The BeerMan speaks
 

BEHIND THE FACEMASK... Michael Lewis

Media guide musings: He's back! Wide Receiver Michael Lewis, who began the season on the physically-unable-to-perform list with a knee injury that robbed him of all but two games in 2005, has been activated from the PUP list and played last weekend. Lewis, 5-8, 173-pounds, is a popular New Orleans native and is one of the most feared kickoff and punt returners in the NFL. Now in his sixth NFL season, Lewis ranks second in team annals with 212 kickoff returns for 5,125 yards, trailing only Tyrone Hughes (229 for 5,717 yards).

In the punt return department, Lewis has 128 returns for 1,385 yards and is the club's all-time leader in both returns and return yardage.

Favorite pro team growing up: Thats easy. I grew up here in New Orleans and have been a Saints fan my entire life.

College team growing up: Nebraska and LSU.

Favorite non-football sport to play: I have always liked playing baseball. I was a shortstop.

To watch: Basketball and it doesnt matter if it is college or pro.

Favorite player growing up: Walter Payton.

Whats on the iPod when you work out? I dont listen to an iPod when I work out, but my music tastes are really varied.

Toughest 1-on-1 match-up youve ever faced: Allen Rossum.

Favorite game youve watched as a fan: The Minnesota Vikings vs. the Dallas Cowboys. It was the game Tony Dorsett scored on the 99-yard touchdown run (January 3, 1983 in Minneapolis).

Toughest loss youve ever had as a player: There are all hard to swallow. They all hurt the same.

My Favorite Restaurant and Food in New Orleans: Copelands.

My Favorite team right now not named Saints: The Minnesota Timberwolves.

Best advice you ever received: My grandmother told me that if I put God first, everything else will fall into place.

How were you discovered by the Saints? Playing football in the Arena League, first for the Louisiana Bayou and then for the New Jersey Red Dogs.

Toughest rivalry youve been a part of: Saints vs. Atlanta.

TV show you cant miss: Its no longer on, but I really enjoyed watching 24.

What kept you going when you were working the other jobs; dreaming of playing in the NFL: The belief that I knew if I just got a far chance that I could make it in the NFL.

Favorite movie: Jerry McGuire.

What were your emotions coming out of the tunnel last week and the crowds reception of you? It was a very emotional moment for me. I had tears in my eyes. I ran down the field after my name was called and took a knee in the far end zone and said a prayer. It was a moment Ill never forget.

http://neworleanssaints.com/newsroom...articleid=3038

Good Q&A.
But Copeland's?
Good Grief!

RE: The BeerMan speaks
 

Copeland's?????
How about Mother's...Brennan's...Court of Two Sisters...Comander's Palace....That guy needs to get our more

Re: RE: The BeerMan speaks
 

And we should give him that opportunity by cutting him. Waste of a roster spot.

RE: Re: RE: The BeerMan speaks
 

Court of Two Sisters? What kind of food do they serve there and where is it located?

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French Quarter. Royal Street. My best bud's grandma worked there as a bartender at night for the longest time.

Whatever...Beerman's time has come and gone. He was a great story and he left his mark. But it's over. It was a mistake bringing him back. He doesn't have "it". Before his injuries he ran with reckless abandon. Now he runs like he's about to get hit. Time to move on.

You ladies sound like jilted ex-girlfriends. I didn't see a lot of tentativeness on his returns against the Ravens. It was his first game in a long time, and this staff won't pull the "run to the sidelines because we're thin at WR" crap that Haslett was fond of doing. Yeah, he looked really scared on that 46 yard return, right? To me he looked mad that he didn't break loose for the TD. What's that thing Saints fans are supposed to have? Oh yeah...faith. Try it sometime.

Amen.

I'm so tired of "fair weather" Saints fans' pessimism after one loss (to a good team I might ad). Look....Lewis is a native of New Orleans. Do you really think he's not going to give everything he's got to his team & his city? I don't. Honestly....he looked better at KR against the Ravens than anyone else I've seen so far this year. Let the man do his job & support him instead of complaining. I really don't think Payton would play someone on Sundays who was not going to give their all. This is not the Haslett era anymore.

