Three Years Ago Today...

It's hard to believe that this happened three years ago today.  I still get goosebumps watching this.  What a magical night.  I think I'm gonna bust out the Superbowl XLIV DVD tonight.  It's good to remember.

Watching this brilliant NFL Films production, it's hard not to acknowledge the epic impact that Steve Sabol, the founder of NFL Films, had on this league.  He was a master of storytelling, using 35MM film to give a cinematic feel to the game and transform the way we see football.   He was the first to mic up players and coaches.  He was the first to put original scores to the beautiful imagery. It brought a new understanding and depth to the game.  He was  nothing short of revolutionary.  Under his watch NFL Films won over 100 Emmy's.

He died last year of brain cancer, but his legacy lives on. 

Vote for Jimmy Graham NOW

"Please do not be cynical. I hate cynicism. For the record, it's my least favorite quality- it doesn't lead anywhere. Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get. But if you work really hard, and you're really kind, amazing things will happen. I'm telling you, amazing things will happen. It's just true." - Conan O'Brien

Conan O'Brien nailed it. That is the perfect quote to sum up Jimmy Graham's outlook on life. Jimmy Graham is up for ESPN's NEXT, and they're looking for the next big thing in football. Go vote for him now by clicking here.

If you're a Saints fan you've probably seen this before. But it's worth watching again.

Keep Calm

Well, the game didn't exactly pan out as I had imagined. But after sleeping on it and letting my blood pressure calm down a little I realized one thing: We're gonna win a lot of football games. In the end it just came down to mistakes. We made more than they did, and when you're playing a football team as good as Green Bay, it doesn't matter whether or not you accumulated almost 500 yards of offense.

It really came down to three plays:

1. Colston fumble. Second play of the game and we hand them back the ball with a short field. Not good. Instead of tying it at 7, we're immediately down 14-0. Different ballgame from there on out.

2. 108-yard Kickoff return. I thought with the new kickoff rule we would never see another kickoff return. Well, leave it to the Saints to allow the second longest kickoff return in NFL history. Not good.

3. Fourth and inches. I completely agree that we should have gone for it. But this was 4th and inches. Not 4th and a yard. Inches, and we roll out with Brees.

If you take away just one of those plays we probably win. Just goes to show you cannot make mistakes and expect to win in the NFL.

THE GOOD:

- Drew Brees throws for 419 yards, 3 TD's, 0 INT. You can lose with those kind of numbers?

- 27 first downs. Our offense rolled.

- Darren Sproles is already better than Reggie Bush ever was. He racked up 250 yards of offense last night. Two hundred and fifty. That is about what Reggie used to get in a season. I never want to hear the argument again, "but defenses had to plan for Bush- he was a major decoy." Hmmm...what do I want? Decoy, or producer? Shut up. [side note: I like Reggie as a person. He really helped out the city of New Orleans and he was willing to take a major pay cut to stay here. And he's cute. He just never really figured out the running back thing.]

- Our defense held Rodgers and that potent offense to 7 points in the second half.

- Pierre Thomas looked back to form. Too bad he didn't get the last goal line run.

- Lance Moore was out.

- Jimmy Graham. Top 5 tight end. Period.

- Our can do attitude. No matter how bad it got we were always in the game. For a lot of teams that game would have been a complete blowout.

THE BAD:

- Tackling. Are you kidding me? Both defense and special teams better learn how to tackle, and fast.

- Absolutely no pressure on Rodgers. What was that defensive scheme? How many times did we rush 3 and get absolutely NO pressure? I could have sat back there and completed a pass with that time. Stupid. And as my good friend Austin put it: Has Cam Jordon even sniffed a fart yet?

- Fourth and INCHES and we are rolling out with Drew Brees? Dumb. Fall forward and get a first down.

- Special teams. Eight yards deep in the end zone and we can't tackle him.

- 1 out of 5. That was our TD efficiency in the red zone. Surprising, but true. Just think if we were 4/5.

- Tackling.

