pakowitz

By Dan Indest - SaintsReport.com Staff Writer - 4:48 pm CST

The Saints collapse over the final weeks of this season has caused the coaching staff and players to squirm quite a bit any time a tough question is asked. The fans are the one’s that ultimately pay out every single dollar pocketed by an NFL owner, coach, or player, so is it too much to ask that the “coach-speak� and double-talk occasionally be kept to a minimum? It’s not like we fans can get a refund if we are disappointed in the product, as the NFL has made it quite clear that “All Sales Are Final�. Caveat emptor!
In recent weeks it has become obvious that New Orleans Saints head coach Jim Haslett (aka “The Artful Dodger�) is suffering from some sort of denial when it come to his team’s performance in the second half of the season. On his weekly radio show on WWL recently, he blamed the media and television coverage for some of the problems. When a caller asked what he thought of Dale Carter’s yucking it up with a Bengals player after that dismal performance in Cincinnati, he said that there were too many cameras on the field and too many radio sports shows. C’mon Jim, this was the 1-13 Bengals, is it too much to get a straight answer out of you as to why the team showed zero heart or passion during a game that had major playoff implications and why the players showed such a “don’t give a damn� attitude afterwards? I may not always agree with the media, but they are the only conduit fans have with the coaching staff and players and should be accorded more respectful and informative responses to fair questions.

Then there was Coach Haslett’s recent quote in Pro Football Weekly wondering why the “fans are so negative�. Could it be, that after starting off to a 6-1 against some very stiff competition, our team proceeded to show a lackadaisical attitude and no sense of urgency as the season wore on? Could it also be the lame excuses the fans received week after week about how hard the team played and that “we just have to get better�? Why try to shift the blame onto the fans? That’s a pretty low blow to cast a shadow on the folks that have filled the dome every week this year and screamed their hearts out in support. Sure there were some boos during the final game of the year against the vaunted 6-9 Panthers, but considering the great field position and turnover opportunities the Saints had, putting up more than 6 points might actually have been met with some cheers. Just remember, it’s the fans that pay the piper, so they are entitled to vent a little when they hear one sour note after another.

After the Carolina debacle, the post-game interviews were also filled with more “we just have to get better� and “I don’t know what happened� type comments. If the players and coaches honestly don’t know the answers to these questions, maybe they should seek employment in a different profession. Aaron Brooks also let us know that he was disappointed with the booing from the fans, but was quick to remind us that we have had a very entertaining offense this year and that he led the league in touchdown passes. He also made it clear he doesn’t play for the fans but his love of the game. What he failed to mention that he was well down the list in most other QB statistics. Obviously he and the coaching staff just don’t get it. The fans want wins, division titles, playoff victories and Super Bowl appearances. It appears the fans have set higher goals than the players and coaches.

As bill-paying fans, is it too much to ask that we get a straight answer once in a blue moon? There has to be some accountability. We foot the bill and we want some answers. Now that I think of it, maybe that’s the real reason Randy Mueller was fired. He was too open with the fans.

JOESAM2002

Great post Pak. :casstet: