What Will Satisfy You in 2006?
 

We have questioned in the past to what degree the moves were directed by Haz or by Loomis. The fresh new positive direction reinforces my belief that Haslett was the primary director of personnel calls and Loomis the operative. Haz was a well known lover of the athletically endowed while often missing thier heart and drive or smarts for the game. The team reflected that. Aaron Brooks was the zenith of that philosophy. Booting Sammy Knight and trading 3 draft picks for Tebucky Jones was the apex of enacting it.

I gave Haz full support to start with. I am remembering how that changed-

2000- new kid on the block Haz's results cannot be argued with. Mueller looks like a real football guy in the front office, NFL Exec of the Year.

2001- 7-5 playoff contention, lose last 4 games by combined 42-160 score. ugly collapse.

2002- Mueller fired in FO power struggle (uh oh me sez). 9-4 record- playoffs with one more win, but lose last 3 games to teams with combined 10-29 record going into the Saints game, disgusting way to go out, most underachieving team MO established

2003- the Jonathan Sullivan draft debacle, the 1-4 start dooms them, they play erratic but finish strong. Deuce and Brooks have their best years. Defense is disappearing but O is good. I am all the more skeptical of this organization but maybe there still is hope

2004- things are dim at 4-8, It looks like a badly coached and bad team both. Brooks fumbling reaches 51 in 4 seasons starting. I'm ready to pull the plug on Haz. Even if not, Brooks must go. If we are gonna lose, let's do it a different way at least is my mantra.

2005- So much so bad in so many different ways. I only cringe thinking Haz/Brooks will get a bye for the year with the hurricane situation. Brooks benched?!?! A sparkle of distant hope.

After reviewing, I think about support for the new regime. As much as I love the Brees signing you do have to understand it is a move considered by most as very risky. I'd probably like to see some more FA action and signings. too. I have my ideas and preferences about draft trades and the players that could help the team most. They may follow that or it could end up completely different. My support increases or decreases not on those moves but on two other things. One, bottomline is win/losses, playoffs, and beyond. Nothing satisfies like wins. It may not end up being my preferred style or approach but after only 7 winning seasons (count'em) in 39 years I will take them anyway they come. Just as important though is another aspect: solid strategy, performance, and FO operation. The wins may vary from year to year but there is no arguing about strong organizations. That is why Cowher has been in Pittsburgh so long. That is why no one questions Jeff Fisher's calls when he is coping with a cap strapped team. I do think there is a nucleus of talent that could turn things around quickly here like the Bucs or Bears last season. But even if it ends in a 7-9 finish here's how I still would be happy: if this draft is scored among the tops in 2007, if we plummeted to the bottom of the list in pre-snap penalties (all penalties too), if the D starting looking intimidating even if they still were burned occasionally, if the D became known as a solid tackling bunch, if the D scheme becomes the opposite of the Venturi bend-don't-break-let-them-just-keep-rolling-over-us approach, if they play consistent avoiding 0-4 holes and end seaon collapses, and if the Dome is rocking and the team's future is cemented in Nawlins.

What will make you happy?

I couldn't be happier than I am already. Brooks gone, Haz gone, Venturi gone. I feel like Christmas done come early. Everything after that was gravy to me, so I guess what makes any of us happy is relative. I, for one, am happy.

This doesn't look like a sentence to me. Subordinate clause, subject but no verb. What gives?

In a perfect world, I'd like to see a Dolphins under Saban type turn around. Steady improvement week by week would be really nice. Basically, I'd like to see a disciplined team. Getting beaten isn't great, but what I really don't want to see is any more beating ourselves. 10-6 would be really great this year, but I'd be satisfied with much less as long as the stupid mistakes stop.

On the ownership front, I'd like to see Benson hand the reins and the bank book to Rita.

:lol:

I agree with Whodi here. How can you not be happy with what has gone on this offseason. The biggest complaints from Saints fans for a couple of seasons now has been Aaron Brooks, Jim Haslett's awful coaching and lack of discipline, and Rick Venturi's suckiness. Well, guess what, we've gotten rid of all three of those problems. We've righted the ship in my mind, and now it's just time to start building that ship back up into a contender. Yes, the Brees signing is risky, but I think with the reports I've heard from the doctors, and the fact that the Saints' orthopedic team actually watched DVDs of the surgery, makes me feel that we weren't just going to hand this $60 mil so he can sit on the bench. I believe he'll be ready. He also wants to be ready, and really wants to be the face of this franchise.

So, in 2006, what would make me happy, like BMG said, is not finishing with a great record. I understand that we don't exactly have the kind of team that is good enough to go 12-4. However, I think this team has enough of some of the pieces to at least make a run at the playoffs. But I really could care less what our record is. I don't mind getting beaten because the other team is better, that's just life. But I do mind getting beaten when we have more penalty yards than rushing yards, or more turnovers than AB had brain cells. Beating ourselves is the most frustrating thing to watch, and daaaaaaaaang we were good at it the last few years. I just want hard, determined, intelligent football this season.

Whodi, who couldn't be happier now? The question wasn't Are you happy? It was what will make you happy? Hell yeah, we are happy for a new day. Most of us felt the same way when anyone new appeared after Ditka. Unfortunately, that happiness only lasted a year or so and became even more prolonged agony. With all the discussion about FAs and the draft I was prompted to consider this- I do not care if they do not get another significant FA I think will be the perfect fit... if it works! It is refreshing to have sincere hope for solid play as Deuce and I expressed... but I want more. Hope is only desire coupled with expectation. Faith is a worthy team motto but is another step beyond. I'll like that even more come December even if they buck my draft recommendations. LOL

Benson selling to a Louisiana group would fininsh getting rid of Venturi and Brooks....

What? The question was what will make me happy, and I said I couldn't be happier than I already am, hell, unless you wanna hear something like "Us winning the Superbowl next year would make me happier." I would think that stuff like that would be understood. lol But probelms I and others have been screaming about for the last 2-3 years have FINALLY been addressed. Besides the obvious, there is not a thing this team could do now to "make me happy," they already have.

I'd like to take the time to say this....

http://www.prescotthats.com/images/4W-20420.jpg

She would complete my offseason program...
http://news2000.libero.it/img2/fg/20...silvstedt2.jpg

Okay, that second pick WOULD make me happier. lol

... I'm going to have to ditto Whodi on this one...

..can't be any more satisfied or happy than I am now with the team because:
1.- They are still in New Orleans
1.- Haslett is gone
3.- Venturi is gone
4.- Brooks is gone
5.- New coach comes from the Parcells tree
6.- FO took a gamble on someone with heart and leadership rather than a gamble on a 40 yard dash time.

.. as for FA signings, I always thought that there was just enough talent in the team to win, so I am more than willing to give the new coaching staff a couple years to see what develops with what they got...