LKelley67

with these new posters saying hello i thought i should introduce myself more. i have read posts on this site for a couple of years but only started posting myself a coupla months ago. that is probably because i just moved back to louisiana in the past year. even tho i have lived in overseas and mostly in alaska for over 20 years i have always been a saints fan. i think saintLB and i may be the oldest posters here. i am old enough that i had saints football cards before they played their first game- gary cuozzo, ernie wheelwright, etc. i saw walter "the flea" roberts run back the first kickoff at tulane stadium for a touchdown, dempsey's kick, manning running for his life. i always told my dad you had to give an expansion team time to gel. the end of stram in '77 was exciting being the first team to lose to tampa bay and like 33-10 or something too. the bucs were like 0-26 to start their franchise and had been shutout at least 6 times that year. i was excited in '78-79 when manning was player of the year, thunder-n-lighting muncie and galbreath were running, wr wes chandler and te childs were pro bowling. dirty mean conrad dobler was on the o line. over ten years and they were approaching .500! LOL. in 1979 they played the raiders on a monday night game. it looked like they had a shot at the playoffs. they were up like 28 or 35 to 0... and then lost! that generation of hope fizzled with that game. they started the next year 0-12, nolan was fired and my dad still asked me how my expansion team was doing. i moved out of la in the 80's and actually was able to lessen my devotion to the saints. i never had allegiance to another team, more just not caring about football so much. it didn't last long tho. all it took was mora coming, some actual winning teams, and playoff contention. (so sad we were stuck with the 49ers during their glory years). getting satellite tv in the 90's i got to see them more too. i didnt know too many people surfing the internet before i did in the mid 90's either. this really opened up access and more detailed knowledge of the team. so since that time my following has only increased. i lived in places where there was no strong regional backing of teams. you could find as many cheeseheads as pats fans as black and silver wackos. i think anyone being a saints fan with the team legacy has a weird kinda respect from other fans. like, "you must really be a fan to support them". it is a legacy that is much like a cubs fan... next year baby. but we still hold out for miracles. it happened with the red sox didn't it? i just hope i get to see it in my lifetime LOL. i think it is hard to comprehend how stupendous a super bowl win would be here. i have told people around the rest of the country that they just don't know football as it is in the south, as in louisiana. it is a part of the lifeblood and culture. i have always said the saints world championship will truly be the people's championship here. fans that hearty deserve it! i think lsu winning the national championship was similar but still not as powerful as that would be. so i can rant and criticize but i am eternally hopeful, what else can i do?

as far as the current team... i think the biggest problems start from the top. benson is a money guy not an impassioned football fan. i think he is willing to spend enough for what it takes to win. i think he just doesn't have the football acumen to tell the difference between a finks or loomis. loomis is a good enough cap manager but that is it. i think haz is okay but i wouldn't have been disappointed if he was let go. getting an extension is pure management trying to put on a good front. now if and when he is let go it will cost more and reflect the ineptness of those above him even more.
for the team, i think this will be an extreme make or break year. you can only go .500 for so long. the cap situation will close the window of opportunity to "go for it" soon whether the team wins or not. i am a fan of fundamentally sound play and defense winning championships. i have given my best support of the current crew the past few years but the streakiness and the late season extreme collapses (before '04) have worn me thin. i have supported brooks but now feel he characterizes the essence of the team these past few years- immense talent, wild hot n cold streaks, and terrible failures at some of the most critical junctures. his attitude and mouth have only gone downhill as well. the most similar qb in performance i think is jake the snake. i think if brooks is ever going to do anything it will be somewhere else. just like anyone, sometimes a job situation gets old, you stagnate, and a change can make a diff. i think his erraticness will not go away tho, just like jake in denver. i do not have any hope for significant overhaul this year tho. haz n loomis are still trying to justify their places and have too much riding on what is there. there is much to be seen in free agency and the draft. it is circulated a lot the t-buck will be released for the cap and someone different acquired. i would be impressed to see any such creative move not just for the team but to see them admit to the failure of that trade. haslett rides too many worn out horses before changing saddles (brooks shoulder, ambrose-thomas last yr etc). getting a veteran impact lb, not some hohum journeyman like rodgers or ruff would be tremendous. we'll see, i'll hope no matter what. what's another year after 37?

excuse the length, hope ya made it through LOL

--and i think info as this (more brief perhaps) would be good to do once a year in the offseason for all the regulars to have better dialogue and provide more reference.