Luckily yesterday we celebrated my sisters 40th birthday so I missed the debacle which was the Saints game. I beleive that if I did watch that game I probably would have slashed my wrists. How can you incessantly turnover the ball so much. I can see why Dallas was so quick to get rid of Terrance Copper. Colston's injury has been listed as minor and he should be back for the game against Atlanta. The defense got torched by "Ocho Cinco" yesterday and Fred Thomas had even said it was his worst game ever. Scott Fujita's post game press conference can be summed up with one word, "pissed." I say that because he used that term about fifteen thousand times.  Let's go back to the basics New Orleans, you know like holding on to the football. Drew Brees mimiced Big Bens performance against Denver by passing for over 500 yards only to throw a freakin interception in the Red Zone. I need to stop now or I will slash my wrists. I don't think I would be so pissed if I knew ther weren't any better than they are playing right now. I would just say it was expected and hope and pray for a better season next year. But this is bullshit. Have a great first half of the season and then piss it all away. FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!

Hey LSU how bout we not make every game a nail biter to include when you play crappy teams like Ole Miss? Okay I'm really done this time.

I can't say that I'm utterly disappointed with the Saints loss. They did show a lot of heart to stay in the game even after going down by 14 early in the first quarter. Turnovers. It's what cost them in the game against the Ravens and it hit them again against the Steelers. I hope that this AFC thing isn't a trend because this week we have the Bengals coming to the dome.

Things of note:

DREW BREES: I think his performance was outstanding in the face of adversity. He didn't look for the homerun on every play when they got down. If anything he should at least be on the ballot for MVP because without a solid quarterback leading them I don't know that they are in this position right now...see Houston Texans.

REGGIE BUSH: There have been several people commenting that Reggie has been a bust for the Saints but I disagree. I never expected Reggie Bush to be the player that the Saints could jump on his back and he carry them to the promise land, literally and figuratively. The reverse he ran in for a touchdown neither myself nor my father thought he had a snowballs chance of getting in. The reason why he scored is because he just ran straight for the endzone. He didn't try to dance around or make people miss he just went right for it. The fumble he had was one of those rookie mistakes that befuddles all rookies. In time he will get his niche on theteam down and be the key contributor to an explosive offense.

MARQUES COLSTON: Rookie of the year. Need I say more. He leads the league in reception yards and has 7 touchdowns in 9 games. He was the 4th to last pick in this years draft. Major props to Mickey Loomis and the scouts in the Saints office for finding this gem.

THE "D": Right now as it stands the Saints are -5 in the turnover ratio. Charles Grant was quoted in the post game conference as saying,"You don't create turnovers they just happen..." Sorry C but I have to disagree. (I'm a poet and didn't even know it.) Pressure on the quarterback and aggressive tackling will get you the turnovers that we desire so much. The injury to Roman Harper in the defensive backfield has cost the Saints that enforcer presence at safety. The defense has been a big surprise this season at how well they've played but I don't know what they are going to look like when they go against a high powered offense that put up 42 on a very good Charger defense.

NEXT WEEKS MATCHUP: The keys to the Saints success next week will be solely on the shoulders of the defense. Constant pressure on Carson Palmer and aggressive play from the corner positions is what will keep the Bengals roar down to a meow. Last week the Saints zone coverage got exploited like Doogie Howser's sexual preference on the internet. If the offense can hang onto the ball we could be looking at another W.

Different Subject

Would you get in a fight over a professional sports team? I watched the game last week at Coaches with a couple of buddies who are Steeler fans. It was those two Steeler fans and about 20 or so Saints fans. We were razzing each other throughout the whole game. When Willie Parker brokeout on his second 70+ yard run my friend became quite exuberant. Another Saints fan decided to get mouthy about Coyt showboating. Then the standoff ensued, words were exchanged, and eventually Coyt realized that he was an adult and ignored the idiot and just sat down.

I love the Saints with all my heart but I could never ever see myself getting in a fist fight because of them. So what if someone is showboating for their team, you'd do the same thing if the roles were reversed.  

As a child growing up in Texas I've always been the lone Saints fan in a group. Everyone was either a Cowboys fan, Oilers fan, Steelers...pretty much anything but a Saints fan. Last week for Halloween I decided to take my nieces and nephews out trick or treating just to give my sister a break. (She has five kids ages 2-11) As we began the painful process of walking around the block with kids hopped on sugar and the excitement of getting more candy then a normal person couldn't consume in a year, I ran across a couple of mysterious gentlemen one of which had an old Ricky Williams jersey. Unsure  if this was a horrible costume joke or the real deal I asked the guy," Are you a uh, ahem, a Saints fan?" His reply was instantaneous,"You better believe it." A tear welled up in my eyes. Jokingly I said,"Well I know where I'm going on Sundays to watch the game." He told me of a mythical sports bar where there are others like us, approx. 25-30 of us...Coaches.

I've frequented this bar many times to catch major sporting events but never on a Sunday. My buddy and I ventured to the local watering hole to catch the game. We got there about 11:30 when the manager on duty noticed I was wearing all of my Saints schwag and pointed me in the direction of the big screen that was going to be carrying the game. The section was empty save for one gentleman who was glossing over his fantasy rosters on his laptop. I began to doubt the authenticity of the message from my sisters neighbor but it didn't matter because I was going to be able to watch the game anyways.