One thing is for sure though: Aaron Rodgers is the real deal. His accuracy and arm strength are insane. There were plenty of instances where we had perfect coverage. Unfortunately the perfect back shoulder pass is indefensible. I finally see what all the hype is about. He's right up there with Brees, Brady, and the former Peyton Manning.

In short, it was just the Packer's night. Every time we came up with a stop and seemed to be catching up they'd have a freak play to bust it wide open again. It's a shame when you can point to a number of plays that lost the game. But oh well, that's football. The good news is we will win a ton of games this year. The Saints will be alright. I'm just not looking forward to going back to Green Bay when it's -10 degrees outside.

KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON.

IT HAS ARRIVED

It is finally here. The long awaited and much debated NFL season. Could they have opened up with a better game? I think not. Jim Trotter from Sports Illustrated summed it up best: National TV. Season opener. Last two Super Bowl champs. Excellent QBs. Attacking defenses. Creative play-callers. What more could you want?

Indeed. What more could you want? So here is my prediction: Saints, 41. Packers, 31. There will undoubtedly be a lot of scoring. I know- its Packers, at Lambeau, opening after their Super Bowl win and all that jazz, but our boys love the spotlight. I also might be a bit biased. But I truly do believe our squad is deeper and more talented than our 2009 Super Bowl team. It's gonna be a good season.

Not that you need any more help getting hyped up for this game, but check out this video. Who knew Adele + Saints in slow mo could be so awesome? Nicely done boys....

The Devil is Ice Skating

Hell has frozen over. The Saints are world champions. World dominators. The best in the universe. Wow. For the past four years I've always believed it could and would happen, but to actually say it is still a little weird.

Its official: we are now America's team. With over 106.5 million people watching it now holds the record for as the biggest audience in television history. The biggest audience in the history of the universe watched the Saints play. They watched Brees dissect the Colts D. They watched Tracy Porter jump the route and take it to the house. They watched us celebrate. We captivated the world. That has to make you feel pretty good.

The game itself started off hot. Before you could refill your beer 10 points were on the board. I have to admit, going down by 10 in the first quarter put some bad thoughts into my head. I started to think that maybe all these people praising Manning and the Colts might know what they're talking about. After Drew Brees' first quarter 3 for 7 performance I had fears that he might not be on, again. I know, I'm a terrible person for even doubting it for a second, but a 43 year old history is hard to forget.

Luckily for us we have the best quarterback playing the game. From the second quarter on he went 29 of 32. That's 91 percent. A+. One of those "incompletions" was a dropped pass. Another was a spike to stop the clock. That's as near-perfect as it gets. Once Brees found his rhythm it was game over.

The first half of football couldn't have been more night and day. The first quarter: Indy steamrolls 154 yards and 10 points to our 36 yards and 0 points. Second quarter: Saints roll up 143 yards and 6 points to Indy's 15 yards and 0 points. The Colts had the ball for two and a half minutes in the second quarter. How do you prevent Brees and Manning from racking up the points? Keep them on the bench.

And speaking of two elite offenses, did the clock ever stop? That was the quickest game I have ever seen.

When it came down to it, Brees stayed on the field a minute longer and racked up some superhero numbers. 32 of 39. 288 yards. 2 TDs. O interceptions. 114.5 QB rating. Superbowl XLIV MVP.



In 3 postseason games he accumulated 732 yards on 72 completions and 102 attempts. That's 70.6% completion, or 7.2 yards per attempt. He threw 8 touchdowns to 0 interceptions with a 117 QB rating. And Payton Manning got the league's MVP? Child please...those numbers are the stuff that legends are made of.

And was there ever a better post game moment than when Drew lifted up his son? I still get choked up when I see it. It was the most real, genuine moment I've ever seen. If that doesn't warm you up you simply have no soul. Like I said before, prepare for Drew Brees to be everywhere.



But its the unselfishness of our offense that makes it so special. Everyone gets a touchdown. If your mother was on the field she'd get one. So, like Brees, I'll spread the lovin' around.


