Fantasy team preview: New Orleans Saints
June 30, 2008
QB1: Drew Brees QB2: Mark Brunell RB1: Deuce McAllister RB2: Reggie Bush WR1: Marques Colston WR2: Devery Henderson WR3: David Patten WR4: Lance Moore TE1: Eric Johnson TE2: Mark Campbell K: Martin Gramatica …
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Saints London game a hot ticket
June 30, 2008
Saints London game a hot ticket – New Orleans Saints Beat – Times-Picayune – NOLA.com
Posted by The Times-Picayune and wire reports June 27, 2008 11:37AM
Categories: NFL, SaintsAmerican football might not be the national game of England, but it is becoming more popular.
On Friday, the 15,000 tickets available in the second general admission sale for the NFL regular-season game at Wembley Stadium sold out in 30 minutes.
Last month, the first 40,000 tickets for the Oct. 26 game between the San Diego Chargers and New Orleans Saints were sold in 90 minutes.
“Once again this demonstrates the huge interest in the sport in the UK,” said Alistair Kirkwood, managing director of the NFL’s United Kingdom office. “Fans here are excited to be able to see two teams of this caliber playing in the UK, and with a full Wembley Stadium, we expect the atmosphere to be electric when the Saints and Chargers take the field.”
The NFL has committed to playing at least one game in the UK for each of the next three seasons.
The New York Giants and Miami Dolphins played the NFL’s first regular-season game outside North America last year, when a sellout crowd of 81,176 packed Wembley Stadium on Oct. 28. The Giants won 13-10 win.
Greatest N.O. sports teams of all time: No. 2
June 30, 2008
Greatest N.O. sports teams of all time: No. 2 – David Gladow – New Orleans Sports
Posted by David Gladow, NOLA.com June 27, 2008 9:46AM
Categories: NFL, Saints2.) 2006 New Orleans Saints (10-6) – lost third round
Staff / Times-PicayuneSteve Gleason blocked the punt against Atlanta that helped start it all.For most folks, this selection pretty much speaks for itself.
The 2006 New Orleans Saints didn’t overachieve so much as they took advantage of the circumstances around them. A weak conference? Check. A light schedule? Check. A couple of key offseason additions (Drew Brees and Reggie Bush)? Check. The biggest wave of momentum imaginable? Check.
You can probably argue this point to the end of time, but nevertheless, our opinion says you have to give this team credit for taking advantage of the perfect storm brewing in front of them and riding the momentum all the way to the NFC Championship Game.
Not every team is going to rise to the occasion like the Saints did.
As an outsider, I remember watching this team in its emotional home-opener against Atlanta. For those that don’t remember, the Falcons (still led by the uber-talented Mike Vick) were widely considered the favorite in that game. I watched the pregame festivities and felt chills during the U2/Green Day collaboration. I watched as the Saints came on to block that punt, play with passion and desire, and eventually overwhelm the favorite Falcons. I nearly cried, and I didn’t even have any attachments to the city OR the Saints. I could only imagine how much that game meant to the city.
But that’s where I expected it to end, and most rational observers around the country felt the same way. Heck, most Saints fans, hardened by years of losing, probably agreed. Surely it was too much to ask of this team to put together a winning season on the heels of one of the greatest tragedies this country has ever seen, wasn’t it?
As it turned out, it wasn’t. New Orleans defied all expectations and continued to win … and continued to win some more. And before anyone knew what happened, the team had locked up the No. 2 seed in the NFC and a first-round playoff bye. Already, this Saints team was assured of going further than any Saints team before it had.
Staff / Times-PicayuneHollis Thomas and Will Smith were heavy hitters in the Saints’ playoff win.But the story, as most everyone knows, didn’t end there. The Saints edged the Eagles 27-24 for the second time that season, and New Orleans made it all the way to the NFC Championship Game in Chicago.
The Bears, naturally, won, but it was still the furthest the Saints had ever marched. And given this team’s importance to the city, it still stands as a remarkable achievement … and places the ’06 Saints squarely at No. 2 on our list.
