JOESAM2002

August 7, 2006




Players show competitive streak with scooter races this week's saints training camp practice schedule



Joe Ellis/The Clarion-Ledger

Saints cornerback Jason Craft rides a scooter around Millsaps' campus Friday, heading from the dorm to the practice field. Several players have acquired the scooters for use while the team trains in Jackson and have even developed a racing spirit. During the team's off hours Sunday, scooter races were held.

Just because the New Orleans Saints had a day off from practice, it didn't necessarily mean a break from some fierce competition Sunday.

Not on the field. But in the Millsaps College parking lots.

Several Saints players have acquired motorized scooters to travel between the dorms, the practice fields, meeting rooms and the cafeteria on campus.

They're also having a bit of Motocross-type fun with them, too. Starting defensive end Charles Grant - all 6-foot-3 and 290 pounds of him - said some players use what limited free time they have during training camp to race their scooters.

To win these races, it takes more skill than speed because the scooters max out at around 30 miles per hour. About 10 players are zooming around campus on scooters, including Joe Horn, Fred Thomas, Mitch Berger, Mike McKenzie and Mike Karney among others.

"It's a 10-minute walk down (from dorms to Harper Davis Field), and this makes it like a 2-minute ride instead," Grant said. "You need a scooter around here. Guys are riding and having fun. We want to see who's got the fastest one."

Grant said the scooter riders don't wear helmets, but that they don't ride recklessly.

Several other team members pedal around campus on mountain-style bikes. Receiver Chase Lyman said he's tempted to get in on the action.

"I don't have anything yet, but I'm thinking about having someone go to the store and get me one," Lyman said. "It's a long walk back to the dorm after a double practice session. It looks like a lot of fun. You see guys riding around racing them. The good thing is I haven't seen any accidents yet."

The scooters are either red or black and are made by the same company. So players differentiate their rides by writing their jersey numbers on them.

In Horn's case, he has his nickname, "Wood," on his, which is short for Hollywood.

But this scooter thing can get serious. Last week, Berger was irate when he emerged from the locker room to see Horn riding off on what Berger thought was his scooter. Turns out, it was Horn's scooter after all.

"Just a misunderstanding, that's all it was," Horn said.

GAINING CONFIDENCE

Receiver Devery Henderson has caught a lot of flak from coaches, teammates and fans for dropping passes last week.

But Henderson, in his third season out of LSU, appeared to atone for some in Saturday's scrimmage at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium.

Henderson hauled in two clutch passes from Drew Brees in traffic during the scrimmage. Henderson will try to continue that momentum when practices resume today after an off day.

"I struggled early on in camp with dropped balls," Henderson said. "But mentally, I have forgotten about that and have moved on. I'd rather have it happen early in camp than let it linger on into the season."

IS OL HELP ON THE WAY?

Saints coach Sean Payton has had training camp roster spots open up due to attrition and might look to bring in help for a banged-up, struggling offensive line.

There's been talk that former Ole Miss standout and NFL veteran Todd Wade might be interested in a tryout, possibly this week. Wade was released by the Texans last month, two years into a six-year, $30 million contract.

Wade spent four seasons at Miami before going to Houston in 2004. He is recovering from knee surgery that ended his 2005 season.

Payton was non-committal when asked about Wade. "I've heard of him," he said, declining to comment further.

-Michael Wallace

Sometimes it's better to keep your mouth shut and be thought an idiot, than to open it and remove all doubt!!!!!

"Every time you think, you weaken the nation!" Moe Howard...The Three Stooges.

saintswhodi

They were using scooters last year too. But now they are racing them, in a parking lot? Um, no. Let's not. As far as Chase Lyman, you NEED to walk. Stay as far away from ANYTHING that could harm you as you can Mr. Glass. Keep the mountain bike, no motors for you kid. But, why would the coaches let them race scooters in a parking lot? Huh?

xan

Just another thing to pimp out. 30mph and no helmet. I can't believe that Payton lets this kinda numbskullery go on.