Jeremy Shockey. What a man. He's never afraid to sacrifice his body in the name of football. He would jump in front of a mack truck if it meant he could gain a yard. He's a bigger, badder Kyle Turley. He's the wild card. I'm so glad he got a TD.


I would argue that Lance Moore has the best hands on the team. He could catch a bullet. David Tyree who?


Devery Henderson had a breakout game. This is not the same Devery that would make the most breathtaking circus catch you've ever seen only to drop the next ball that hit him right in the hands.


And if Pierre Thomas isn't the most underrated running back in the game than I don't know who is. He has a sixth sense when it comes to avoiding pressure and finding the end zone. What a game.


Mr. Clutch goes to Tracy Porter. He and Brett Favre are single-handedly responsible for sending us to the Superbowl. Then he goes and does it again. He outsmarts Payton Manning, owner of the biggest head in the game, if not all of sports.


I hope all the work by Jonathan Vilma gets noticed. He's the QB of the defense. He calls and changes the plays at will. He's responsible for switching the coverage at the line that led to Tracy Porter's life saving interception against the Vikings. He is involved and hitting a snot bubble out of someone on every single play. He's a beast. We would not be celebrating without him.


Our defense has played outstanding all season. Brady, Warner, Favre, both Mannings...the best of the best, all beaten like red headed step children. Best turnover ratio in the league. What more can you say about this cast of old guys and undesirables? They held Peyton Manning to 7 points in the final three quarters. Enough said.

And lets not forget the unsung hero of almost every NFL game- the Offensive line. These guys get so overlooked its almost tragic. Every single stat on offense starts with them, but here's the most important one: Drew Brees was only taken down once in 40 dropbacks. That's some good blocking up front boys.


And Garrett Hartley...are you kidding me? Where did this kid come from? No big deal, just setting a Superbowl record as a 23 year old. And speaking of records, we shattered or tied 17 Superbowl records. We set the record for broken records.


Did we witness the second coming of Steve Gleason, fan favorite and special team sensation? Chris Reid just cemented himself in Saints history. "The Colts were punching at it and grabbing for it, trying to get it out. But I didn't care if they broke all my fingers. There was absolutely no way in the world I was going to let go of that ball. That was our ball.'' Thanks for holding on dude, I can't even imagine what ungodly things were being done underneath than pile.

And thank you Sean Payton and Greg Williams. You are both brilliant. You both have balls of steel. You have changed an entire culture. No longer are we the lovable losers. We are now respected and feared.


So after this kind of a season, what's next? What can possibly top this? A first born child? Maybe?

But seriously, this beats everything. Its the best story and best collection of underdogs in the history of sports. Its so "feel good" it would have made a bad movie script.


One thing's for sure. These guys just made it hard for themselves. The only way to top this would be a 19-0 Superbowl winning season. And with this team that's certainly possible.

Bless you boys....bless you. You've given us the greatest feeling in the world. You have changed New Orleans forever. Let's hope next season is half as special.

Quick XLIV Predictions

The day is finally upon us. After what seemed like the slowest week ever, the big game is finally here. It felt like Christmas morning, and it certainly doesn't hurt that it is a perfect day outside.

Anyway, before the big game starts I just wanted to get a few thoughts out:

1. I love being the underdog. I would feel uncomfortable if we were getting the attention of Peyton Manning and the Colts. I love the fact that most people underestimate Drew Brees and our offense, even though we've had the #1 offense all year. It's nothing but more motivation, and its not like these Saints need any. That being said, when we win, the national media will most likely focus on why the Colts lost. Oh well, I'll take the win.

2. Why is everyone building up the Colts D so much when they are ranked 19th in the league? The Saints are ranked 24th, and that was with second and third string players in much of the second half of the season. Both teams are giving up 339.2 and 357.8 yards per game, respectively. What a monumental difference! Factor in the turnover ratio and the Saints are arguable the much better defense.

In the first half of the season when we were dominating teams our D was ranked top 10. The good news is we are all (mostly) healthy. The bad news: when we win it'll be blamed on the fact that Dwight Freeney wasn't 100%. Oh well, I'll take the win.