Re: RE: Re: RE: The BeerMan speaks
 

Whodi, we have something new in common. My grandfather was the accountant for The Court of the Two Sisters for many years. His name was Lee Calogone. My other grandfather, Gardner Boulmay, had his name etched in a brass plate on the bar. You should ask your best bud's grandma about it. Great place for those who haven't been yet.

- Lengai

RE: Re: RE: Re: RE: The BeerMan speaks
 

It's a good thing that Beer Man is back! He looked great against the Ravens. He looks like he still has his speed. That is such good news considering that Reggie Bush has an ankle injury, and has not looked very good returning punts. (Yes, one exception was the game vs Tampa). It is time for Beer Man to take over all return duties. He give the Saints their best chance at superior field position, and the chance for a TD. GO BEER MAN!!!

i dont see how people can say he is a waste of a roster spot. by far he is the best threat on special teams to score and can also tackle on special teams. i agree take reggie off of returns and keep lewis there. i hope he plays receiver some also. geaux lewis

Cool DJ. Don't get to talk to my bud's grandma, or my bud much for that matter since the hurricane.

As far the rest of ya'll, hell ya'll smoking? How is someone a fair weather fan cause they aren't all over the Beerman? He hasn't been good in 2-3 years and he just came back from knee injury. He's a complete non-factor in the passing game as well. He had ONE good return out of what, 5? Who the hell cares? I saw the same skittering to the sidelines it has been ever since the year following the one season he WAS good. I don't care where he is from, he could have grown up on my block in pigeontown, he is old and done and adds nothing to the team. He WAS a good story in his first year, now he's just a guy scared to get hit. My feelings on him have nothing at all to do with the loss to the Ravens, and EVERYTHING to do with the player he had become before he got hurt. Please.

That part wasn't directed at you, whodi. I know you bleed Black & Gold.....same as me. That was directed at all the "doomsdayers" posting lately (after the Ravens game) about how the Saints are going to go down the tubes again after the loss. As for Michael Lewis......give the guy a chance. He may surprise you. I know he hasn't been up to par since that Pro Bowl year, but he is healthy now & still has tons of speed, not to mention solid coaching in his favor. It's not like we were lighting it up on kick returns anyway. He could still very well be an improvement.

Different coaching staff, completely different philosophy, and he's not being asked to be the 3rd WR. Give it a couple games before you call him a waste of a roster spot. I'd say Lance Moore was a waste, with his dropsies and only one or two decent returns in 6 games. It's not like we dropped a vital player to get Lewis back, which is the only way I could see it reasonably being called a waste. I'd rather have Lewis back there returning kickoffs than Stecker, what with the somewhat iffy RB corps.

I say welcome back Beerman!!! We've tried everyone and their grandma back there and it didn't make any difference. I believe He was ranked 5th in returns before his injury so I don't see what the problem is. Doesn't matter what his age is as long as he can still be productive. Plus he's the only one experienced at the moment to do it.

I guess he has to break it for a TD everytime he gets the ball for some people. Field posistion is vital and if he gives us the best field position and doesn't muff the ball i'm all for him. Lets see what he does in game two then maybe discuss further.

Who said he has to break it for a TD every time? Strawman argument, stick to the facts. FACT: Lewis has been getting steadily worse since his breakout year. FACT: Stecker and Lewis career return averages are pretty damn similar. FACT: Lewis is old and coming back from knee injury. FACT: 6 returns on Sunday, Lewis was averaging 22.7 even with the long return. This year Stecker was averaging 21.6. Ohh, a whole yard difference. FACT: These are the yard lines we started at with each of the 6 returns: 20, 30, 48, 27, 13, 25. Break out the champagne. I'd rather see a young guy learning in that spot than have it wasted on a guy who is done, and gets one good return out of 6. We can get that out of Stecker.

we should be more worried that we had 6 kick off returns than who is returning them

In onw game he's done better than Stecker in 6. Obviously Lewis is not Done. And when Field posistion is important in starting drives I'd take working experience over Rookie in training any day.

