WHO DAT! WE DAT! WHERE YA GONNA BE AT???

Getting pumped!Ready to join the Who Dat Nation invasion, as we and New Orleans Saints take Superbowl XXIV!
Brees jersey, black n gold face paint, beads, second line umbrella... we be ready!
Denise and I flying out tomorrow 10:50 a.m. American Airlines, flight 2688. arriving Fort Lauderdale at 1:30 p.m.!
Staying at Courtyard Marriott Aventurra Fort Lauderdale.
I've been surfing web, checking out WWL radio and TV sites, nola.com, and anywhere else I can think of.. Very surprised that none of these "major" media outlets have organized a centralized gathering of info for Who Dats to know where to go, what to do, NFL activities, etc. (Or should I be surprised at their lack of effort?)
Have had to turn my radio dial counterclockwise ever since Vikings win.. the national media bias for the Colts is unbearable.
If I listened to all the shows, I would be eating my non-refundable plane tickets, selling my tickets, cancelling my Miami hotel and rental car. Why go? Every national analyst says Saints don't have a chance.
Bet you didn't know:
Peyton Manning is second to only God?
The Saints defense has no prayer of stopping the Colts offense? (And I thought the official stats show the Saints offense was #1 in total offense and # 1 in scoring...and that Brees had more TDs than Peyton this year.... )
The Saints pass rush is dirty and takes cheap shots on QBs?(but isn't the object to hit the QB? silly me.. )
Even without their best defensive player, Freeney, the Colts D is better than the Saints D (which was 2nd in NFL in takeaways..)?
The real NFC championship was Vikes vs. Cowboys?

As Tim Brando of CBS said, the bias is from lazy reporting and geography.
Lazy because the reporters only go by what they see on TV.
And what they see on TV is what the big boy media types (producers, on-air, etc..) are all located in Northeast of country, and all graduated and lived in Northeast.

Well gotta go now. Time to get crunk.

SAINTS FANS UNITE IN MIAMI!!!!

Okay, I'm surprised I can't find any sites or resources to unite Saints fans in Miami for pre-game partying and gathering!!!!
Here's some stuff I did find on nola.com:

so far I've found the following:
Friday night: Gordon Biersch,downtown Miami
Saturday: Bokampers, Shuck n Dive, Ft Lauderdale
Sunday: Super Tailgate Party, El Palacio Hotel, 1 mile from stadium. contact: Sheilafoster@yahoo.com. $21 pre-pay.. Here is link for more info: http://www.saintsreport.com/forums/showthread.php?t=149246
http://www.jayfosterlaw.com/blog/new...l-tailgate.cfm

Post valid info here or request to join my Facebook group: Roadtrip Miami! (search: Jeff Marcon, Kenner, LA)

WHO DATS UNITE! LET'S SHOW THE NATION WHO WE ARE!!!

Just the Chip the Saints needed

Sports fans have heard this cliche time and again: " He's playing with a chip on his shoulder."

As local and national media and fans pile on the 2009 New Orleans Saints for their late-season struggles, my guess is the chip has made a transformation.

In the lull that is a first-round bye, the New Orleans Saints by this time must have a mountain, not a chip, on their shoulder, as they rest, read and listen to all the pundits blab about their poor late-season play and the newfound greatness of the Dallas Cowboys and the Green Bay Packers.

The short-term memory loss of sports fans is amazing. Facts become blurred, and negative opinion rules the day.

Know when the last time Dallas won a playoff game? 14 years ago, 1996! Dang, that was so long ago, people then actually thought Ditka was a coaching genius.

Know how many playoff games Aaron Rogers has played in? None, zero, nada. Aaron Brooks started more games in the playoff neighborhood than Mr. Rogers.

After a sizzling 13-0 start, the Saints were the NFL darlings. Debates raged about whether they would go 19-0 and win it all.

Then the NFL prince Saints turned into a three-game losing streak frog, and everyone jumped off the pumpkin onto the teams-of-the-week, the Cowboys and Packers.

Romo this, Roger that.

The Saints? Forgotten. Dissed. Bad-mouthed. One-and-done. Overrated. More and more verbal piling on by everyone.

Know what? I'm glad.

Because players - and teams - of true character play best when challenged, when there is a cause to fight for (cue the Braveheart music and William Wallace battlefield speech...)

At this time in the NFL season and in this time of parity, very little separates the #1 seed from the #6 seed.

The one common thread heard over and over again about this Saints team, last year in 8-8 adversity and this year as they were crowned the in-season best, is they have players of character.

With great character comes great pride.

Often the rallying battle cry of "Noboby believes in us" is one that separates teams come playoff time.

The 2001 Rams and 2007 Patriots had the wrong kind of pride. In their case, everyone believed in them. That false pride cost each a Superbowl.

But teams with wounded pride, 2000 Giants, 2001 Pats, 2003 Panthers, 2005 Steelers, 2007 Giants, and the 2008 Cardinals, circled their wagons all way to the Superbowl over "Nobody believes in us."