3. Let's talk about offense. Saints #1. Colts #9. Yes, I've heard of Peyton Manning. Yes, I've heard he's the best that's ever played the game. But wait a second...let's look at the stats.

Brees: 34 TDs. 11 Ints. 4,388 yards. 109.6 QB rating.
Manning: 33 TDs. 16 Ints. 4,500 yards. 99.9 QB rating.

I'll let those numbers speak for themselves. I will say this: Peyton has funnier commercials. And he has a huge head. I mean that literally- his head is huge.

4. The AFC was the weaker conference this year. By far. The Colts couldn't have had an easier road to the Superbowl. Ravens? Please... The Jets in the championship game? The JETS? The same team that we dominated in week 4?

Let's look at a common opponent, the Patriots. Yes, the Colts beat them. But it took an idiotic decision by Belichick to give Manning the ball in the red zone in the final seconds. They barely squeaked one out. On the flip side, we dominated. There's simply no other word for it. We made Brady look like JaMarcus Russell with a hangover. It wasn't even a fair match.

5. We've had more than a week to prepare. If Sean Payton and Drew Brees have proved one thing, its that if you give them a little time to prepare they are going to slice and dice you. When the Saints have had more than a week to prepare for any team this season the average score has been 46-23. Enough said.

6. Drew Brees will establish himself as one of the best quarterbacks ever. After he slices through the Colts D like a hot knife in warm butter he'll emerge as the new spokesman for almost everything. He'll blow up. He's perfect, on and off the field. And is there a better story in the NFL? Nope. Can't wait.

7. Jimmy Kimmel said it best. When asked for his Superbowl prediction, he might not have picked the Saints, but I love his answer regardless. "Colts 31-21. I know New Orleans is the sentimental favorite, but I still think people who live in Indianapolis are far worse off."

Love the answer. And we'll win too. Saints 41-34. But win or lose, these Saints have changed the culture of sports in New Orleans. By just getting to the Superbowl they have erased a 43 year history of disappointment and mediocrity, and that's is not an easy thing to do.

Observations from inside the NFC Championship

After being on a plane all day and landing at 4:30 in the afternoon, I was lucky enough to have a ticket and make it to the Dome on time. Here's a few things I observed:

1. Defense, defense, defense. If you would have told me before the game that our defense would be the only reason we won the game, I would've slapped you. It sounds too preposterous to be true. Our defense saved our offense? Blasphemy!

But our defense did save our offense. They played the game of their lives. Yes, we gave up 475 yards...but please realize, our defense was on the field the entire second half. Their tanks were empty, they were out of fumes, they had given everything, and yet, they were still flying towards the ball on every possession. Those guys deserve all the credit in the world.

We won, and we won with our defense. We have certainly come a long way. Game ball: DEFENSE.

2. Drew Brees was not Drew Brees. Overthrow after overthrow. A fumble that we were lucky enough to recover. (Almost) an interception thrown into triple coverage. This was not Drew Brees' best day. Even his pass to Devery Henderson in the corner of the endzone was thrown terribly high. He had an off day. But thankfully we can say so what.

Drew has had off days before. Everyone has them. But we are so used to him throwing the football on a dime that we start to panic when he has a not-so-great day. The good news: Drew doesn't have two "bad" games in a row.

3. What was with the playcalling? Did anyone else notice our second half playcalling? Run, run, throw on 3rd. Run, run, throw on 3rd. Hell, we started out overtime with two runs and were saved by a holding call on third down.

How many three-and-outs did we have? The playcalling got tremendously conservative. I love the fact that we stuck with the run, but c'mon, open up the play book a little. It reminded me of the good ole days when Bo Jackson's Hit & Run was the hottest game around. I think you had four plays to choose from. Deep pass, slant, run, kick...great stuff, but far from the Payton offense we're used to seeing.

And seriously, we're gonna try and get cute with a triple reverse? Or was it double? Whatever it was it was just stupid and led to a punt. Let's never call that play again unless we're playing Detroit...and winning by 21.