"His last full season was 2004, when he ranked third in punt returns in the NFC with 382 yards on 34 returns, including one of 53 yards. He ranked sixth in the conference that season in kickoff returns with 1,215 yards on 51 returns, including a 96-yard touchdown."

http://www.theadvertiser.com/apps/pb...610240313/1006

Joe Horn is old too and his numbers haven't been great latley. You calling for his head too?

Hmm, we seemed to do plenty fine today without Joe playing a down. We have a different QB now remember? One that looks for more than Horn? Maybe we can bring back Tryone Hughes too. He once did something in a Saints uniform and is prob pretty old by now. :roll:

Hey I give the Beerman some props.... he is doing great on the KR.... and PR....

Outside that fumble right? Oh, and the punt return where he was brought down one on one against a defender? That dude is toast.

Who else shall we throw to the wolves, whodi? Bush, since he's only broken loose for one TD? Stecker, because he hasn't done much at all? How about Jammal Brown? After all, a few of the sacks on Brees have come from his blind side.

Seriously, we're 6-2 in a ROUGH schedule and you're complaining about a guy who's just seeing his first game action in a year or so. Give him another game before you proclaim him done.

I could've sworn this WAS his 2nd game, and he looked worse than he did in the first one. Bring back one of those young kids and let them keep learning. The Beerman has gone flat. And WTF does talking about the Beerman have to do with anyone else? Strawman much? If you are gonna come late to a disagreement, at least be relevant. :roll:

Nice misdirect Whodi. My question was why aren't you calling for Joe's head because he lost step and his age and you just go into it's about the QB.

Seems we did fine with Lewis returning Kicks too. Don't see how you can say someone is losing their step when he was 6th before injury season. 2nd game in yeah he muffed the ball, no I don't like that, but he is our best option right now. Roll your eyes and strawman all you want but at the moment coach seems to agree too.

Hmm...

In a thread about the Beerman, you use Joe Horn as a deflection and I am misdirecting? Nice to meet you pot, it's the kettle.
Seems we were 5-1 before Lewis came back and started returning kicks. So it seems like we were doing just fine WITHOUT him back there. And the coach also agreed it was a good idea to let LeCharles Bentley walk for nothing. I fortunately don't think anyone walks on water no matter how much I like them, and I do thank the heavens for Sean Payton. That doesn't mean he can't make bad decisions. Might wanna find a better argument than that.

Don't need to find a better argument. I didn't misdirect. I asked why when one guy that is old and loses a step he's more valuable then another? That's not misdirecting just trying to find out what your logic is. Then you say it is the QB in Joes case. So Joe has or Has not lost a step? And we seem to be winning no matter who is in. So let all the old lost step players go and just play all the young studs at skill positions?

Oh and by the way NO ONE suggested bringing back a retired player. I got the sarcasim but it was another misdirect. Pot Kettle whatever.

Honestly If Coach cuts Lewis I'm fine with it but I don't expect to see any of the Younger Players do much better....even if we are winning.

Oh and where is Bently now?

I think you shoulda just moved on........

Do you still not see in a discussion about the Beerman Joe Horn HAS NO PLACE. I did start a thread wondering about Joe's future value to the team, but what Joe brings to the team FAR EXCEEDS anything Michael Lewis has ever brought to the team, ever. TO even bring him up is comical. And what do other players have to do with a discussion about the Beerman? I see, no arguments about the Beerman directly are working, so you make outlandish statements. The definition of strawman. You would have been better served saying notthing.

Which was after you brought up Joe Horn, which has/had no place in a Beerman discussion. See? And I didn't accuse you of misdirecting at that point, although I very well could have done so. Definitely should have moved on......
Hurt, with the highest NFL contract for a center ever. And here we are without a draft pick for him. You can't have meant to be making a point with that? :roll:

Just a question? How in the world can ya'll tout the job Coach Payton is doing, then second guess him about bringing back the Beerman? Something about that just doesn't add up.

i don't think we should cut him, but i think that this offseason we should part ways with him... i like him, but let's be honest, we already have a kick/punt returner (or two if you include stecker), and we could use the roster spot... he gave us a couple of good years, but those years are over and so we both should move on.....