Expert Takes:
Jimmy Smith:No one expected much of the 2006 New Orleans Saints, a team coming off a three-win season and a storm-induced year of exile led by a rookie head coach and a new quarterback coming off a serious injury to his throwing shoulder.
So with the element of surprise tucked neatly into their playbooks, the Saints opened the season with two straight victories, each on the road, heading into a prime-time Monday-night matchup against their arch-rivals in the refurbished and repaired Superdome.
The Falcons never had a chance.
The Saints jumped to a 3-0 start led by Drew Brees, whose shoulder was 100 percent by the start of the regular season, and first-year Coach Sean Payton was able to blend in the versatile talents of rookie Reggie Bush into an offense that was so rich in ability that it proved to be a game-planning headache for opposing defenses.
New Orleans’ defense, meanwhile, proved to be an over-achieving group, led by a trio of linebackers, Scott Fujita, Mark Simoneau and Scott Shanle, two of whom, Simoneau and Shanle, were acquired just two weeks before the regular-season opener.
In the end, the Saints won their second division championship with a 10-6 regular-season record, secured a first-round playoff bye, then beat the Philadelphia Eagles in an NFC divisional playoff game to reach the NFC championship game — one win away from the Super Bowl — for the first time in franchise history only to lose to the Chicago Bears in Soldier Field, 39-14.
Payton was a runaway winner as NFL Coach of the Year.
“If you research the prior winners,” Payton said, “they all had three things in common. They had a great group of assistant coaches on their staff, which I feel I do. They probably all had a great team in the locker room with the players that put the team first, which in my case I do.
“And finally, they have all probably had great support from the front office and ownership. I’m fortunate enough to be surrounded by a lot of good people in those areas.”
Registration Still Open For Strief Football Camp
June 27, 2008
The Zach Strief “Dream Big” Foundation Second Annual Football Camp will accept registration applications until the first day of the event Friday, June 27.
http://www.topix.com/nfl/new-orleans-saint…
Fantasy Football around the corner; RB’s preview
June 27, 2008
Come in, No. 5 – Fantasy Sports – NOLA.com
Posted by Ross Devonport June 26, 2008 7:59PM
Categories: football
AP Photo / A.J. MastJoseph Addai was a stud at LSU. Can he be one for your Fantasy team too?
LaDainian Tomlinson. Adrian Peterson. Brian Westbrook. Steven Jackson.
They are unquestionably the top four running backs in the world of Fantasy Football, although not necessarily in that order. The big question is who is the next best running back?
Here are my candidates for that fifth spot, in alphabetical order:
Joseph Addai — Addai is undoubtedly a first-round pick in every single Fantasy Football draft out there, but he has a few things going against him. The fact he plays in such a pass-heavy offense limits his touches sometimes. Also, add in the facts that he struggled quite a bit in the second half of last season, and that the Colts brought in Dominic Rhodes this offseason, and you have yourself a dilemma. Rhodes knows the system well, and is Tony Dungy leaning towards a semi-committee in the backfield this season? We’ll have to wait and see.
Marion Barber — Barber is an interesting proposition this season, in that he will be a clear No. 1 running back for the first time in his career and won’t have to worry about that annoying Julius Jones (annoying in Fantasy terms, anyway). But while one Jones is long gone, another one arrived via the draft as the Cowboys took a chance on Felix Jones of Arkansas. Barber signed a big deal in the spring, so the money won’t be a motivating factor in 2008. How much you read into that is up to you, but it’s always something to think about. The No. 5 pick might be a bit high for him, but you’ll look like a genius if you reach for him and he puts up 1,500 yards and 12-15 touchdowns.
Frank Gore — Gore took a bit of a step back last season, but any runner would have done the same thing in that mess they call San Francisco. The former Cane put up nearly 1,700 yards and eight touchdowns in 2006, and the people who take him as the fifth running back in drafts will clearly be hoping he puts up those kinds of numbers again in 2008. The names Mike Martz and DeShaun Foster might concern some folk when it comes to Gore, but he averaged 107 yards in each of his final three games last season, which is always a good sign.
