Former Saints OL Carl Nicks didn’t feel love, respect from New Orleans
 

METAIRIE, La. — There isn’t one day that Carl Nicks doesn’t look at his decision to leave the New Orleans Saints for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in free agency this offseason and smile.

In fact, he referred to his situation in the bay area as “lollipops and rainbows.”

While there isn’t necessarily any animosity from him towards the Saints organization, he didn’t exactly leave the franchise that drafted him in the fifth round in 2008 with mutual respect.

“Everybody thinks it was the money,” Nicks said Wednesday. “But it really wasn’t. The challenge here is to be something that the Saints didn’t look at me as; a premier player that could be a leader.”

And yet, he left after signing a five-year, $47.5 million contract with $31 million guaranteed. The contract was the biggest for a guard in NFL history.
....

Nicks, for one, is looking forward to Sunday’s matchup against his former team.

“Why’s that?” he said. “For a whole bunch of reasons, but mainly so I can play the guys and play the team that let me go I guess.”

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:hott:

Re: Former Saints OL Carl Nicks didn’t feel love, respect from New Orleans
 

"Everybody thinks it was the money but it wasn't"

total BS, trying to make the team sound like it was at fault, he's the one that had attitude problems with the coaches and turned down our offer because Tampa offered 4 mil more

Re: Former Saints OL Carl Nicks didn’t feel love, respect from New Orleans
 

I get what he's saying but leaders don't run their mouth and go into hissy fits. Good, over paid guard. That's all he is at the end of the day and if someone wants to pay you more for that service you should go for it without question.

Re: Former Saints OL Carl Nicks didn’t feel love, respect from New Orleans
 

It seemed more like he already had his foot out the door anyways. They didn't "let him go". They just weren't going to pony up that kind of money just because he was ready to bolt if they didn't. Not about the money? Pshhhhh. Right.

Re: Former Saints OL Carl Nicks didn’t feel love, respect from New Orleans
 

What a puss.

Who knew the top NFL guard was such a little girl.

You got your ring, you got your money, YOU made YOUR decision for YOU.

Stop even insinuating that the Saints organization showed you any ill will.

Maybe your ring should've gone to Curello.

Re: Former Saints OL Carl Nicks didn’t feel love, respect from New Orleans
 

“lollipops and rainbows.” kinda says it all

Re: Former Saints OL Carl Nicks didn’t feel love, respect from New Orleans
 

signing a five-year, $47.5 million contract with $31 million guaranteed.

YEAH RIGHT !!!! LOL, You got your ring.

Re: Former Saints OL Carl Nicks didn’t feel love, respect from New Orleans
 

Carl, Rainbows and Lollipops?!? Really?!?

Tampa Bay Offense - Total Yards

2012 Rank - 27; Record Week 7 2-3

2011 Rank - 21; Record Week 7 4-2

It's early, but I wouldn't call that an impact player...

Now, is it rainbows and lollipops because now that you're paid you're in cruise control mailing it in? Don't have Coach Payton riding you?

Re: Former Saints OL Carl Nicks didn’t feel love, respect from New Orleans
 

Boohoo! Cry me a river you fat f***!

A former Saint who is trying to appease his new teammates and fans.
It's a Shane we couldn't keep him but that is life with a salary cap in force.
I'd rather he was still here but it was him or Colston(Brees was never going) and Loomis got it right.

Nothing to see here.

Re: Former Saints OL Carl Nicks didn’t feel love, respect from New Orleans
 

The Saints had one of the smallest budgets on the market this year and had to re-sign several key players, including Drew freaking Brees, yet still offered Nicks an extremely respectable deal... And he thinks they "let" him go? I already thought of him as a traitor, but now he's gone full blown cry baby.

I hope we knock him backwards all day and blow his team away.

Re: Former Saints OL Carl Nicks didn’t feel love, respect from New Orleans
 

I hope so too, I just don't know who on the DL can do it!

Re: Former Saints OL Carl Nicks didn’t feel love, respect from New Orleans
 

Feel the venom, LOL.
Carl went for the money and that's understandable. However, the story he's trying to sell is just crap.

