Big Daddy never really experienced getting high on life until doubling his pleasure Saturday afternoon by watching the Saints pummel Oakland while enjoying the eye-popping sights and awesome slides of Gulf Islands Water Park. What a day! Dominance this preseason has Saints fans placing wagers on their heroes to win their first Lombardi trophy. Big Daddy says if you got the money— Do it! If not, just relish the extra bounce in your step. In this third edition 2009, Section 645 Saints Beat covers the Charity Hospital saga, discusses new traffic laws, recaps the Oakland game, forecasts LSU and Tulane football, and releases his World Famous Pregame Information.
Last week LSU, Tulane, and Governor Bobby Jindal signed a deal to replace Charity Hospital. Governor Jindal believes remodeling Charity would be a terrible mistake. The proposed $1.2-billion 424-bed teaching hospital to be located somewhere in lower Mid-City. Hey Bobby, did you ever hear that size matters? Your itty-bitty facility will never satisfy community needs. Monday, 1200 demonstrators led by the Rebirth and Hot 8 Brass bands second lined in front of the iconic Charity landmark showing their frustration because elected officials never do what the public wants. If Edwin Edwards still governed us, Charity’s doors would be open today, bogging down federal agents trying to count the bribes collected by Fast Eddie enterprises. Providing safe medical and psychiatric care to lower income patients is an essential feature in a western civilization. Four years post-Katrina, and your useless proposal being rammed down our throats won’t even open until 2013. Pathetic! What happened to leaders who got things done?
Historically, residents tolerated the Crescent City’s dark side having the nation’s highest murder rate, a terrible job market, crooked politicians, and a dysfunctional school system to enjoy the unmatched culture, music, food, lower living expenses, and gracious civil liberties. Scripture teaches us that bad must exist to understand good, right? Though culture, music, and food remain the city’s lifeblood, Katrina drowned our cheaper lifestyle, while the state legislature continues to whittle sacred freedoms away. August saw Louisiana legislators put 300 hundred new laws on the books for your benefit. Local motorists, who already deal with more harassment than a Bill Clinton female intern thanks to New Orleans’ finest, now face stiffer DWI penalties, a rear passenger seat belt law, and some ridiculous 3-feet-from-a-cyclist law, which makes Big Daddy want to put down his keys and ride the streetcar or walk. Here’s a remedy: instead of cops writing endless citations (extorting money from the taxpayers who already pay their salary), Republican “Wonder Boy” Bobby Jindal needs to open 24-hour donut shops in high-crime areas enticing police to stop actual crimes. Criminals will learn quickly that the consequences of interrupting peace officers getting fat and happy on fresh beignets, committing violet acts toward fellow citizens will teach painful lessons, requiring old Charity’s services to remove the lead from perpetrators' asses.
Recapping the Raider game, Drew Brees engineered a flawless 80-yard drive capped by Heath Evans 4-yard touchdown run putting the Saints on top 7-0 early in the first. Following a Jonathan Vilma fumble recovery Brees’ 40-yard strike to Devery Henderson made it 14-0 after one. Lance Moore joined the party catching a 5-yard toss from Brees as the starters built an impressive 21-0 lead early in the second. John Carney added 3 more connecting on a 35-yarder, and P.J. Hill bulled over from a yard out giving the Saints a 31-0 halftime advantage. Mark Brunnell, who struggled initially, then orchestrated another march, which culminated when Hill’s second rushing TD putting the Saints in front 38-0 after three. Former LSU standout Skyler Green caught Joey Harrington’s fade pass in the left corner of the end zone tying the team’s record (44) for points in a preseason game. Garrett Hartley’s extra point broke the record creating an unbelievable 45-0 score. Oakland backup quarterback Jeff Garcia (the legendary Bay Area bathhouse superstar) hooked up Jonathan Holland for as the Raiders avoided the shutout in the 45-7 rout.
Marred by terrible quarterback play and a Swiss cheese defense, the Tigers suffered through a disappointing 8-5 campaign in 2008. Les Miles brought in Tennessee’s defensive guru John Chavis to summon those crazed “Chinese Bandits” back to Baton Rouge. Peach Bowl MVP Jordan Jefferson starts the season under center with Jarrett Lee and the highly recruited Russell Shepard backing him up. Game experience, extra snaps in practice, and a soft early schedule should mean more consistent offense in ’09. Yes, the Tigers get top-ranked Florida at home; however, they battle Georgia, Alabama, and Ole Miss on the road, a gauntlet nearly impossible for any program— Welcome to the SEC! LSU fans should celebrate vast improvement, but National Championship dreams won’t materialize until 2010. Big Daddy predicts a runner-up finish to Ole Miss in the SEC West, producing a 10-3 or 9-4 record earning a Cotton Bowl invitation on January 2nd.
Always optimistic Head coach Bob Toledo knows injuries doomed his Tulane team to a dismal 2-10 showing in ’08. Sophomore signal caller Joe Kemp guides the Green Wave’s 13 returning starters onto the grid iron intent on ending their streak of 6 straight losing seasons. Tough opponents include Tulsa, BYU, Army, Houston, Rice and against LSU they have no chance; the remaining schedule comprises beatable foes in McNeese, Marshall, So. Miss, UTEP, UCF, and SMU. Big Daddy believes the Greenies can muster a surprising 6-6 mark in ’09.
Check out Big Daddy next week when Saints Beat recaps the Miami preseason finale, asks NFL owners to shorten the preseason, examines Gregg Williams new defense, and predicts the Saints regular season record. Retrieving any Saints team facts or player trivia are always available at www.NOSaintsHistory.com. Now Big Daddy releases his World Famous Pregame Information: — Go Under 38 —