Larry Johnson — Johnson left many owners cursing his name last season when he missed eight games with a broken foot. In the eight games he did play in, he was hit or miss with three games over 100 yards rushing and five under 60 yards. If you’ve paid any attention to the NFL over the past few years, you know what LJ is capable of when he’s on form. The questions are: Can he return to that form in 2008? Will the Chiefs open enough holes for him? And, do you have the cojones to pull the trigger on him in the first eight picks and head into the season with him as your No. 1 back? Just don’t ask me.
Clinton Portis — After vanishing in an injury-plagued 2006 season, Portis came back nicely in 2007 with 1,262 yards and 11 touchdowns. He will get a taste of the West Coast offense this season, but running backs have had mixed success in that system. The real question is going to be whether Jason Campbell can produce enough offense through the air to force the opposition to respect both aspects of the Redskins offense. If he can stay healthy, he’s a legitimate threat for 1,500 and a dozen touchdowns no problem.Along with those five contenders, you could also possibly toss in Marshawn Lynch and his legal troubles, Willis McGahee and his six-touchdown average over the last three seasons, and maybe even Green Bay’s Ryan Grant or Cleveland veteran Ray Lewis. Those four have major question marks, however, and should probably be left to the end of the first round or the start of the second round in your draft.
So, who would I take? I usually go the safe route, so I would certainly lean towards taking Addai, who won’t put up massive games on a frequent basis but will get you consistent points every week. If I felt like being risky, like in a non-money league, I would go with Barber. He’s exciting to watch and you know how much extra stressful exciting it will be if your Fantasy week is resting on MB3′s shoulders.
Ex-Miner teaches more than on-field skills, tactics
June 25, 2008
High school football players in El Paso get plenty of chances to hone their skills at football camps.
http://www.topix.com/nfl/new-orleans-saint…
Update from Iraq June 25, 2008
June 25, 2008
Hey, guys. Pictures from the Holy City of Najaf. It is the holiest city in Iraq and the holiest Shiite city as it has the shrine to the great Imam Ali. I went to be the host for the cut the ribbon of the opening of the Military Court in the Najaf Province. The 8th Iraqi Army Division hosted me. This division defends the province and the courts located on their base. Most of the soldiers from this division are from the province. They took me on a tour disguised as an Arab (see photo) & I went by the Iraqi Grand Ayatollah Al Sistani’s home (I am the first known American to ever go down that street & I got to the see the Grand Shrine to Ali, another first for an American.
Go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Najaf to get information of this wonderful city. I’ve included a few more photos. It was not a once in a lifetime experience, but beyond that to think I am the only known (or Unknown) American to ever go where I went!! I’ll have to tell you all about it and send many more photos.
Sincerely,
The Grand “I-Told-All-Ya” Kentani Lassus
Update from Iraq June 6, 2008
June 25, 2008
Hello ya’ll. I arrived in Iraqi almost a month ago–time is flying by so far. I’m living and eating very well. My trailer, though small, is nice with a private bath and a big screen TV. I can only gt Iraqi TV stations, but I use it to watch videos. I purchased–from an Iraqi store for $20– the first 6 season of 24. I try to watch an episode each night before I go to bed. As for the food, no complaints there. The Forward Operation Base (FOB) I work on has the best dining hall in Iraq. You can get four meals a day and this dining hall has a pasty bar and ice cream bar–I try to stay away from both, but I do treat myself to ice cream every Friday and some kind of pie every Saturday night.
I work long hours here–first three weeks I worked nearly 100 hours per week–that does include my mealtime and I do PT 3-4 times a week. But that doesn’t leave much time but to sleep when I get back to my trailer. Speaking of the old trailer, it is 2 miles on a different FOB from where I work. I have a car (Ford Explorer), but I usually let the folks who work for me use it and I take a shuttle bus or walk back and forth between the FOBs.
