM870
Jay Vise - includes video and photo gallery of the Buddy D Saints Super Bowl Dress Parade.

Willie Roaf One Of The Greatest NFL Linemen Ever - WWL | 870AM
Deke Bellavia

Williams' playing time led NFC South WRs - NFC South Blog | ESPN.com
Pat Y. - His 2011 season wasn’t as spectacular as his 2010 rookie campaign, but Tampa Bay’s Mike Williams still was on the field more frequently than any other NFC South wide receiver.

Pat Hill to coach Falcons offensive line - NFC South Blog | ESPN.com
Pat Y. - The Atlanta Falcons, who are bound to have some offseason changes on their offensive line, started the process Saturday night. (HansDat note: Hill takes over for former Saints coach Paul Boudreau...)

Drew Brees: "Sean Payton gave me an opportunity…" | rantsports.com
Alejandro Aviles (HansDat note: this @article@ is not at all even close to being up to my standards of FDL-worthy, but the "rantsports" web address drew me in [I fell right into their trap!] so just skip the article and go down to the T & A at the bottom. Heterosexual ladies, and homosexual men, you're out of luck on this one... )

FINAL HANSDAT NOTE: Look at the tags below...in the SB Nation tag system, it seems that the unsigned FAs are now NOT connected with their previous teams (see Brees, Bushrod). I'm not sure what this means in the grand scheme of things, but I felt the need to point it out nonetheless...

Click to read the original Saints article by Canal Street Chronicles

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Tags: blogs, New Orleans Saints, saints news

Yesterday, I dropped a Saints Pro Bowl trivia Challenge-palooza on your unsuspecting heads. Later today, you'll get the answers and a reckoning of the scores of the brave CSCers who chose to accept the Challenge-palooza (there's still time - until noon EST today - if you want to play).

That's all good and well, but I bet you're wondering what I have for you now, early in the morning on the day of the game itself.

You'll just have to come across the jump to see for yourself...

It's a bit of a mashup of some @interesting@ Pro Bowl trivia I uncovered in my research yesterday, along with a few links to different bits of flotsam and jetsam from the wake of the run-up to the game.

Did you know that the current AFC-NFC Pro Bowl began as the NFL All-Star Game from 1938-1942, had no games from 1943-50, and then from 1950 until 1970, was called the NFL Pro Bowl? source

You may have already heard that for the first time, the Pro Bowl players will be allowed to tweet during the game itself. With that in mind, here's a humorous forecast from DJ Gallo (Page2) about what these tweets might look like. We've got quite a few weisenheimers here on CSC who could do pretty well if they took a swing at writing some, so please feel free to do so in the comment section.

Art Garfamudis, also of Page2, posted this bit, containing ten questions about the Pro Bowl. It's not bad...not really good, but not really bad either.

Another interesting nugget is that the AFC-NFC Pro Bowl is the only significant all-star game to draw lower ratings than its regular season games. source

Did you know that there are even Pro Bowl cheerleaders? Well, this photo essay from nfl.com might interest you, if you like to read the captions. Let me know if it offers any beefcake for the ladies...but I'm not holding my breath. Here's the intro to the piece:

The players aren't the only ones rewarded for a season of success. Some of the finest of the NFL's sizzling sideline sensations also are awarded with a trip to the Pro Bowl.

Tony Gonzalez and Drew Breeeeees! hit the surf for some rip-roaring action in this video.

* * *

That's all I've got for this one, folks. After you lay out some of your funny player tweet predictions in the comment section, let us know if you'll be watching the game, ignoring the game, or railing against the game...hope you have a good Sunday!! If you have any interesting Pro Bowl links, stories, or bits of info, lay them on us, baby!

Click to read the original Saints article by Canal Street Chronicles

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Tags: blogs, New Orleans Saints, saints news

Paul Rioux of the NOLA.com is reporting that a Detroit Lions fan called in a bomb threat to the Superdome during the second half of the New Orleans Saints 45-28 playoff win over the Lions on January 7, 2012.

Holy Crap! Did any of you know about this until now?

This story came up in my Fleur-De-Links story search this afternoon, and given the lack of any real Saints news and the bizarro nature of this crazy action, I felt it merited its' own feature.

And you won't believe this: the fan who did this is a dude named Shawn Payton. Tell you what, real Sean Payton, you'd better get some extra security at Airline Drive and at your Rancho Relaxo spread in Texas.

Make the jump for more details...

The first call (he made more than one!!) came in the third quarter of the game:

A few minutes after tight end Jimmy Graham caught a Drew Brees touchdown pass to extend the Saints lead to 24-14 in the third quarter, the Superdome's Gate F reception desk received a threatening call at 9:12 p.m., according to an FBI affidavit filed in federal court Wednesday.

"I will blow up your building," a man said after confirming that he had reached the Superdome, which was jammed with a capacity crowd of more than 73,000.

Then, almost an hour later...

As the Saints continued lighting up the scoreboard, a second threatening call came in at 10:03 p.m., with a message intended for Saints coach Sean Payton, according to the affidavit by FBI agent Dawn Hofmann, a member of the agency's Joint Terrorism Task Force.

"Hi, I want you to relay a message to the sideline. If your stupid Southern team keeps winning, there will be reper...severe consequences. OK?" a man said after a failed Lions onside kick set the Saints up for a short touchdown drive that would ice the game.

It didn't long for the Federales to sniff this guy out.

FBI agents used phone records to trace the calls to Shawn H. Payton, a Michigan native who moved back to his home state in November after living in Huntsville, Ala....

And apparently, he had no idea this was illegal, and that phone calls can be traced.

Until he was informed by a reporter, Payton said he was unaware that a warrant had been issued for his arrest on charges of making threatening phone calls.

"I'm scared," he said. "I hope they realize that I didn't mean it and that I'm taking steps to get counseling."

Maybe Dr. Melfi could help him out.

You'd think this kind of thing might involve alcohol, but Shawn Payton didn't need any of that...

"I don't drink, and I don't do drugs. From time to time, I do get frustrated and go off without meaning it," he said. "I let some words fly out of my mouth, and I sincerely apologize. I will never ever, ever, ever do anything like that again."

I think a few of us here can understand that. He apologized more deeply, too.

"I'm not a bad person. I was just so proud of the Lions finally making the playoffs for the first time in God knows how long," he said. "I got caught up in the heat of the moment, and I seriously, highly regret making those calls."

Poor guy's in the middle of a challenging stretch...

Payton, who said he recently got a job as a McDonald's cook, said he's had a rough couple of years, starting with injuries suffered in a "near-fatal" car crash in 2009 that required four months of therapy before he could walk again. He said he's also in a long-distance battle with his daughter's mother in Alabama over visitation rights.

The story concludes with a run-down of other recent examples of fans behaving badly...

An Alabama fan was arrested on sexual assault charges after he pressed his testicles on the neck of an unconscious LSU fan in a Bourbon Street burger joint after the Jan. 9 BCS Championship Game.

An argument over a Jan. 14 playoff game between the Saints and 49ers allegedly led to the shooting of two men in a restaurant parking lot in suburban Atlanta. And at the game itself, San Francisco police made 23 arrests, including a felony battery in which the victim suffered a broken nose.

And there you have it. Let's talk about this some more in the comment section...

Click to read the original Saints article by Canal Street Chronicles

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Tags: blogs, New Orleans Saints, saints news