Was it Halloween or Mardi Gras last Thursday night? Guys dressed like football players displaying Arena League talent tortured Saints fans worse than a Abu Grab sleepover. Preseason finales produce yawning spells throughout entire stadiums, while TV viewers simply flip to the Food Network. Big Daddy knows that football squads become cohesive units when coaches drill every offensive play and defensive scheme into players’ heads. Practicing each playbook entry until everything runs smoother than James Bond operating in a singles bar. This week’s Section 645 Saints Beat questions America’s direction, recaps the Miami game, discusses the NFL’s preseason history, examines Gregg Williams’ new defense, covers the Southern Decadence Festival and releases his World Famous Pregame Information.
Current events have Big Daddy shaking his head in disgust. Parents yanked children out of school and principals offered alternate student activities, fearing President Obama’s stay-in-school message would brainwash America’s youth, borders on un-American. Sheltering kids from reality teaches them as much as a Mose Jefferson computer learning program. Moreover, shortsighted child rearing spawns maladjusted adults. Take South Carolina Republican Representative Joe Wilson, who blurted out “you lie” during the President’s health care address to Congress, embarrassing the president, the Senate, the House of Representatives, and all U.S. citizens in front of the world. Here’s what sucks about our ailing empire: despicable behavior lands book deals, national tours on talk show circuits, followed by a lucrative contract with Fox News, joining Bill O’Reilly, Mike Huckabee, Sean Hannity, and Glenn Beck spreading their progressive agenda to solve America’s problems. What happened to our dignity?
Back to football, recapping the preseason finale, while the Saints used bench warmers, the Dolphins fulfilled their 4-0 preseason dream. Miami quarterback Chad Pennington led a nine play 35-yard scoring drive. The Saints defense stiffened at the 24 yard line, forcing Miami into a 41-yard field goal attempt, Dan Carpenter’s boot sailed through the uprights giving “the fish” a 3-0 advantage after one. Former New York Yankee prospect-turned Miami backup QB Chad Henne’s 23-yard completion to Ted Ginn keyed the Dolphins second tally. Patrick Cobbs’ 6-yard touchdown run capped 68-yard, 10 play march, sending the Saints to the locker trailing 10-0 at halftime. Rod Harper saved the Saints from being shut out, returning a punt 55 yards making the final score 10-7. Two beneficial things transpired in the second half: Rod Harper cemented his position in Black ’n’ Gold, and Joey Harrington played himself off the roster. As long as Joey didn’t invest with Bernie Madoff he’ll have plenty enough money to play golf, drink beer, and brag about his glory days playing for Flipper, Dirty Birds, and Paper Lions.
The roots of preseason football reach back to birth of pro football. The AFL’s emergence in the ’ 60s shaped preseason football to help coaches evaluate talent, develop players, and improve play execution under game conditions. An anti-trust exemption in 1970 allowed NFL owners to charge full-price for preseason contests and keep all monies collected from those ticket sales (without player revenue sharing). Today’s captains of industry socked it to season ticket holders, slapping a 43 percent rate hike on loyal customers. In 1978, the NFL stretched its season to 16 games reducing the preseason to four. Current NFL success (league wide sellouts) creates an irony for team owners, just like Roberto Duran proclaiming “No Mas,” preseason boredom has fans staying home, which saves them from shelling out big dollars for warm beer and cold hot dogs. Since preseason profits continue to dwindle, owners investigate the logistics of an 18-game season with only two preseason to boost profits.
Replacing Jason David and Josh Bullocks with Jabari Greer and Darren Sharper immediately improves our defense. Mix in new Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams’ aggressive style with a play-making secondary and Saints will be forcing turnovers, something fans haven’t seen for too long. Saints know high expectations doesn’t win championships, proving it on the field does. Remember, effective running and stout defense in preseason deserves less attention than Dick Cheney preaching gun safety. Big Daddy believes the NFL’s best offense, solid special teams play, and a defense that swarms to the ball builds strong optimism for a Saints team making noise in this year’s playoffs.
What’s New Orleans without a party? Labor Day Weekend brought on the 38th annual Southern Decadence Festival. An event economically aiding Vieux Carre businesses, bartenders, waiters, and tour guides prior to our tourist season October-May). Sunday’s parade rolled around the French Quarter flaunting cross-dressers, flamboyant costumes, and tons of skin desperately needing more coverage, shocking innocent bystanders. The Crescent City’s main event last week was Southern Decadence, but if rainbow flags don’t interest you, New Orleans also held the inaugural 30-90 music festival, a solar-powered bash on the riverfront and the Black Men of Labor Social Aid and Pleasure Club’s second line parade hosted by Sweet Lorraine’s Jazz Club. Even when the recession hurts, Big Easy dwellers love to get down. That’s why we’re here.
Tune in to Saints Beat next week as Big Daddy recaps the Detroit season opener, reveals the Saints win/loss season forecast, and covers FBI probes at City Hall. Locating pertinent Saints trivia is always easy just log on to www.NOSaintsHisory.com. Now Big Daddy’s World Famous Pregame Information: — Take the Saints and Lay the 13 —