You hear it all the time after a win, "The only people who thought we could win are in this locker room" or "No one said we could do it, so we decided to shut them up."

Hurt pride often is the great separator and motivator.

(Bill Simmons of ESPN has a great read on this "Nobody believes in us" factor:http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/100108 )
Right now, everyone is throwing their flaming arrows at the Saints, challenging their character.

Watch out, because men of character, and a Saints team of character with something to fight for is a dangerous animal.

A Who-Dat Nation in Collapse

As much as I love reading blogs, expert predictions and analysis, listening to sports radio, yada yada, I may now have to take do a sports-related version of a Carthusian monk vow.
Say what? Lucy, let me splain.
First some history:
Squirreled away in the French Alps, the monks of the Carthusian Order are considered by some to be the strictest order of the Roman Catholic Church. They don't eat meat, they don't sleep in intervals longer than three hours and they speak only when the work necessitates it.
My Saints-fan version of these vows: no King Cake, sleep as long as I want, and speak to only rational, informed people who have proper perspective of the Saints 13-3 season.
No question, my beloved Saints have hit a rough spot in the last 4 games.
I won't rehash my disbelief at fans reaction to the Saints late-season malaise. Been there, done that: http://marconsworld.blogspot.com/2009/12/13-2-saints-team-with-2-13-saints-fans.html
But the overwhelming tsnaumi of negative vibes about the Saints' playoff chances is hard to fathom. It's so bad, I joked with a friend today that I wouldn't be suprised if some people voted to vacate the Saints 13 wins!
Reality is that this is a new season, a season of complete hope and faith.
Every team is 0-0, but only one team won 13 games to get the #1 seed. (Hint to all the naysayers: this team would be the Saints.)
Rest and time to prepare will result in a Saints win come Jan.16.
Just ask Vegas: they say the Saints are still the favorite to represent the NFC in the Superbowl. (5-2 odds if you're wondering.)
And Vegas experts have something sorely lacking from the talking sports heads and sky-is-falling Who Dats: professional perspective.
My money is on the Saints.

Perfect Imperfect Ending

As LSU fans scream of getting jobbed by the PAC-10 refs at game's end, the last two plays perfectly summize LSU's imperfect season.
Let's get past the obvious first: Yes, the PAC-10 Umpire choked and blew LSU's only real chance at a last-second victory when he a) didn't apparently know the time urgency, b) didn't do his first job -clear the pile and place the ball for the next play, c) didn't notice immediately Bowman holding down Lafell and at that point either stop the clock or call a delay of gameon Bowman, and finally d) once he failed on these points, his reaction to call a personal foul was a direct result of his lack of attention to the first 3 pts.
Followup question: Why didn't the head referee step in and bring sanity to this all, and overrule the call?
Bottom line is at any sport, you NEVER lose a game because of one play. (3-4 dropped INTs, multiple dropped passes by LSU receivers, particularly Tolliver, no pass rush, Ridley's fumble, etc....)
Unfortunately the last closing, game-end plays simply are amplified because of the drama.
Now back to the bigger point. Poll any Tiger fan for their top issues with this '09 team and overwhelming consensus would have these in points in it:
1. Complete lack of game end time management
2. Highly questionable offensive play-calling
3. Lack of discipline aka numerous dead-ball penalties
4. Offensive confusion manifested in blown-assignments, mis-alignments, etc.

With 39 seconds remaining after Jefferson's 10-yard scramble to the PSU 49-yard line stopped the clock, LSU inexplicably throws a bubble-screen to LaFell netting a 4-yard gain directly in the middle of the slopfest field.

No timeouts remaining, awful footing in the middle of the field and you run a slip screen? Highly questionable play call.

Throw out the umpire choke, Hitt, a senior, just can't lose his emotions and throw Bowman off the pile. Hitt has to know better. Lack of discipline.

LSU then unexplainably took an eternity to line up for the next play (call it POMLTS - Post Ole Miss Lost Time Syndrome) : Jefferson had to motion for Ridley to line up correctly as a wide-out and once lined up properly, then took precious seconds to get the ball snapped. Complete lack of game-end time management once again.

Then the hook without ladder last play to Randle. Pass thrown to Randle, who turns and oops.. no one to pitch to. Game over. Offensive confusion manifested in blown assignments.

Oh, and who can pass up one last lagniappe question that haunted and aggravated LSU fans all season: Where was 5-star super-freshman Shepherd in this game!!??
No doubt, a perfect ending to an imperfect season.

