thefaniw

After two years of banging my head against a wall, a fellow Saints fan and I have figured out why the Saints fired Randy Mueller.

January 2000: Benson Hires Randy Mueller.

February 2000: Mueller Hires Jim Haslett.

2000: Haslett and Mueller team up to lead the Saints to a 10-6 record and their first playoff victory.

2000: Saints fans are on cloud nine.

2001: Saints get off to a 7 and 5 start, and every thing is gravy.

2001: Saints finish with 4 straight losses to end the season 7 and 9.

2001: Mueller and Haslett only have one year left on their current contacts.

2001: After taking a long look at Haslett’s lack of coaching ability (i.e. onside kick vs. Rams on Monday night after we already had the momentum, not punting on 4th down inside the to play field position football, always selecting to go for it and putting the defense in a horrible position, Refusing to bench rich vs. San Fran after 4 3 fumbles on 12 carries. Letting Darryl Terrell single handedly invite Grant Winstrom to the Pro Bowl after Willie Roafs’ injury) just to name a few.

January 2001: Since Mueller cant make line up decisions, he immediately cuts Terrell since Haslett wouldn’t bench him, and puts Ricky Williams on the trading block since Haslett is content with letting him fumble games away.

Sometime between January and May of 2002: Mueller figuring that Benson has enough since to know that he (Randy) was the mastermind behind the teams success approaches Benson about making a coaching change immediately. Benson flips out because his team was a year removed from a playoff victory and believes that there’s no way that the head coach is responsible (keep in mind that our owner knows nothing about football).

May 9th 2002: Benson feels that Mueller is on a power trip and fires him.
Mueller’s’ recognition of Haslett’s lack of coaching ability (which led to his firing) is published as “a lack of communication� and “differences in management style�.

August 2002: Haslett sends a 4th round pick to the Bengal’s for Curtis Keaton (enough said).

September 2002: Saints give quarterback Aaron Brooks a six year 36 million dollar extension which Mueller wanted him to earn before paying him.

The Saints go on to finish season 9-7 and out of the playoffs. No use in detailing the four game COLLAPSE!!!

March 2003: The world knows that we need a LB. We make no attempt to sign Takeo Spikes (we later sign Derek Rodgers and Orlando Ruff).

April 2003: Haslett puts together the worst draft in Saints History (and there have been many) and also trades for a backup safety (no name required) and then proceeds to pay him 30 million dollars (no need to mention why no name is required).

December 2003: Benson dances after Saints finish season 8-8 (I guess he’s bought into Haslett’s repeated “little things� excuse.

January 2004: Saints fans finally realize what Mueller realized during the 2001 season. Jim Haslett has zero coaching ability.

We also realize that Mueller brought the once hated Jay Bellamy to New Orleans for a reason, but the coach had no idea how to use him

2004 Prediction: Everyone knows that we need a shut down corner: Woodson, Bailey, and McAllister are all free agents. We wont get any of them. Haslett also mentions that we need another DT (but he cut Jackson). How many dollars do you want to bet that he wont talk to Sapp.


Pass it along. The Mueller mystery has finally been solved.

saintz08

Damn and all along most people were convinced it was because

1. Mueller let Joe Johnson go to Green Bay without so much as an attempt at resigning him , most owners hate it when a popular player leaves without proper contractual negotiations .

2. Mueller had a serious problem in signing players with talent and character issues , like Connel and his little thivery problem . Owners love giving large signing bonuses to players , with no return .

3. And the final kick in the low region , Mueller deals away a name player named Ricky Williams without final authorization from the owner while Benson is trying to get support from the state .

4. I am sure the little Atlanta interview Mueller had , was not much of a stumbling block in the working relationship .

I am sure these were all insignificant moments in Saints management history , since they were not mentioned but this one was .....

\"Americans play to win at all times. I wouldn\'t give a hoot in hell for a man who lost and laughed.\" - George S. Patton
On another note, I\'ll take a bite of that crow 08. - Saintfan
Brooks is a moron!! - Halo

thefaniw

Dear Saints 08,

Connell was a bust, and the next year he was gone.
every free agent you sign wont work out for the best.

But C\'mon, we signed a backup free safety to a 30 million dollar contract.

Lets not Forget that mueller was the draft mastermind,

Darren Howard, Deuce, Charles Grant, Bentley, and (i\'m a little hesitant to say) Stallworth.

Why not trade Ricky, he fumbles way too much and has a career rushing average of 3.99 yards per attempt. Who cares how Benson felt about it.

He also sigend Horn, Pathon, and Grady Jackson, who Haslett latter cut.

And quite Frankly Joe Johnson hasn\'t finished a season since h\'es been in Green Bay. He wanted way money to much for a 31 year old DE.








Black and Gold For Life!!!!!!

saintz08

Obviously Tom Benson did .......



Tom Benson opted for better \"communication\" and named Mickey Loomis the GM.

\"It had to do with the management style. If you work for me or I\'m working for you, we have to get along and be mutually respectful of each other in order to make the right decisions,\" Benson said after Mueller\'s firing. \"The decision I made [May 13] had nothing to do with wins and losses, it had to do with the style of management, the style of communication and what we want to do.\"

The GM change came two months after New Orleans traded Williams to Miami for a first-round pick (No. 25) in the 2002 draft. The clubs also swapped fourth-round picks in April\'s draft. The Saints will receive a third-round choice in \'03 that could become a No. 1 based on Williams\' performance with the Dolphins this season.


[Edited on 6/1/2004 by saintz08]

\"Americans play to win at all times. I wouldn\'t give a hoot in hell for a man who lost and laughed.\" - George S. Patton
On another note, I\'ll take a bite of that crow 08. - Saintfan
Brooks is a moron!! - Halo

deadflatbird

UGH... Randy was fired as GM but he was still with the organization -still under contract and collecting a check from Benson- He was even in the draft room this past drat. However, I think his contract is up this year.

ami2kind4words

That was not Randy but Rick Mueller his brother in the draft room

saintz08

For what it is worth :

4/22/03 -
Sportsline.com journalist Jay Glazer will be in the New Orleans war room, reporting on the Saints draft all weekend and former Saints GM Randy Mueller will be working for ESPN.com answering questions on the draft.

thefaniw

We should not mistake Rick for Randy:

Randy Drafted Darren Howard in the second round.

Rick Drafted Johnathan Stichcomb.

Big Brothers Rule.