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.