A 13-2 Saints team with 2-13 Saints fans mentality

Enough already with the "same old Saints" mantra from the alleged diehard fans of my beloved Saints!
Yes, Saints fans have suffered a long laundry list of inglorious and humilating losses: the Lansford FG to end the Saints playoff run under Bum, the Vikings massacre in the Dome for the Saints' first-ever playoff game, the multiple "Hail Mary" Falcon daggers, and so many other fumbles and bumbles.
The pain of so many disappointments is etched deeply in the New Orleans sports pyche. You can feel it when hopes are high, and there is still an aura of "Yeah, but..." always present, a lingering sense of doubt, fear and inevitable doom.
Have the supposed-super Saints struggled in the last 4 games and looked more like Clark Kent, aka the Tampa Bucs? Yep, they have.
But how can anyone who truly knows football say a 13-2 team is "same old saints"? (Note to all: the Saints until this year have NEVER won 13 games in a year.) To lump this team into a same old category is NOT realistic nor diehard. Come'on people , this aint your mama's Saints!!!
Old negative habits die very hard though.
I awake this morning to hear results of a WWL-radio poll: 74% say the 13-2 Saints will lose their first playoff game. Nothing like morning cheer.
After the searingly painful loss to the Bucs Sunday, I sat silent, speechless and stunned at Dome. But more stunning was Saints' "fans" incredible negativity, the sense of doom, the sudden screams (though mostly idiotic) of doubt... Geez, I thought we're 13-2, still #1 seed, first-round bye guaranteed, #1 offense, etc.
Winning is a mindset, and unfortunately we as "diehards" are conditioned to react incredibly negatively when adversity hits us.
Every percieved bad playcall, bad tackle, or bad loss.... Go with your first defense, the easy out of pessisism and doubt. Such emotion isn't rational, it is simple knee-jerk, go with the rest of the heard and dont' think about it. Strange, doesn't this sum up so much of the non-sport New Orleans mindset too???
What casual knee-jerk observers miss is the domino effect that injuries such as Shockey, Shanle and Greer have had on this team down the stretch.
With Shockey out, Thomas is forced to be our primary TE which he really isn't. Having to put him into pass patterns, Thomas also is lost as blocker, which was his primary role pre-Shockey injury.
Shanle's loss and limited availability of late has been huge too. Shanle, the team-voted defensive MVP last year, is one of their best coverage linebackers. Evidence- our last 4 opponents have thrown swing passes consistently in flat to running backs.
But Greer's sport hernia injury has been the biggest hidden Achille's heel to the Saints short-term downturn by far though.
Prior to his injury, all observers said Greer might have been the best shut-down coverage back the Saints had ever had.

Williams' blitz schemes require man-to-man coverage, especially by the cornerbacks.
Greer's lockdown coverage allowed the Saints to blitz more and scheme for basically one side of field. When Greer played, you saw more blitzes from Harper, Gay, Jenkins and Sharper.
With him out, the question "Why don't the Saints blitz as much lately" is answered. - you can't blitz as much or as effectively.
Also with Greer (and then Gay out off and on with assorted injuries), the Saints now have been forced to rely on a rookie cornerback and a scrap-heap cornerback.
Jenkins' lack of experience has been exposed over and over. Mackenzie has played admirably, but lacks the ability to completely shut down receivers.
Question now that the Vikes choked up the #1 seed to the Saints is... will all the alleged diehards now jump back on the Superbowl bandwagon??? I'd bet on it judging from their Bucaneeer loss post-game flip-flop.

Landrieu the Sellout

For all to read, here is a copy of an email I just sent to Landrieu's office.
I will bet the house,I'll get some form email from her office, 2 million words long, with gobbly-gook wording about how noble her actions were for the residents of LA. Laugable.
Enjoy:

Mrs. Landrieu,
I'm sure you will send me a nauseating, form email in reply to this one. Tell your minions to save their time and not to!
I am disgusted but not surprised that you sold your vote, or as I would rather say, prostituted your vote to help support the disastorous healthcare reform bill.
Your party, the liberal Democrats, should be ashamed of how you have rammed this bill down the throats of the American people.
More than 60% of American oppose this monstronsity, but you and 59 other sellouts have chosen your will over the will of the people. Disgusting and unconstitutional.
To support the lies and distortions of Obama simply for the sake of saying "We Won" is reprehensible.
Neutral deficit?
No new taxes?
Fact: The bill contains $518 billion of tax increases nationwide.
Only those making over $200k will be taxed? Under this bill, 42.1 million of those earning under $200,000 will pay higher taxes.
Everyone can keep their insurance if they want to?
We’ll pay more for higher insurance premiums because, as the Congressional Budget Office reports, the bill increases health care costs overall.

And the bill doesn’t protect Louisiana small businesses in the middle of this serious recession. Most businesses will have to provide a government-defined health insurance benefit to their employees or pay a new government tax. The National Federation of Small Business says that would cost the nation at least 1.6 million jobs, costing tens of thousands of lost jobs in Louisiana, on top of our current high unemployment.
Businesses can keep their current employee insurance?
This new mandate would also create an incentive for businesses to dump their employees off their health plans, because it would be cheaper to do that and pay the new tax.
And most unforgivable?
And the bill forces pro-life taxpayers to support and subsidize abortion. That’s particularly offensive in Louisiana, one of the most proudly pro-life states in the nation.
Mrs. Landrieu you should be ashamed of your actions.
Rest assured, your name and reputation are now forever tarnished.
And I for one will uphold a previous pledge I made to you in a prior email: I will now speak against you as you move forward in any politcal endeavor.
I, unlike you Mrs. Landrieua, stand on my word and my principles.