The recession has crippled the “living big” option for many Americans these days, but the unthinkable 222 days between Super Bowl Sunday and opening day makes the economy’s pain penetrate deeper for football fans, even Big Daddy. Saints fans in attendance Friday displayed youthful exuberance anticipating great success in the upcoming campaign. In this first edition of Saints Beat for the ’ 09 season, Big Daddy covers Cory ‘ C-Murder’ Miller’s 2nd degree murder verdict, reports on the Mose Jefferson bribery case, blames the Saints front office and Superdome officials for the ticket snafu, recaps the Cincinnati game, salutes Mayor Clarence Ray Nagin Jr.’s career, and releases his World Famous Pregame Information.
Rapper Cory ‘ C-Murder’ Miller’s controversial jury verdict came down guilty by a vote of 10-2 Friday. Oregon and Louisiana are the only two states in the union that allow guilty verdicts in some criminal cases without a unanimous vote— but the tally must be 10-2 or better. Initially, the jury cast a 9-3 decision, falling along racial lines (9 White, 3 Black), after 13 hours of deliberation one juror changed their vote from innocent to guilty. Miller plans to retain another attorney to appeal the decision. However, if the U.S. Supreme Court hears an Oregon sex offender case on September 29th and the high court decides that non-unanimous decisions are unconstitutional, then Cory will have a chance to reverse his fate. Otherwise C-Murder fans can send care packages to Angola State Prison filled with soap-on-a-rope, so their hero can avoid bending over in the shower.
Who watches the Crescent City’s soap opera As The Political Machine Turns? Mose Jefferson, brother of former 9-time U.S. Representative from Louisiana’s 2nd District William ‘ Dollar Bill’Jefferson (who awaits sentencing on his federal conviction), currently stands trail indicted on bribery and obstruction of justice charges. The case alleges Jefferson bribed former Orleans Parish School Board member Ellenese Brooks-Simms to influence the Board to approve the I Can Learn program. The Board’s purchase netted Jefferson over $600,000 in commission. Did anyone think algebra could be so lucrative? Defense attorney Michael Fawer put Jefferson on the witness stand, Fawer intended to damage Brooks-Simms’ credibility and show why Jefferson wrote her checks. During testimony, Jefferson stated he and Simms had an intimate relationship in the past and his payments simply helped a financially strapped friend. Since Simms was an elected official, intermediary payments were designed to keep Simms away from scrutiny by federal authorities. Wow! Where does one look to find friends like Mose?
Back to football, the Saints’ defense dominated throughout the game, as offseason free agent acquisition safety Darren Sharper forced a fumble and Jonathan Vilma ran it back to the Bengals’ 6. Cincinnati’s “D” held the Saints to a field goal attempt, which Garrett Hartley missed. Vilma intercepted a Carson Palmer pass, trying to score, Vilma fumbled at the Bengal 4, and kept the game scoreless after one. The Saints got on the board when Drew Brees hit Jeremy Shockey down the middle making it 7-0 early in the second. Just before halftime, former Saints backup quarterback J.T. O’Sullivan’s 14-yard pass to a wide open Chris Henry (who prepped at Belle Chase High) tied the game 7-7 at the half. Backup Mark Brunnell’s 64-yard bomb to Robert Meacham gave the Saints 14-7 lead going to the fourth. Hartley’s 54-yard 3-pointer sealed the 17-7 victory.
Saints fans endured more hardship courtesy of the Saints front office and the Superdome staff. Problems arose when the decision to produce cheaper tickets without an announcement warning fans to tear tickets very carefully. Naturally, the skilled Superdome staff used the former Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco Approach (do absolutely nothing until the masses give up protesting and leave) to handle the challenge. Of Course, Beer and food prices inside the Dome went up across the board again, plus the idiotic police barricades on Superdome walkway still cause major pedestrian traffic jams before and after every game. Unbelievable!
Do you know what March 31, 2010 is? That’s Mayor C. Ray Nagin’s last day of “Chocolate City” tyranny. Remembering that former Governor Kathleen Blanco (worst governor ever) and President George W. Bush (weakest leader in world history) teamed up with Mayor Nagin to form the modern version of “The Three Stooges” making crucial decisions on how to rebuild the city after Hurricane Katrina. Though Bush and Blanco shoulder lots of blame, Mayor Nagin’s racially divisive conduct damned the community to a slower, more painful recovery. Big Daddy highlights some of Nagin’s post Katrina moments: the ’06 MLK Day speech, his move to Dallas, lavish lunches on the city AmEx, the city’s 311 phone system, New Orleans Affordable Home Corp. (NOAH) scandal, his threat to beat up WWL-TV’s news director, his refusal to relinquish his 2008 work schedule, his no bid $2 million crime camera system ($4.4 million over budget without oversight) of which more than 50% don’t work, emailgate, and the Washington law firms (costing $660,000 without City Council approval) to handle the mounting litigation over public records. How many locals saw C. Ray on Mardi Gras Day dressed as a Gladiator for The City’s Recovery? Totally Awesome!
Check out Big Daddy’s blog next week as Saints Beat delivers an update on the Mose Jefferson trail, recaps the Houston game, and congratulates the state legislature for enacting 300 new laws. Saints trivia is located at www.NOSaintsHistory.com. Now Big Daddy releases his World Famous Pregame Information: — Take the Saints plus 3 —
