Halo

By David Marks


Recently Saints head coach, Jim Haslett was interviewed by the
Times-Picayune. He seemed to dance around the "hot" questions and answered the rest with responses that just don't add up. So I have just one question for Haslett, "Does he really expect us to buy this?" Does he really think Saints fans are that moronic? Believe me, after 35 years of watching the Saints, their fans are probably the most knowledgeable of any. After all, if any fan in the NFL that knows what NOT to do as a team, it's Saints fans.

Here's a little excerpt of that interview with coach Haslett. However, I
decided to answer him with my own responses since no one seems to have the
nerve to tell him what Saints fans really think.

Haslett: (On if this season was more disappointing then last season) "Every
game in this league is hard. It's not like you're a Division I-A team
playing a I-AA team."

Saints fan: Uh yeah Haz. Do you really expect us to believe that's why you
lost to the Lions and Bengals? No one else seemed to have any problems with
the Bengals. As a matter of fact didn't the lowly Panthers put up 50+ points
on them? The only team the Bengals competed with was the expansion Texans.
So I guess that puts the Saints, Texans, and Bengals all in the same boat
then huh?

Haslett: (On the 2nd half collapse two years in a row) "I think both
finishes were two totally different situations. I don't they are related at
all. They're two totally different situations."

Saints Fan: Yeah, you're right Haz. Last year we collapsed against decent
teams. This year we collapsed against the bottom feeders of the NFL.

Haslett: (On if he had any regrets) "Personally, I don't have any regrets."

Saints Fan: No regrets?!? I can think of plenty that you should have
regretted. Here, why don't I just give you a list of my regrets? I regret
wasting money on Saints merchandise, I regret wasting money on Tickets, I
regret wasting my Sundays watching this team when I could've just watched
the films from last season, and lastly I regret thinking that the Saints
were actually going to not only win their division but make it to the
playoffs.

Haslett: "I think our coaches did a great job."

Saints Fan: Apparently you didn't watch your defense at all last season. Nor
your offense - starting with about week ten.

Haslett: (On if you could have any one play back from the season) "Probably
the two-point play against Minnesota. If you could rewind it and give me 15
minutes to stop and figure out how to stop that quarterback draw."

Saints Fan: Or you could've just used one of your remaining timeouts to
prepare for that quarterback draw. But maybe you thought you'd need them
during that last 10 seconds? Apparently you and Venturi were the only ones
who didn't know that draw was coming.

Haslett: (On how Mike McCarthy did) "Mike did an outstanding job. He calls a
good game. He knows the strengths and weaknesses of, not just the opponent
we're playing, but of our offense.

Saints Fan: Knows the strengths and weaknesses of opposing defenses?!?!? Is
that why when facing a Minnesota defense that ranked 30th against the pass,
he chose to run for his first 6 plays? Matter of fact he didn't even attempt
a run (With the leading rusher in the NFC, mind you) until the 2nd quarter.
Or how about when you faced a Bengals defense that was ranked 30th against
the run? Oh I'll give you credit, you tried at first but that "Stellar"
Bengals defense shut Deuce down didn't they? No problem, you'll just open it
up with the pass right? Uh..no. You attempted to run a total of 5 times in
the whole 2nd half. I can understand this if you are down by a lot of points
but you were actually up 13-7. Yeah, he really "attacked" the weaknesses of
opposing defenses didn't he coach?

Haslett: (On how Venturi did) "I think Rick does a great job. His defense
set the tone in the first two games. The numbers -- No. 27 in the league --
weren't where you want to be."

Saints Fan: If you think Rick did a great job then you probably would've
loved Carl Smith. Yes Venturi's defense did set the tone those first two
games. Unfortunately there were 14 more games left. And no, you don't want
to be 27th in the league - especially when there are only 32 teams in the
whole league.

Haslett: "I understand what everybody has gone through here since '67. But I
hope they understand that we're trying to win games, that we're trying to
win a championship. We're the only staff that has won a playoff game here.

Saints Fan: Trying to win games? Oh is that what you were doing? It was
really hard to tell the past 7 games just what in the hell you were trying
to do. Actually I'll give you the Bucs game - you did look like you were
trying to win that one. And I really can't believe that you just played the
"We're-the-only-staff-that-has-won-a-playoff-game-here" card. Yes we are so
grateful for that one win (at least we got that monkey off our backs) but
since then it has been downhill. So don't try to play on our "fear" of never
making the playoffs - we're used to that.

The truth is that Haslett has no clue what Saints fans have been through
since 1967. He doesn't understand that we've watched the same choking act
regardless of who is the head coach, GM, or players for this team. How could
he know? He's been here a total of three years. Do me a favor Haz, watch
about 32 more seasons of what you just put on the field last season and then
you might start to understand what it's like to be a Saints fan.

Oh and Haslett, if you think you got no support from Saints fans this year,
just wait until next season.


[Edited on 1/6/2003 by Halo]

WhoDat

Nice - his comments are mind boggling

PSno23

I will admit I do not post as much as others, but usually I try to refrain from arguing over opinions. Anyways, I\'ll throw in some of my two cents here. I was as mad as everyone else was after the last 3 games in that we essentially blew the playoffs three straight times. It happened, end of story. I think one thing we\'re overlooking is that this team did a lot better than anyone really expected them to. They started off strong, true, but then again, a lot of their wins were lucky, last minute plays. This is still a young team with a wealth of potential. Unfortunately, as fans, we\'ve endure these types of teams for awhile, so it\'s understandable why people would get so upset about it. I think given the proper off-season moves, we\'ll see a big turn-around next season. As for the QB situation, I\'m still backing Brooks. He still passed for 3500+ yards and was tied for the NFC lead for TD passes. Granted, he did fall out of sync towards the end, but I\'m guessing the huge outcry from the fans didn\'t help his self-esteem. I know if I was the QB and had to listen to the fans boo me while I was playing, I probably wouldn\'t play all that well either. Who knows if there would have been a difference had Jake been in there. But it\'s no use wondering what could have happened, the season is over. If Jake does get a better offer with another team, I wouldn\'t blame him for going and I\'d wish him all the luck in the world. I think it\'s really important right now, though, for us to stay behind this team and the head coach. I think we\'ll see a lot of good changes this offseason and I think we can pick up some top quality rookies in the draft. Don\'t lose faith in this team!!! GEAUX SAINTS!!!

Halo

Gatorman,
The article was written by David Marks a regular on this board. Just an FYI. Thanks David- let this reply give you a BUMP.

saintfan

Good Post PSno - nice to see someone with a level head about all this. It hurts me as much as anyone, but all these people calling for AB\'s head and Haz\'s job, in my humble opinion, are going too far. I\'m upset with Venturi, but I also realize he didn\'t have much to work with. I\'m upset with McCarthy, but I realize all the play callin in the world isn\'t gonna do much good when blockers don\'t block. I\'m even upset with Haz to some degree, but I also realize the Saints are a young team across the board (with a couple of exceptions) and I expect them to mature and learn how to win games...even when the team is collectively having a bad day.

I\'m disapointed about not being in the playoffs, but I\'m excited about the upcoming draft and the fact that the Saints will have plenty of cap room to play with (especially if they send Clemons packing as I feel they should). So, here\'s to what I hope will be a fruitful offseason!

C'mon Man...

saintfan

Where do you expect to get those answers gatorman? No one here is turning the other way with regards to the collapse. Some of us see it for what it was. Others are quick to want to place blame. Surely, there\'s plenty of that to go around. The team crumbled down the stretch, but I don\'t think it\'s a stretch to say this year and last year aren\'t related...no matter how much you and the so-called \"experts\" want to have Jim\'s head for it. Those so called \"experts\" are the same ones who said after the Giants/49\'s game that New York should have spiked the ball after the missed snap...Illegal! No one know\'s it all...not you, not me. You\'re looking from the outside in calling it like you see it...nothing wrong with that...you know what they say about opinions. I\'m thinking, tho, that the view from the inside might just be a little different. This team DID have enought to be in the playoffs, but with the defense it wouldn\'t have gone very far. Give Haz another year to build the team. Lets get a defense. And honestly, this past year was HARDLY the \"worst season in Saints history\". Please...

If you aren\'t gonna be positive about the team\'s future, then what are you gonna be? Are you gonna call for the removal of AB until you\'re blue in the face? Do you really think that\'s gonna happen? Now, after another season, if the results are the same, I\'ll be ready for a coaching change too, but you all seem to be screaming the same scream with no real solution. Who is available that you\'d rather have as the Head Coach? Let\'s hear you name some names...lets hear you suggest how the team should go about removing the Head Coach after it\'s most successful offensive performance EVER! Another collapse and maybe I\'m more in tune with you, but there\'s too much to look forward to right now. Yes, this team should have been in the playoffs, and if they had even half a defense they would be.

Do you really think Haz is gonna tell the media McCarthy stank it up as a play caller? Do you think he\'s gonna call the most loyal man in Saints history (Venturi) a loser so the press can quote him? Maybe Jim will take us to the Superbowl...maybe he won\'t, but I\'m not about to critize the man that coached the Saints to their ONLY playoff win...not yet...not without giving him every oppurtunity. Now, maybe we disagree, but I dont think he started here with much, and to this point I happen to think he\'s done a pretty good job.