4. The officials have a love affair with Favre. I thought Dirk Nowitski could act, but good lord! All Favre had to do was the look at the officials and he would get a flag. I loved how he would crawl off the field like a sniper just blew off a limb and yet 30 seconds later he was back running around and throwing bullets.

Don't get me wrong. As Bobby Hebert would say, we beat a snot bubble out of Favre's head. But Brett, don't act for the officials, it's just obvious.

[For the record: the comparison between Favre and Nowitski is for entertainment purposes only. Nowitski is a woman.]

5. Just fall on the ball. How many turnovers did we miss because we tried to run with the ball instead of fall on it? As good as our D was at popping the ball out, they never really learned to just take what you can get.

Shanle's botched attempt sticks out the most. We would have had the ball right after we just scored. Our defense could have gotten some much needed rest. It would have been a huge momentum swing. But instead they get the ball back and score a few minutes later. That single play could have led to a blowout. But oh well, let's learn from it.

6. We may have gotten a little help from the football gods. A Vikings' fumble right before the half after Reggie muffs a punt? Twelve men on the field with :19 seconds left? Both gifts, and I'll take them with open arms.

Pass interference on Dave Thomas? Of course I agree with the call, but I'm bias. (It was absolutely catchable). Did Robert Meachem catch that pass on the last drive? Of course he did, but if I'm wearing purple I'm not so sure.

The point is the Saints have historically been on the other side of those calls. No one would have been surprised if each of those calls go the other way. We'd have been pissed, but not surprised.

We may have gotten a little luck, but so what. I call it karma. We deserved this. No other team deserves this more. No other city deserves this more. No other quarterback deserves this more.

7. The "Who Dat Nation". I've bore witness to some great games in the Superdome. I was present at both of LSU's National Championships in the building. They came close.

The intensity of the fans never let down the entire game. My ears are still bleeding. I still can't speak. And when that ball left the foot of Hartley and split the uprights, well, it was the loudest noise I've ever heard. I'll compare it to putting your ear up against the engine of an F-18 running at full throttle. It was insane. I had goosebumps. I'm convinced the Superdome shifted off its foundation.

The post-game celebration was the best atmosphere I have ever witnessed. Grown men wept. I bear hugged about 50-60 complete strangers. Seriously- full embrace. As Lloyd Christmas would put it, "The tears flowed like wine." At that moment nothing else mattered. Everyone loved each other. Security guards danced with fans. Policemen outside lit up cigars. The entire city of New Orleans stopped and celebrated.

And as of a few minutes ago, the NOPD reported no violence before, after, or during the game. If that doesn't show you the Saints influence on the whole city than I don't know what will.

As for now, we have two weeks to bask in the Superbowl hype and all its glory.

What the Saints mean to New Orleans

Ah, New Orleans. The Big Easy. Nola. The City that Care Forgot. Or my personal favorite, the Crescent City. The city is often fantasized about, and rightly so, but it has its fair share of problems too, all of which were present long before a category 4 hurricane ripped our levees open.

In order to live in New Orleans you have to have a much different set of priorities than most Americans. You can't let the little stuff bother you. Hence perhaps, the nickname the Big Easy. But it goes much further than that. You have to have an appreciation for great food, fascinating history, fine art, strange people and wonderful characters. We deal with crumbling roads, inept politicians, and the melting heat of August because the good always outweighs the bad. Living in New Orleans is an attitude more than anything else.

I write this because its hard for anyone who doesn't live here to fully appreciate or understand what Hurricane Katrina did to the people that lived here. Just like its hard for anyone to appreciate the full magnitude of Manhattan during 9/11, or Haiti these past few days. Not only were people's lives lost and homes destroyed, but most people lost everything they had ever owned. Imagine all of your photos or most prized possessions that have been in your family forever. Now imagine never being able to get them back. Not very cool, is it? Now imagine the rebuilding process. A bit daunting to say the least.