My job consist of advising my Commander on all legal issues along with 16 other General Officers–like herding cats!!! The other part of my job is being a senior advisor to the Iraqi General Counsel for the Iraqi Army, to the Senior Iraqi Military Judges, and the Senior Legal Advisors to the Iraqi Army, Air Force, & Navy. I also travel with them around Iraqi visiting the local attorneys and judges. I spend a good time of each day flying (either C130s or Blackhawk helicopters) or convoying around the country to meet with these Iraqi generals and visiting the local attorneys and judges. Each day is long and tiring, but each week seems to go by fast. Friday & Saturday are the Iraqi weekend so I have a day to catch up on paperwork, meet with my attorneys, and take care of personal business like wash clothes and go to the PX. Speaking of my attorneys, I have 2 Army lawyers, 3 Air Force lawyers (one is my deputy), 1 Navy lawyer, 1 British and 1 Australian attorney, and 2 Iraqi attorneys. My secretary is Iraqi as is my personal translator who travels with me whenever I meet with the Iraqis. I have so have an Iraqi Ph.d. professor who is my advisor on Iraqi cultural issues and he also travels with me. By the way translator is a former Ms. Iraqi and was a runner up to Ms. World. Amazing how many of the generals here visit my office frequently to get “her advice” on matters!!!! Believe it or not, I’m learning some Arabic and am doing much better at it than I ever thought I could. All my lawyers were afraid I’d learn it too well and we’ll lose our translator/beauty queen–I assured them I’ll never get that good and they all gave a big sigh of relief!!!!!! As you may have guessed, all my lawyers are males except one.
Well, I need to go to the endless meeting I attend so I’ll say goodbye. I’ve include a couple pictures–one was a reception the General Counsel and two other Iraqi generals held to welcome me to Iraq–and no it is not beer I’m holding!!!!; the other one tells you how little things are a big deal here–I just received my first care package from Kerry that consisted of toothpaste, towels, underwear, and deodorant and from the picture you can see how happy this made me!!!!!
Hope ya’ll have a great weekend and stay in touch.
Kenny
Greatest N.O. sports teams of all time: No. 6
June 25, 2008
Greatest N.O. sports teams of all time: No. 6 – David Gladow – New Orleans Sports
Posted by David Gladow, NOLA.com June 25, 2008 11:58AM
Categories: NFL, Saints6.) 1992 New Orleans Saints (12-4) – lost first round
Staff / Times-PicayuneRickey Jackson was a pass-rushing beast for the Saints in 1992.Is it the best defense the Saints have ever fielded? Probably not. Is it the best offense? Again, no. But as far as complete teams go, it’s hard to argue against what the New Orleans Saints put on the field in 1992 … and that team posted a franchise-record 12 wins.
Of course it’s easy to see why that happened, given the absurdly talented defense the Saints fielded. Leading the league in sacks (57) and pass defense (154.4 yards per game), the Saints sent three linebackers to the Pro Bowl in Vaughan Johnson, Pat Swilling and Sam Mills (the fourth, Rickey Jackson, tallied a mere 14 sacks). No slouch against the run either (No. 7 in the NFL), New Orleans set a franchise record by allowing only 202 points during the season.
To put it bluntly, the defense (like many of the Saints defenses of the era), verged on the edge of dominance.
But it wasn’t all defense either. Yielding a league-low 15 sacks, the offensive line paved the way for a trio of 400-yard rushers and an extremely efficient attack. Quarterback Bobby Hebert threw for over 3,200 yards and 19 touchdowns, and wide receiver Eric Martin posted a 1,000-yard season.
It all added up to a 12-win season and second-place NFC West finish. The Saints were looking good headed into the playoffs too … until a fourth-quarter collapse against Philadelphia (26 points given up) ended things prematurely.
“Prematurely” might be the key word, as the 1992 team, like most Saints teams of its era, was long on potential … and short on results. That this team nearly made it out of the Wild-Card round is actually an accomplishment in and of itself.