Level Heads? Yes, sir, Level Heads. Thank God for \'em, cause some of you, in my humble opinion, are far too eager to dismantle and pretty darn good football team.

C'mon Man...

WhoDat

I gotta get my two cents in on this one. Expectations were not high at the beginning of the season, true. However, that is only because THEY TANKED IN 2001! They were a \"legitimate\" Super Bowl contender according to every analyst up until the Tampa Bay game of 2001. Then all of a sudden maybe it was too early. What?!

This year they beat every division winner they played. They lost to every last place team. They were only the fifth team in NFL history to go 6-1 and not make the playoffs. You\'re damn right expectations went up in week 6 when every team they had beaten was, at the time, considered to be a playoff team and they were tied for first place by record in the league.

To not make the playoffs against one of the weakest schedules in the second half of the season IS INEXCUSABLE. Period. Jim Fossil took over play calling for the Giants, and they made the playoffs because of it. They won their last four in a row I think. Our coach didn\'t even have the balls to bench his precious quarterback, who was injured, and over the last three weeks of the season may have been one of the five worst QBs in football. To make it worse, you have a back up QB (by the way the last three Super Bowl Champions were quarterbacked by back up QBs) who Haslett said could start on most other teams in the league. WHAT? Then play him!

I\'m not saying that optimism for next year isn\'t a good thing, but how can any of you believe anything will change? This will be the same team next year. Exactly. The talent level is likely to go up on defense, yes, but I guarantee that Brooks will still lose games thanks to his stupidity and Venturi\'s system will continue to be gashed by every team in the league. Haslett\'s job should be on the line. Brooks should be re-evaluated. And next year, when this team is 6-1 I don\'t want to hear it from you optimists. Wait until week 15.

\"Excuses, excuses, excuses. That’s all anyone ever makes for the New Orleans Saints’ organization.\" - Eric Narcisse


\"Being a Saints fan is almost like being addicted to crack,\" he said.[i]\"You know you should stop, but you just can\'t.\"

saintfan

Write down the names of the defensive players on the roster right now. Come back when training camp starts and tell me how many of those names are the same. Then attempt to convince me that it\'s the same team.

WhoDat

No, no - I said that the defense will have more talent. The system is probably more important for one, and for two, one or two free agents and a bunch of rookies isn\'t enough. My point is that I, for one, don\'t expect to see much difference in the results (WINS AND LOSSES) next year.

saintfan

I do expect to see a difference in the Wins and Looses next year, but then I\'m eternally optomistic...I\'m a Saints Fan! I just don\'t think that with a young team like this we should be ready to thow in the towel on the Coach and the QB. It takes time. I know we\'re all tired of waiting, but we\'ve finally got some people that have a clue. Everyone is down on \'em now because of the last three games, but would ya\'ll rather have Ditka back? Who do you people propose should be brought in as the new Head Coach? Everyone wants to listen to the \"experts\" as long as the\"experts\" are saying what they agree with.

Joe Theisman said, after the Cowboys drafted Troy Aikman, that Troy would never be a quality QB in the NFL...said he didn\'t have the smarts. People in Dallas didn\'t think Jimmy had the brains to be an NFL Head Coach. Well, it took \'em a few years and a few drafts and the rest is Superbowl history.

My point is you\'re all ready to scrap the whole damn thing in favor of a new QB and Head Coach. Why? We all agree this season\'s collapse bit the big one, and yes, Haz ultimately has to answer for it. It\'s just amazing to me how people can lose faith so easily. This team\'s problem(s) rest squarely on the defensive side of the ball. It has taken a couple years and some good drafting along with some slick trades to clean up the offensive side. Give the man a chance to work on the defense now.

Everyone is ready to bench or trade or otherwise be through with AB. I think he lost the Cleveland game...simple enough, but there were so many times during those last three games he received the snap only to look up and find himself on the run. No one in here has said word one about the lack of blocking...our offensive line crumbled. Where are all the comments about that? The offensive had the Vikings game one, only to see the defense give it back. How is AB at fault? He was hurt at the end of the year, yet he and the coaches insisted he could still play. I\'m as puzzled by this as anyone, but you don\'t bench a guy with his talent and skill so easily unless he\'s losing game after game on his own...I.E Kordell Stewart...and he simply hasn\'t done that no matter what some people in here want to believe.

This season was as frustrating a season as I can remember, but the \"quick\" fix isn\'t always the best fix. Cleaning house after Ditka left was something that had to be done, but the only house cleaning we need right now is on defense, and we all know that\'s about to happen. Keep the faith man. All of you act as if the Saints would rather lose than win...surely you know better. We all want it so bad...and we deserve it...and it\'ll come. Hang in there!

C'mon Man...