Ultimately, will journalism be hurt by the recent decision by the Times Picayune and other media to go primarily digital? Will the Neighborhood Nuisance leave us alone? That nutty neighbor from down the street came back again this week to spread more grief.
The New Orleans Saints enter the dull part of the 2012 offseason with as good a chance to be crowned Super Bowl Champions at the end of the upcoming season as any team in the entire NFL, despite a myriad of distractions and issues they have faced since the end of the 2011 season.
That said, there are still a few pieces the team could potentially add that would only give the team that much better of a chance to make them the initial host-city Super Bowl representative in the game’s 46-year history.
Here are a few such names.
Read more of this Saints News post via Bleacher Report - New Orleans Saints
Since 2006, the New Orleans Saints offensive line has been one of the strengths of the team. No matter who leaves the team, the Saints have always plugged in the next player in line and never had a hitch.
That is especially the case this year. Carl Nicks followed the money to division-rival Tampa Bay, and Mickey Loomis replaced him with Pro Bowler Ben Grubbs.
Grubbs is the first lineman who was brought in to start since Jeff Faine in 2006. Faine was brought in via trade, and Grubbs free agency.
The Saints have done a great job of drafting talent for the offensive line. Three out of the five starters on the line were home-grown talent, so to speak, and it could be four if Matt Tennant takes over the starting center position from Brian de la Puente. That’s a testament to offensive line coach Aaron Kromer.
The front office added two more lineman during the draft to add depth to the unit: Andrew Tiller and Marcel Jones. Let’s hope Kromer can turn these guys into the next starting lineman for the Saints.
Read more of this Saints News post via Bleacher Report - New Orleans Saints
All four teams in the Bucs’ division continue to evolve, with newcomers in Atlanta, Carolina, New Orleans and Tampa Bay promising intriguing new matchups in the NFC South When the NFC South was first formed, during the NFL’s last expansion and realignment in 2002, Michael Vick and Jake Delhomme were just getting started in Atlanta and Carolina, … (more)
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Aaron Rodgers hopes to be a ‘Packer for life;’ could be even better in the process (Shutdown Corner)
Aaron Rodgers knows what it’s like to be humbled, and he knows what it’s like to be great. He didn’t receive a single Division I scholarship offer out of high school and had to go to Butte College in his hometown of Chico, Ca. before Cal picked him up a year later. After an impressive college career, he then had to sit behind Brett Favre in Green Bay for three interesting years after dropping to 24th overall in the 2005 draft. He learned patiently behind Favre, and he watched as Utah’s Alex Smith, taken first overall by the San Francisco 49ers (the team Rodgers loved as a kid) struggled mightily.
We know the story from there. After Favre’s first of many retirements in 2008, the Green Bay Packers became Rodgers’ team, and he’s put up the kind of numbers you see from people who are messing with cheat codes on Madden. One season after leading the Packers to their fourth Lombardi Trophy, he had one of the best years any quarterback has ever enjoyed — 343 completions in 520 attempts (68.3 completion percentage) for 4,643 yards, 45 touchdowns and just six interceptions. He led the NFL in touchdown percentage (9.0), and yards per attempt (9.2).
Now, at age 28 (just a few weeks younger than Cleveland Browns first-round pick Brandon Weeden), the man who recently told the Green Bay Press-Gazette that he wants to be a “packer for life” stands on the precipice of a host of similar seasons. There’s no reason not to believe that he’ll be one of the game’s great players for years. anyone who believes that Rodgers will slack off in the face of success doesn’t understand the slights that drive him.
“I think it’s a little bit less of that now and more of remembering where I came from and remembering the path I took to get here, which the doubters were a part of that,” Rodgers told the Press-Gazette, when asked about the motivation given from those early struggles. “But just remembering the journey and where I came from as a high school player in northern California going to junior college, being a backup at Cal, and remembering the hard work that it took to get to where I am now. That’s kind of more of a motivator than the doubters because I realize as hard as it was to get to this point, it’s going to be just as hard to stay and maintain at this point.”
Like Tom Brady, another Northern California kid who came up the hard way, Rodgers now has it all at his disposal. A coach in Mike McCarthy who operates in lock-step with his own talents, the best receiver corps in the league, and a formerly befuddled defense strengthened in the 2012 by defensive linemen Nick Perry and Jerel Worthy. Green Bay’s first-game elimination from the 2011 postseason at the hands of the New York Giants was disappointing after a regular season that saw just one loss, but Rodgers also knows that this team is primed to get back to the biggest game more than once.
Read more of this Saints News post via Yahoo! Sports - NFL - New Orleans Saints News
Mark Ingram Headed back to Nola wit the homies @JohnnyPatrick32 @NateBUSSEY59 @J_7TRE_E #atthesamedamntime #FirstClassFlow ✈✈
Mark Ingram My baby waitin on me to get back home http://pic.twitter.com/9C6Dd6xX
Jedidiah Collins New Orleans Acme Oyster Festival New record Sonja Thomas with 47 DOZEN Ousters!!!! #UnReal http://pic.twitter.com/M0uBM519
Johnny Patrick “@misslisamorales: Ahhhhh Heat & Celtics game tonight !!!
