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It looks like the New Orleans Saints will hold training camp in Metairie this July, at least based on coach Sean Payton's initial assessments. The Saints have held camp at their practice facility since 2009, but held camp in Oxnard, Calif, for a week in 2011.


The Dallas Cowboys usually hold their training camp in Oxnard, and will be at that site again this year.

The dates for the Saints 2013 training camp haven't been announced yet, but players had to report last summer on July 24. The Saints, who finished minicamp Thursday, plan to hold one more week of OTAs, and then they'll get a break before camp begins.

"When we've traveled, a lot of times, it's been the second or third preseason game. I don't anticipate us doing that," Payton said. "We talked about training camp the same way. Right now, I see this camp being here, and us focusing with our team."

Payton said he spoke briefly with Oakland Raiders coach Dennis Allen about practicing together, but doesn't see that happening either.

Wide receiver Marques Colston, who has been with the team since Payton's first year in 2006, said it doesn't matter to him where they hold training camp. The Saints held camp at Millsaps College in Jackson, Miss. from 2006-08.

"It's still kind of away from everything, everyone's in the hotel," Colston said. "It's the same type of experience. And it gives us a chance to be close to our fans. We enjoy that part of it too.

"No matter where you go, you can't escape the heat."

New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton plans to hold training camp in Metairie | NOLA.com

Rugby Saint II

The Raiders wouldn't practice with us? WTF? Is our reputation as thugs really that bad?

jeanpierre

The first thought I had when I first saw this picture was -

"OMG, HARPER'S VETERAN TUTELAGE HAS RUINED HIM -

GET YOUR HANDS UP AND CATCH IT, DON'T LISTEN TO HARPER!!!"

Then I noticed the passer to the left - Whewwwww...

QBREES9

The Raider scared.

Crusader

Saw this comment to th article and thought it was pretty funny:

At the beginning of minicamp, I told of my encounter with an entire family of whodats nesting just outside the saints training facility in Metarie. I researched the species and this is what I learned:

The wild whodat is native to the south Louisiana and Mississippi Gulf Coast areas, with a few having been spotted along the Alabama coastline. While it is not unusual to see these creatures singly, it is indeed rare to spot a whole family comprised of Mom, Dad, and three small offspring together and at the same time nesting on the same blanket. Of course, a large flock can be seen at any Saints event, but each family member is doing something different, offspring preferring to not be seen with the adults.

The adult male, while an excellent provider for his family, is notoriously inept at preparing food indoors and dressing the offspring, so mom takes over those chores. She also must arrange for the dressing of her husband, lest he leave the house in different colored socks and reflecting back on her. The offspring in my experience, in this case, were extremely well-behaved, but that's perhaps they were in public and under some sort of mortal threat for embarrassing their parents, but that's just a guess.

The wild whodat can be identified using a variety of methods. They can often be seen carrying a white football with one brown panel, for example, asking grown men dressed in black and gold for an autograph. Their strange call of WHODAT WHODAT!! is especially prevalent in metropolitan New Orleans and environs every Sunday... sometimes Monday nights... between early September through late December. 'WHODAT' may also be heard, only louder than ever, after December, depending on whether or not the Saints make the playoffs.

The whodat has very few natural enemies. One is the falcon, which is rarely successful in winning a confrontation anyway, and another is the hated Goodellsnake... a sneaky predator who capitalizes on any lapse of judgement by trying the kill the very spirit of the whodat. This tactic never works, however, but rather makes the whodat even stronger and more determined to strive and thrive.

It was a pleasure and privilege to witness this rare sight, and I look forward to finding another family of whodats in it's natural habitat, all together in the same nest. Help me watch, will you?

W.T. Sherman is my favorite General. After all he did order Atlanta to be burned to the ground.

dizzle88

Made me chuckle lmao

TheOak

Considering the sort of seasons Oxnard produces. Dallas is a perfect fit and we should steer clear.

Choupique

i seem to recall a team named the raiders that had a decent season or two, many decades ago.

who gives a shat what the raiders do. seriously.