Staff / Times-PicayuneLed by Bobby Hebert, the Saints had a good offense in 1992 as well.But hold on. One might ask, “What about the 1987 strike-season team?” That team had statistics that were just as impressive and a roster just as talented as the 1992 team. Many fans are convinced to this day that those Saints were the best Saints team of all-time.
To which we’d reply: Prove it. The players’ strike no doubt affected the team’s regular-season, but whether in a positive or negative way, we just don’t know. What we do know is that the ’87 Saints team did not manage any more wins than the ’92 team, and that its playoff exit, a 44-10 blowout loss to Minnesota, was much more one-sided than the ’92 team’s was.
That’s enough to give the nod to 1992.
Expert Takes:
Brian Allee-Walsh:Although the ’92 Saints finished second in the NFC West to the San Francisco 49ers, this team arguably may have been the best in team history.
It seemed poised to go deep into the playoffs with a team built around Pro Bowl linebackers Rickey Jackson, Sam Mills, Vaughn Johnson and Pat Swilling, kicker Morten Andersen and a punch-and-Judy offense led by quarterback Bobby Hebert.
The Philadelphia Eagles quickly dashed the Saints’ Super Bowl hopes with a 36-20 victory in a wildcard game at the Superdome on Jan. 3, 1993. Trailing 20-10 after three quarters, the Eagles scored 26 points in the fourth quarter to keep the Saints winless in the postseason at 0-4.
Future Saints cornerback Eric Allen keyed the Eagles’ surge with two interceptions, the second resulting in an 18-yard touchdown return.
The Saints led the NFL in fewest points allowed (202), total defensive yards allowed (4,075), sacks (57) and sacks allowed (15) and sent six players to the Pro Bowl. In addition to the four linebackers and Andersen, center Joel Hilgenberg participated in the AFC-NFC all-star game.
The ’92 team proved to be the Saints’ last playoff team of the 1990s. Age, free agency and the loss of GM Jim Finks to cancer collectively took its toll and ultimately forced Jim Mora to resign abruptly midway through the 1996 season.
Saints release schedule for training camp in Jackson
June 24, 2008
Posted by Mike Triplett, The Times-Picayune June 23, 2008 5:42PM
Categories: SaintsThe countdown to the Saints’ 2008 season has reached its final month.
Players are scheduled to report to training camp at Millsaps College in Jackson, Miss., on Wednesday, July 23, with the first set of two-a-day practices scheduled for Thursday, July 24, the team confirmed Monday.
The team will break camp and return to Metairie on Tuesday, Aug. 12, giving the Saints roughly three weeks to bake in the sweltering Mississippi heat.
As usual, all practices at Millsaps will be open to the public. Most practices begin at 8:50 a.m. and either 3:40 or 4:20 p.m., though the schedule varies from day to day and is subject to change. The Saints have scheduled a total of 29 practices on the Division III campus, including some abbreviated special teams sessions.
They are planning a special practice in Jackson’s Veteran’s Memorial Stadium on Aug. 2, centered around the team’s annual Family Day, followed by an off-day on Aug. 3. They also will not hold any practices on Aug. 7-8, because they are traveling to Arizona for the preseason opener on Thursday night, Aug. 7.
This will be the Saints’ third consecutive year in Jackson, a tradition that has met with mixed results. In 2006, new coach Sean Payton used the grueling getaway to set the tone for one of the most remarkable single-season turnarounds in NFL history. Last year, however, the Saints got off to an 0-4 start and failed to reach the playoffs.
“I have always been a proponent of holding training camp away, and Millsaps has done a wonderful job in hosting us,” Payton said in a statement. “It is close enough for our fans in New Orleans to drive to Jackson and see us practice, and the people of Jackson have been tremendously supportive. We look forward to starting up again soon.”
When the Saints return to their practice facility in Metairie, all practices likely will be closed to the public. The Saints will conduct three joint practices with the Houston Texans that week in preparation for their preseason game in the Superdome on Aug. 16.
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