Brian de la Puente @Mark_Ingram28 @Harp41 @camjordan94 GO BEARS!!! #wegotthis #calsoftball
Mark Ingram “@BriandelaPuente: @Mark_Ingram28 @Harp41 @camjordan94 GO BEARS!!! #wegotthis #calsoftball” #RollTide allll day
New Orleans Saints #DomePatrol http://twitpic.com/9sili7
Andrew Tiller Got a taste for some ice cream right about now
Andrew Tiller Soooo everybody going too summer jam today huh? That’s cool that’s cool!!
Alex Restrepo @JonVilma51 can u beat? RT @eatingcontest New World Record: 47 dozen oysters in 8 mins http://twitpic.com/9simxn
Chase Daniel Tiger, Tiger Woods y’all. Always fun to see him in the hunt! What a shot on #16!
Jedidiah Collins “@FletcherMackel: PHOTO me & @traversmackel at @acmeoyster oyster eating contest http://pic.twitter.com/15XNPTbC” Good seeing Mackel bros & good time!
Held Over Having trouble reading Sean Pamphilon’s essay. Not because of subject matter, but because he doesn’t know how to use commas.
Jedidiah Collins “@2011superman: how Much time she had to eat them” She ate 2 dozen in 18 seconds & the rest in total of 8 minutes! I did 16 total in 2 mins
Roman Harper @BriandelaPuente @mark_ingram28 @camjordan94 the lady on the tv was just quoted saying “this may be Cal’s last bat of the season” RTR
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From the Saints Sideline
Past factors into Coach Joe Vitt’s vision for New Orleans Saints’ future | NOLA.com
Peter Finney – When Sean Payton landed the job as Saints coach in 2006, he made Joe Vitt one of his first hires.
Somehow New Orleans Saints running back Darren Sproles aims on topping last year | NOLA.com
John DeShazier – I’ll see your Brees, and raise you a Darren Sproles.
Canadian Kid | The Advocate
Sheldon Mickles – Hicks trying to find his comfort zone with Saints.
Breaking down Saints ‘hot read’ vs. pressure | National Football Post
Matt Bowen – Using video to highlight Brees to Sproles vs. 49ers.
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Crime and Punishment
Jonathan Vilma’s lawyer blasts Roger Goodell over ‘ledger’ | NFL.com
The lawyer for suspended New Orleans Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma hit back at NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on Saturday, accusing Goodell of being “misguided and irresponsible,” in a statement obtained by NFL.com’s Steve Wyche.
Vilma lawyer: Ledger doesn’t show bounties – NFC South Blog | ESPN.com
Pat Y. – The ledger the NFL reportedly has shows no proof that the New Orleans Saints placed bounties on opponents, the lawyer for Jonathan Vilma said Saturday.
Lawyer for Jonathan Vilma responds to ledger issue | NOLA.com
Peter Ginsberg, the attorney for suspended Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma, issued a statement Saturday claiming a Yahoo! report of a ledger that tracked payments in the Saints’ bounty program further demonstrates “how misguided and irresponsible Commissioner (Roger) Goodell has been in handling this issue.”
No smoking gun but plenty enough to shoot holes through Saints’ case | CBSSports.com
Mike Freeman – It isn’t a smoking gun, but the ledger — and other recent evidence — is another piece of a picture showing Saints guilt.
No smoking gun but plenty enough to shoot holes through Saints’ case | CBSSports.com
Mike Freeman – It isn’t a smoking gun, but the ledger — and other recent evidence — is another piece of a picture showing Saints guilt.
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Lagniappe
Around the NFC South – NFC South Blog | ESPN.com
Pat Y. – Time for a quick run through some headlines from around the NFC South.
Match Game: New Battles in the NFC South | buccaneers.com
All four teams in the Bucs’ division continue to evolve, with newcomers in Atlanta, Carolina, New Orleans and Tampa Bay promising intriguing new matchups in the NFC South.
Maddened Lions fan pleads guilty to telephone bomb threat against Superdome | NOLA.com
Bruce Nolan – A distraught Detroit Lions fan pleaded guilty in federal court in Detroit Friday to threatening to blow up the packed Mercedes Benz Superdome as his Lions went down to defeat at the hands of the New Orleans Saints earlier this year.
Saints president Dennis Lausha (sic) will teach a class at Loyola | nola.com
The class will be on the business of football on June 22 and 23.
Our times: New Orleans Saints are named in 1966 | NOLA.com
The opportunity to name the city’s NFL team had the New Orleans area abuzz throughout much of 1966. (Includes image of T-P front pages from 1966)
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This undated photo provided by the Payne County Sheriff’s Office shows Jacksonville Jaguars first-round draft pick receiver Justin Blackmon.