Re: Former Saints OL Carl Nicks didn’t feel love, respect from New Orleans
 

why does it seem so many of our FA's go to another team within our division?? he got his ring already and now he got his cash...cant realy blame him for that but dont say we didn't show love and respect...PHA-Q

Re: Former Saints OL Carl Nicks didn’t feel love, respect from New Orleans
 

Nicks = drama queen

Re: Former Saints OL Carl Nicks didn’t feel love, respect from New Orleans
 

I've got no hard feelings for Nicks he was a real bad@$$ for the Saints, but it's hard to feel sorry for a guy getting paid $9.5 million per year.

Re: Former Saints OL Carl Nicks didn’t feel love, respect from New Orleans
 

He's even got his own street in Tampa:

Re: Former Saints OL Carl Nicks didn’t feel love, respect from New Orleans
 

I thoght it was spelled FAH-Q......either way you're right.:greendevil:

Re: Former Saints OL Carl Nicks didn’t feel love, respect from New Orleans
 

Oh get out of here with that BS, Carl! Everyone knows it was about the money.

Re: Former Saints OL Carl Nicks didn’t feel love, respect from New Orleans
 

Wait to feel the love when you guys come to the Dome.

Re: Former Saints OL Carl Nicks didn’t feel love, respect from New Orleans
 

This is the stance Shockey took and look at him.

Alaska

Re: Former Saints OL Carl Nicks didn’t feel love, respect from New Orleans
 

lol. I'm not sure who's gonna do that either, but I still hope it happens. In the second half of that Chargers game we started to get a really good push up front. I'm counting on that to continue.

Re: Former Saints OL Carl Nicks didn’t feel love, respect from New Orleans
 

Lets hope his former teammates shut him up once and for all, he did a whole lotta whining and got an offer that was way more richer than he deserved, he was lazy a lot of the times.

Re: Former Saints OL Carl Nicks didn’t feel love, respect from New Orleans
 

Just another former Saint mouthing off. We have all seen this type of stuff over the years, not a big deal. He simply went to the highest bidder, good for him, end of story!

Re: Former Saints OL Carl Nicks didn’t feel love, respect from New Orleans
 

I think this just proves that it was the right decision to let him go. Im sure he was given a chance to be a leader, but the coaching staff didn't see it.

Im sure also that the Bucs linemen thinks he walks on water, poo's unicorns, and his leadership role was given to him instead of earned in NO.

Re: Former Saints OL Carl Nicks didn’t feel love, respect from New Orleans
 

How could anyone view him as a leader when he got demoted to second string for mouthing off at the coaches

Leaders don't do that

Re: Former Saints OL Carl Nicks didn’t feel love, respect from New Orleans
 

Grubbs is cheaper and hasn't arguably been any worse or better than Nicks was, so in my book Loomis and the F/O made the right decision.

Nicks had an attitude problem while playing with the Saints - don't know what he was like in Nebraska - and I'm pretty sure that will continue in Tampa if this interview is anything to go by.

I still hope him all the best, but he really needs to grow up and be a man.

Re: Former Saints OL Carl Nicks didn’t feel love, respect from New Orleans
 

I love the smell of burning bridges in the morning.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_lWET_BXRU9...ing+bridge.jpg

Re: Former Saints OL Carl Nicks didn’t feel love, respect from New Orleans
 

Do ya feel the LOVE now Carl??? How about now?? Didn't think so.

Re: Former Saints OL Carl Nicks didn’t feel love, respect from New Orleans
 

I was wondering the very same thing ...

Re: Former Saints OL Carl Nicks didn’t feel love, respect from New Orleans
 

From 2008:

8. CARL NICKS, Nebraska (6-5, 341, 5.22, 2-5) - Described by Polian as "more of a road-grader type," Nicks has been to three schools and started at LT for one season only at Nebraska. "Whatever you can get, that's what he's got," one scout said. "He's lazy. Malcontent. Resistant to authority. Criminality. Divorced with kids. He transferred. Anything you would not want a guy to have, he has it all. Talented, but a mess." The best tackle at the Senior Bowl. "If he were Williams personality-wise or Long, he might be the best of them all other than Long," another scout said. Scored 18 on the Wonderlic. "He is talented, dude, but we're not going to touch him," a third scout said. "He's too smart for his own britches. He's not a professional. He'll always be on the edge."

Re: Former Saints OL Carl Nicks didn’t feel love, respect from New Orleans
 

It's NEVER about the money. It's about R E $$$$$$$$$$$$ P E C T lol

Re: Former Saints OL Carl Nicks didn’t feel love, respect from New Orleans
 

Hey Carl ya lost today.