Whose fault is that? You tell me??

spk, this is a look at the shiny lights over there and please ignore Haslett cause I want him to stay post. Don\'t get sucked in man.

The aftershocks always follow earthquakes. That appears to happen in the sports world, too, in the NFL world and right here in New Orleans.

The Saints are experiencing the aftershocks from Tom Benson’s firing of general manger Randy Mueller on May 9.

Prior to the unexpected beheading of the general manager, the three most important items in the offseason for the Saints appeared to be the extension of the contracts of Mueller, head coach Jim Haslett and quarterback Aaron Brooks.

None was accomplished, unless you consider the firing of Mueller by Tom Benson and the elevation of Mickey Looms to the role of GM as an accomplishment. But only in Tom Benson’s eyes.

Before we go into the present – the short-lived holdout of quarterback Brooks – let’s consider the continuing aftershocks of the Mueller earthquake. Just last week Sports Illustrated’s NFL feature writer Michael Silver penned this: “Tom Benson – I’m shipping you off to the Bolivian jungle, where you can try your penny pinching, no people skills, two-faced act on some beasts who don’t have to call you boss.

“After years of delusional devotion to Mike Ditka and Bill Kuharich, you luck into GM Randy Mueller and coach Jim Haslett, whose fresh leadership propels the 2000 Saints to the NFC West title and a playoff victory over the Rams.

“But instead of extending their cut-rate contracts, you wait a year. Then, after a disappointing 7-9 season, you make a bigger fool of yourself. On May 9, after the bulk of the offseason decisions had been made you fire Mueller for, well, nobody knows why.

“This is the same guy you used to invite on boating outings and loan your private jet, and he has no idea what went down. Now, as you continue to low-ball Haslett, you are the biggest buffoon in a league full of them.�

I don’t agree with many of the adjectives used by the SI writer, but I report them for two reasons:

1. Proof positive that the aftershocks of the Mueller firing continue almost three months later and that was before the unexpected holdout of Aaron Brooks.

2. I still haven’t been able to uncover a legitimate reason for the firing of Mueller although it appears to have been linked directly to money. I’ve learned that about a month before the firing, Benson talked to Mueller (only verbally) about a contract extension whose numbers would have kept Mueller on the bottom part of the league’s GM pay scale.

The extension of Haslett’s contract probably will be accomplished at approximately an average of between $2.2 and $2.5 million per season. But here’s the kicker.

Haslett has insisted upon control of the personnel decisions for obvious reasons. Since the shock of the firing of his friend and confidant Mueller, Haslett can envision a Benson hire down the road that would be an anchor unless he (Haslett) was in control of his own destiny – the final say in personnel decisions. This sort of arrangement would be dangerously similar to what Benson did after the death of Jim Finks. Try and have a “three-headed monster� run the team. Jim Mora, Bill Kuharich and Jim Miller.

But Mora had control (final say) on personnel decisions and that proved to be the demise of the coach and the organization.

There’s a long list of examples in the NFL where a coach has been a solid coach but not good on personnel decisions

I once asked Mueller why there were so many examples of head coaches being good teachers and coaches but weak on the personnel side. Mueller answered, “Because the coach is always thinking of right now while the GM is thinking about now and the future.�

The answer struck a chord remembering Mora made Alex Molden his No. 1 pick (11th overall) in the 1996 draft. That turned out to be a BUST, but Mora’s motivation was the Saints playing two passing teams, the 49ers and Rams twice a year and they needed a “shutdown corner.� Molden turned out not to be that man.

Mickey Loomis may get a contract extension beyond this season but it would be at Benson’s price – near the bottom of the NFL pay scale for GMs.

How will the short-lived Brooks holdout play out? I suspect Brooks may well play out this season (the last on his original four- year contract when drafted by the Green Bay Packers) earning $450,000 – behind the pay of 34 other players on the Saints roster including backup quarterback Jake Delhomme ($63,000) and Jeff Lewis ($550,000).

The Saints spent the entire offseason making personnel moves to give Brooks more targets – Dante Stallworth, Jerome Pathon and Deuce McAllister (as a receiver) without having any serious negotiations with Brooks. They built the offense around Brooks.

Here’s how it stands: The Saints have an offense built around a quarterback whom they might not have beyond the 2002 season. They have a coach who publicly has said, “Randy Mueller is the BEST general manager in football. I don’t understand (his firing). Plus a GM who publicly has said the same thing as Haslett about Mueller.

I can understand how some of the national media get carried away in describing what has happened in New Orleans.