Most people were probably horrified at what they saw on their television sets during the days following Katrina. I can promise you no one was more horrified than the citizens of New Orleans. Not only were they devastated about their own property, but devastated because a city that loved, a city like no other on the whole face of the earth might be no longer. It's a scary thought.

But we have returned. And I venture to say that we're stronger than ever. How can this be? I'm a firm believer in always looking at the positive in any bad situation. If Katrina did anything, it exposed what most people have been ignoring or hiding for decades. We were forced not only to rebuild, but to rebuild and do it right this time. We're still far from perfect. Even far from good, but we're making steps in the right direction. This city is coming back. And its coming back because of the people that love it. Its coming back because of the people that can't imagine living anywhere else. Its coming back because of the people that can't imagine a world without New Orleans.

And it's coming back because of Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints. It's hard to imagine where we would be without them, and I thank God I don't have to. What these ambassadors have done for the city is immeasurable. I know it cliche to say, but oh well: The New Orleans Saints have given this city hope that it would have never gotten without them. Period.

Whether it was an act of God, karma, or just plain good luck is up for debate. But Drew Brees signing with the Saints is the most significant sports signing of all time. Not only did we get the best quarterback to ever play the game (alright, I'm a little bias...but seriously, do you watch him play?) but we got a hero in every sense of the word. He, Duece McAllister, Chris Paul, and countless other pro athletes have adopted this city as their second home, and it shows. Not one of them is doing it for the publicity. Not one of them is doing it for an SI cover. And that is probably the most meaningful thing about the whole damn thing. They genuinely care.

Brees, McAllister, Paul, Shockey, Colston, Bush, Payton, and countless other superstars lend their time, money, and heart to help the city. None of them owe us anything and yet they do nothing but represent the city the best way they can. All of these men (and any other superstar I forgot to mention) are the most humble men in the world. Why? How? Don't they know the power they possess? They do. And they use it for the greater good. They are the leaders of men.

So let's take a moment to imagine a Breesless Saints team. We go 5-11 in 2006. Maybe we get a new head coach and stick around the devastated city for one more year. Maybe we improve to 6-10. Then, like a bread pudding souffle in front of John Goodman, they're gone. The team is the San Antonio Saints, or the Los Angeles Saints. Doesn't quite have the same ring to it. It's scary to think about.

But the stars did align. We got a brilliant head coach in Sean Payton who took a chance on a damaged quarterback with little more than a winning attitude. Drew Brees came into this ravage city and made a vow to himself and to the people that he would bring more than a Superbowl to this city. He vowed to bring pride, hope, and a new way to look at life. He is more than a quarterback, and the Saints are more than a professional football team. They are a hope and a way of life to the people that lost everything.

So you see, in a city where most people lost everything these hero's bring us the most important thing of all: inspiration. The great thing about inspiration is that it has a different meaning to everyone. Brees and these Saints, well, they just inspire. And that's not an easy thing to do. It means being a leader at all times. Never taking a day off. Always putting others first. Let's just say he's earned the name Breesus. He is more than an elite quarterback. He is an elite human being. And that's something everyone can appreciate.

What Brees and these athletes have done for New Orleans is unprecedented. When the Saints take the field they are more than just a football team. Another cliche, I know, but its true. They represent their city like no other professional team represents a city. When the Saints win, New Orleans wins. Please, tell me another instance where a few individuals have saved a way of life for millions. I can't think of one, and that's not to say that there hasn't been a situation like this before. But there has never been one that has hit so close to home. So this Sunday, when the Dome is shaking and your ears are about to bleed, just think of what could have been.

Signing off I'll leave you with one last thought. For the people who call New Orleans home, it's sometimes easy to get down. We have a long way to go. The task ahead of us is formidable and its going to take years. But we're heading in the right direction thanks to a few great men.

New Orleans will always be New Orleans. You take the good with the bad. But the Saints bring the place to another level. And especially when the Saints are winning, there's no other place on earth I'd rather be. Just imagine what its going to be like when we win the Superbowl.