Five minutes before kickoff they came in, it seemed all at once, the black and gold nation. Something I think a lot of sports fans take for granted is watching your favorite team who you can share insight and feeling about and others actually give a shit. Watching that game yesterday was one of the best experiences of viewing the Saints, save for watching them in the dome. The beer flowed like wine, the Miller Lite girls flocked like the salmon of Capistrano...it was amazing.

Now about the game...How many people think Marques Colston is the biggest steal in the 2006 draft? He has 44 receptions for 700 yards and 7 TD. He is tied with Torry Holt for TD receptions this season. The 7th round draft pick out of Hofstra...Hell I don't even know where Hofstra is. The last big name to come out of Hofstra was one of the leagues smallest wide receivers, Wayne Chrebet. I only know this because he was one of my idols as a young, short, slow wide receiver in high school. Anyway I'm willing to bet that Marques Colston is in the lead for Offensive rookie of the year.

My vote for MVP, Drew Brees. He is without a doubt the best thing to happen to the Saints. HIs swagger on the field, his poise in the pocket, and his accuracy with the pass is amazing. He has really turned this team around.

My vote for Coach of the Year is none other than Sean Payton. At the halfway point in the season he has taken a 3-13 team to 6-2  in his first shot at head coach. We are talking about the Saints, they don't have a star studded roster  with big names. Hell half the defense were teams free agent garbage, or so they thought. Scott Fujita and Hollis Thomas are the bedrock for one of the leagues stingiest defenses. Yesterday they played without Joe Horn or Jamall Brown who was the first round pick of last years draft.

Next week will be another tough AFC matchup going into the land of the terrible towels and Polynesian defensive nightmares. The Steelers are a struggling team but all they need is one good game out of Big Ben which could easily come against a not so hot Saints secondary who got burned by an old Joey Galloway. I watched the Steelers debacle against the Broncos and it just seemed like everything that could go wrong went wrong. I'm not quaking in my boots about the Steelers but I am cautious. They are the defending Superbowl champs.

I was wondering what happened to the Saints. You know they were going to have a real stinker like they had yesterday it was just a matter of time. Let's see we got Reggie Bush throwing HB passes? Are you freaking kidding me? Coach you must be hungover still from the bye week. I know it's New Orleans but sober up. Two of Drew Brees's three interceptions were off of deflections. Reggie Bush fumbles early which leads to McNair shaving ten years off of his age and run in unscathed for the touchdown. Then he throws the ball in celebration like,'what you going to do about that punk?' F@#$ me running!!! We still have a lot more season to go but coming off a bye week you shouldn't get your ass kicked son easily at home.

On a lighter note I'm still doing well in both of my Fantasy leagues...there is a strange correlation between my Fantasy leagues and the Saints performance...no there isn't read Ultra's post.

Well it's back to binge drinking and waiting for the next week where we take on the Buccs who are going to be ready for the stumbling Saints.

My sincere apologies go out to the other Saints fans and team members. I have something that has been weighing on my mind since the Carolina game. I DID NOT WEAR MY GAME DAY UNI. I wear the same thing everytime they've played this season and it cost them the game. If only I had done laundry earlier I could have had those crusty former Dolphin players quaking in there skivys. For your information I wear the gameday black polo with kaki cargo shorts and my flexfit sidelines hat. Please forgive me and I shall not forget again.

In a related story I just returned from a "managers meeting" in Biloxi, MS. The devestation in that area is still unbeleivable and there is still a lot of work left to be done, but of course the Casinos are back in buisness. We stayed at the Imperial Palace which is way overpriced and the action on the gaming floor was dead all day and night. You never heard any cheers of excitement from a big payout. It was pretty dull. So on our final night we traveled across the way to the Beau Rivage. Very nice casino for Biloxi standards. Lots of action on the gaming floor and tons of tail strolling through. After I lost everything but my underwear in the poker room I went  to meet up with the other managers at the Hotel club. Drinks a plenty were expensed that night and I for one just couldn't get enough.  I lagged behind while the others caught a cab just to see what was going down after the club shut down.  In the drunken haze I caught something peculiar at the entrance to the club. So I double take and there is Joe Horn standing at the entrance. I was overcome by excitement in the chance that I was going to meet a New Orleans Saint all-star. I grabbed a pen and a cocktail napkin, stumbled towards his entourage, and asked if I could trouble him for an autograph. Trying to muscle up as much dignity as a .30 BAC would allow I walked up to Joe, told him I was a huge fan, and asked for his signature. Everything was going fine until he gave me back the napkin. I asked if I could shake his hand and I think in the jubilation I overshook his hand. You know what I mean, like I was tossing off to this months Victoria Secret. A little embarrassed I briskly left the scene of the crime. Realizing I had spent every last dollar in the casino I had no cab fare back to my hotel.

This is when you know your judgement has fully been impaired. You could see my hotel from the front of the Beau and it was only a 5 minute cab ride...through probably the roughest part of town that you could possibly imagine. So the journey began at 3:15a.m. and didn't end until 3:45a.m. It was a lot longer than I anticipated. As I strolled past the FEMA trailers and broken homes I wasn't worried about making it to the hotel as much as I was thinking about what these people were still doing living there. After that experience I'm making a pledge to donate more money and even time to helping those in the Gulf Coast and I think it's worth everyones time to help out those in need.