RockyMountainSaint

Oh, Come on!
If you guys were in their position you would probably do the same thing. I know I would.
Let's not make this out to be Ben Rothlisberger riding the fastest street bike on the market with no helmet. Or Kellen (I'm a M-F-in Soldier) Winslow popping wheelies in a parking lot.
One word Ladies... SCOOTERS!
Please skip the helmet line too. Can You imagine the fun the Falqueens or Sucs fans would have with pix of our players riding SCOOTERS in Helmets?
Jeez!

JOESAM2002

Guys, remember one thing. These ren't the biggest parking lots their talking about. It's Millsaps College, not LSU or Ohio State(for all you yankees) . I'm staying in a hotel right on the campus and the guys can't race fast or far. They're just having fun.

LongTimeFan

If I'm their coach I'd take the scooters away from them and tell them to play cards or checkers..
I wrecked my Goldwing in 2002, I was only going 25-35 MPH and I ended up in the hospital for two days and had to use a cane for 2 weeks, I hit a guard rail in Baton Rouge which threw me to the pavement..

RockyMountainSaint

We aren't talking about Vespas or mopeds here.
Picture the Razr scooter that kids ride with a small motor and chain attached to the rear.
Honestly!
Do we want to put these young men in Bubbles because they are athletes?
Should Bill Gates walk around in a helmet 24 hrs a day because his brain is too valuable to Microsoft?
I prefer what is happening with our team this year to the Bengals' situation. Also no one has stolen money from a rookie's locker (Albert Connell).
If y'all want to then proceed. I will sit back and
"Boys will be Boys".

I'm no one.
Who are you?

LongTimeFan

I'm for fun too but freak accidents happen all the time, here where I live there's a collage near by (UL) and I heard today that one of their players hurt his ankle just by jogging (alone), he will have surgery real soon and is out for the entire season, can you imagine a 300 pound man falling to the ground even though it's only 30 MPH?, a heavy person can easily break his wrist falling to the ground, then what?
I think you'll get different views on this topic, I'm pretty sure there's no right or wrong comment on this..
IMO I don't think it's safe enough for a player to ride a scooter or even a bicycle right before the season starts..
Maybe I'm going overboard with this, who knows for sure?

Rest In Peace JoeSam, thanks for everything my friend.

RockyMountainSaint

I was a soldier for 17 yrs. I was a leader and part of my job before any training event was to submit a Risk Asessment Worksheet.
Some risks can be mitigated by controls. You suggest mitigating risk by forbidding scooters and bicycles.
In the case of the UL player the risk could have been mitigated by prohibiting jogging by players.
Do you really want to do that?
In the case of the Saints and all other NFL teams a ban upon two-wheeled vehicles could be imposed. This would be mitigating a risk.
The risk I think you run is; You are dealing with peofessional athletes whose job is to be reckless with their bodies, albeit controlled.
You are also dealing with young men who are considered heroes in most phases of their lives.
You are also dealing with RICH, PRIVELEGED men who live in a Dormitory and are away from their families.
The risk of prohibiting this behavior could be a "Boot Camp" mentality. Does Peyton want to be thought of like Coughlin was a year ago in New York and risk losing his team?
As you stated. There are many ways to approach this situation. Who is to say what is right?
Sean Peyton is that person.
If a player has a freak accident and is lost for the season (why couldn't AB have had a scooter 4 yrs ago?) then he will have to deal with his decision to allow scooters.
If the players appreciate this allowance and admire their coach for it then I think we all could win with a better season and an un-divided locker room........... or maybe it's just a bunch of mularkey and we don't have anything better to do while we wait for the Peyton, Drew and Reggie experiment to play itself out.

I'm no one.
Who are you?

Iron-Head

let them have their fun, xcept Chase. He's got to walk.


with bodyguards


and while we're at at, see if we can borrow the michelin man's suit to wear in practice, just in case