Big Daddy Kicks Off Kingpin Season

     Experienced Big Daddy readers know a Saints road trip means a Kingpin blowout. Sunday’s relentless beat-down served notice to the football world that the Saints Are Coming! Perhaps Fats Domino’s old hit song “Blue Monday” soothed the City of Brotherly Love after the Saints took the Eagles to the woodshed Sunday. In this week’s Saints Beat edition, Big Daddy thanks the Kingpin, salutes Marlon Gusman, recaps the Philadelphia game, asks where’s the pass rush, recalls 1993, and releases his World Famous Pregame Information.

     The Kingpin’s visionary management organized an incredible throw down to celebrate the season’s first away game. Just like Section 645 brings out uncontrollable emotional outbursts, electricity in the Kingpin’s air recreates that feeling deep down in your gut. Customary pregame activities and extreme game-watching conditions produce painful stomach-groaning munchies. Martinque Bistro’s Master Chefs Eric Labouchere and Nat Carrier used their superior skills to settle the crowd’s hunger pains, keeping the Who Dats screaming “Pummel!” all day long. Eric and Nat’s mouth-watering dishes included: lobster truffle Mac & cheese, smoked ribs, andouille sausage baked beans, siracha pepper chicken wings, and pulled pork pastries— Totally Awesome! The incredible feast was more impressive than the Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones’ cage dancers.

     Did you see Orleans Parish Criminal Sheriff Marlon Gusman’s reaction to Justice Dept. findings at Orleans Parish Prison? The Civil Rights Division conducted three OPP site inspections, the probe uncovered Sheriff’s Office failures to provide inmates’ mental health care, medication management, suicide prevention, sanitary conditions and ensure safety from harm by other inmates, prison guards or fire. Gusman denied any wrongdoing, claiming he and his staff do the community a tremendous service. Tuesday’s 10 pm broadcast of WWL-TV Channel 4 featured reporter Bighad Shaban interviewing Gusman about the federal audit. Gusman’s conclusions were more troubling than Sarah Palin answering Katy Couric’s questions. Shaban asked why OPP had such a small number (6 percent) of mental patients, when the national average is 25 percent? Marlon replied that every inmate has mental problems, and that being in jail only exacerbates their situation. Wow! Are you confused? Jesus, how could that nitwit win an election and get paid six figures? Pretty easily, when you consider Mayor C. Ray Nagin won re-election running against an infinitely more qualified candidate.

     Now lets talk football, recapping the Eagles game, Saints fans laughed at the national media’s typical display of Northeastern prejudice by picking Philadelphia to defeat New Orleans. Drew Brees’ 15-yard toss to Marques Colston finished off a perfect game-opening drive, making it 7-0 Saints. Philadelphia backup quarterback Kevin Kolb’s 71-yard hook-up with DeSean Jackson tied the game 7-7. John Carney’s 23-yard field goal put the Saints in front 10-7 after one. David Akers 3-pointer knotted the score 10-10. Brees’ 25-yard pass to Colston put the Saints back on top 17-10. Akers 32-yard kick trimmed the lead to 17-13 at the half. The Saints top draft pick, Malcolm Jenkins opened the second half stripping Philadelphia’s Ellis Hobbs and Chris Reis recovered. The Saints went ahead 24-13 when Heath Evans tiptoed down the sideline and dove across the goal line. Scott Shanle picked off Kolb, 4 plays later Mike Bell’s 7-Yard TD run built an 18-point, 31-13 advantage. Carney’s 25-yarder swelled the margin to 34-13. Kolb’s completion to Jason Avant closed the gap to 34-20 heading to the fourth. Surpassing 40-points again, Reggie Bush’s 19-yard scamper re-established the Saints 21-point spread at 41-20. Brees gave up an intentional safety then Darren Sharper’s amazing 97-yard interception return completed the Lincoln Financial Field 48-22 rout.

     New faces like defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, safety Darren Sharper, and cornerbacks Jabari Greer, and Randall Gay has swung the turnover ratio in the Saints favor thus far; however, having no pass rush means the defense still allows too many big plays and tons of yards. Will Smith and Charles Grant collect superstar salaries, but their production has been more disappointing than U.S. results in the World Baseball Classic. We need you two guys to earn that big money by hitting running backs in the back field and sacking quarterbacks! Whether Smith and Grant contribute or not, Big Daddy knows the Saints are the best team in the NFC, and barring injury, will be a Super Bowl representative in Miami. Hey Will and Charles, every Saints fan loves you guys; they’ve waited a long time for this moment. If you step up and have Pro Bowl years, nothing can stop the us from winning the Lombardi Trophy.

     Who remembers 1993? The Saints drafted Willie Roaf in the first round, Wade Wilson played quarterback, and Jim Mora was head coach. After the Saints blew out the L.A. Rams 37-6, New Orleans rolled into the bye week 5-0. Crazed fans thought we had the league’s best team before a blow-out loss to Pittsburgh crushed those dreams. Buddy Diliberto’s legendary point after radio show’s popularity soared thanks in part to Abdul D. Tentmakur’s mythical birth, who offered to sew a dress for Buddy if the Saints ever made it to the Super Bowl. Now Buddy’s spirit lives on through Abdul, the guest caller every Saints radio listener waits to hear. Over the years Abdul mixed his love for the Saints with his musical talent to write and perform parody songs about our Saints heroes. Abdul has albums, plays concerts (even Tipitina’s), done TV spots, rides on his own float in Mardi Gras parades. Abdul is just another exocentric local icon, which New Orleans so unique in today’s cookie cutter world of gated communities, shopping malls, fast food chains, and Wal-Mart stores comprising anywhere USA.