This is one of the posts I’ve been waiting for: the first Saints Guy mail time where I answer some reader e-mail. (Side note: Yes, it’s Bill Simmons-like, but his is a mail “bag,” while mine is mail “time.”
HUGE difference.)
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I'm sure by now you've seen the story of my TV on YouTube (if you haven't, go here). Just a couple of questions for you, Saints Guy: 1) Am I a disgrace to all Louisianians? 2) Do you have a TV I can borrow to watch this week's game? 3) Of all the te
ams to put my TV on the line to beat the Saints -- hey, it's not THAT crazy to think the Saints would lose; after all, they're the Saints -- why in the world would I choose the Redskins?
Wayne A. Spring,
Albany, La.
Wayne,
I (and everybody else in Who Dat Nation) am still trying to figure out some things.
I’ve replayed your YouTube video like the Zapruder film and still have a few burning questions.
1)
Did you make this deal
before the game?
2)
Like your e-mail said, why in the world would you choose the Redskins?
3)
How do you know so many people with so many types of guns?
I’ll be honest (and I just watched the video again),
you should have been the one shot for allowing those three things to line themselves so perfectly together that you lost your TV in the process.
Let’s move on before I get a couple of those guns myself.
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With the emergence of Pierre Thomas and Mike Bell as one of the most dynamic rushing tandems in the league, and Reggie Bush's disturbing inability to remain healthy or productive, is it time for the Saints to cut ties with their supposed franchise saver? And where would you rank Reggie among all-time busts? Sure, he's no Ryan Leaf or JaMarcus Russell, but the Houston Texans are looking smarter and smarter every day.
Joseph A. Bank,
Hampstead, Maryland
Other busts you forgot to mention: Tim Couch, Charles Rogers, Akili Smith, David Carr, and Matt Leinhart, to name a few. Other busts from basketball you forgot to mention: Greg Oden, Omeka Okafur, Kwame Brown, and Michael Olawakandi. (And those basketball players are just from the past decade.)
It’s a stretch to call Reggie a bust in the grand scheme of things.
Let’s be honest, ANY TIME Reggie is on the field, he’s a matchup problem.
Even if 1 out of 15 plays by Reggie is an explosive play, he’s still going to cause defenses to look his way.
Now, if Reggie had gone to nearly ANY other team, he’d be a bust.
I’ll explain why New Orleans taking Reggie was the best thing that happened to him by going team-by-team of until we reach his ideal “would-be” scenario in the draft (minus Houston, who had already made their selection) and see where he could have ended up.
3rd: Tennessee Titans – No way Reggie lands here.
Tennessee needed a quarterback and stricter hand gun laws when they drafted Vince Young.
4th: New York Jets – Reggie would have been the feature back on this Jets team. The only running back barely memorable from the ’06 Jets? Leon Washington (not knockin’ him, but I’m pretty sure he’s not making Canton).
So, what we now know of Reggie, he would have had to shoulder the load solo.
Would not have panned out well.
5th: Green Bay Packers – This system may have actually worked.
Reggie would have shared the burden with Ahman Green, but the Packers needed some D.
6th: San Francisco 49ers- Here’s where the ideal scenario for Reggie would have been if New Orleans had passed on him.
SoCal, Frank Gore in the back field, and Reggie getting to work reps and having a lighter work load.
Reggie could have thrived in San Fran.
That said, I think having Deuce for that first year was the best situation for him.
Deuce was such a great sport about it, even though at the time he was basically grooming who everybody thought was going to be his replacement. Because of this, Reggie was able to progress at his own pace and even finishing with 88 receptions on the year (5th in the NFL).
Should New Orleans have tried something else in retrospect?
Probably not… it would have been a mistake to pass on a potential playmaker like Reggie after going 3-13 and through a terrible hurricane.
To sum it up, Reggie, I’m happy you’re here, but I’m hoping there’s some more from you in the future.
(Side note: Don’t worry, Mr. Bank.
Reggie will still be the spokesman for your golden-toe socks even if he’s selling you insurance in a couple of seasons.)
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With the Saints secondary hurting -- maybe that's not the right word, dying? on life support? -- are you concerned as the playoffs near. Jabari Greer, Tracy Porter and Randall Gay are all banged up at cornerback, while Mike McKenzie has been brought back from the grave. Leigh Torrance is on injured reserve. It's basically rookie Malcolm Jenkins, the aforementioned Mummy McKenzie and third-year player Marcus McCauley, who just joined the team. Oh, and there's backup safety Usama Young, who was so bad at corner that the Saints switched his position. Should the Saints dig up some more bodies -- maybe Darrell Green has some life left in his legs, or Deion Sanders, or even Saints fans' worst fear, Jason David? What about me?
Chris McAlister
Pasadena, Calif.
First of all, I love the nickname Mummy McKenzie.
Second, I’m pretty certain that we knew how bad the secondary was hurting after Chris Redman threw for 700 yards the other day.
But don’t get me wrong, I’m happy that you came to help and did what you could, even though your facemask and horse collar penalties got you cut.
Bottom line, we need Greer and Porter back by the playoffs, and even though the mummy has shown some flashes of greatness.
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Have I done enough to shut up you, your entourage and the entire Who Dat Nation that wants to put bags over their heads when I enter the game?
R.B.,
The Big Easy via San Diego
Ah, I see you saw the earlier e-mail.
You must have sent that after the Falcons game.
You’ll get there… just move north and south instead of east and west on punts and protect the frackin’ fooball.
Moving on…
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Be honest: Every time you made a flatulence joke during your most recent post you thought about me, didn't you?
Hoss
(Nodding furiously.)
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I'm feeling your dissertation coming after this question. What is more telling -- just how good Drew Brees has been in his four years at the helm in New Orleans, now that he's the all-time leading TD passer in franchise history; or the fact that he passed Aaron Brooks in order to get that honor? I mean, really, AB had his moments. All-time TD leader until Sunday, led team to first playoff victory, yada, yada, yada. But he's more remembered for throwing the ball BACKWARDS than FORWARDS, and he absolutely destroyed the career of the greatest coach in United Football League history!
Jim,
Orlando
Having Drew Brees overtake Aaron Brooks as the Saints’ all-time greatest passer is like finding a cure for herpes.
He’s completely gone and out of our lives now.
No more flare-ups!
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Must agree with your shoutout about Jon Vilma saving the game against the Falcons. He's been a man since coming to the Big Easy. Had a great career in New York -- Defensive Rookie of the Year, led NFL in tackles in '05 and solid in '06 before being put on IR in '07. Is that injury one of the best things to ever happen to the Saints? Seriously, what was Mangini thinking? Vilma can fit in ANY system. Represent the U! I mean, he's a great player. It's safe to (edited Mangini nickname for taste, even though it was hilarious) is a douche. Is that not the best trade? Jon Vilma for a 4th-rounder in '08 and a 3rd-rounder in '09. What a steal!
JPV,
The UJPV,
I love you, you know that.
I sang your praises last week, and I hope I’m singing more of them in the coming weeks.
But let’s be honest: Drew’s hurt shoulder in 2005 for San Diego was 1,000 times better than yours.
Let’s review this scenario and the all-time what could have been:
1. The Saints finish 3-13 in 2005 and lock up the second overall draft pick.
2. At the time, the Chargers finally decided it was time to hand the reins over to Rivers and get rid of Drew.
3. Saints fans had been talking themselves into the Matt Leinart era which was going to begin since, naturally, everyone knew at the time it was going to be Reggie Bush No.1, Matt Leinart No.2.
4. Drew is trying out for Nick Saban’s Dolphins at this point, and it’s down to Brees and Dante Culpepper.
5. The doctors don’t give good feedback to the ‘Phins and they go with Culpepper, and give Drew a couple of hours before they announce it so he doesn’t lose any leverage with New Orleans.
6. The Saints end up signing Drew to a six-year $60 million deal.
We saw what happened after that.
Had the Dolphins signed Drew, there’s no way Saban leaves for Alabama and the Crimson Tide are not playing in the BCS National Championship.
There’s really no telling what the Saints would have done.
Given the fact that the backups for Brooks at the time were Todd Bouman and J. T. O’Sullivan, the probably would have had to draft a “franchise” quarterback, and as we’ve seen, Matt Leinart is not that guy.
So thank you, Nick Saban. Your professional incompetence has helped put us at 13-0 right now.
I’m so thankful for that, I’m almost willing to cheer for the Tide next month.
Cough.
Almost.
Keep the e-mails coming at saintsguy@gmail.com.
ams to put my TV on the line to beat the Saints -- hey, it's not THAT crazy to think the Saints would lose; after all, they're the Saints -- why in the world would I choose the Redskins?
To sum it up, Reggie, I’m happy you’re here, but I’m hoping there’s some more from you in the future.
