The Surreal Life: You Wouldn’t Understand If You Weren’t A Saints Fan

Forty-three years.

Forty-yard field goal.

Five turnovers.

First Superbowl berth in franchise history.

This blog was a long time coming.

You’ll notice the Saints Guy went into mini hibernation before the NFC Championship.  True story, I started a column titled “It’s a Favre-Manning Super Bowl” five days before the game after being sick of hearing how a) the Vikings were going to win, and b)there was no way Brett Favre could possibly lose this game.  (Side note: I may have had three midterms to study for, too…)

Why did I shelve the blog?  Frankly, I’d rather get it done on the field.  I didn’t want to do anything “jinx-like,” as in write sarcastically about a Favre-Manning Super Bowl before the game.  Let me tell you, it was hard.  I listened for a solid week of how much the national media wanted Brett Favre and Peyton Manning to square off in the Super Bowl.  It was tough.

I felt really bad by the fourth quarter of the NFC Championship game when the Vikings had all but doubled the yards on New Orleans.  And then it crashed… the Vikings were in field goal range.

I knew.

I just knew.

Luckily, the Vikings knew it better than we did.  I won’t waste your time; if you read this blog, you know how the game ended.

(Side note: Not to mention, Sunday also provided the single greatest football call of all time.  Jim Henderson’s call of Garrett Hartley’s 40-yarder will live in infamy.  It’s already been loaded into my phone as the ringtone, and it won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.)

What you need to know if how the Saints Guy reacted minutes after Hartley’s field goal split the uprights.

I cried.

Hard.

The Saints Babe was a little troubled.  After all, I didn’t even cry at the altar on our wedding day.  This was a sporting event.  And two grown men were crying hard.

I sat with my head in my hands and wept for what seemed like an eternity.  My insides were a mess; I knew it was stupid to cry.  Seriously, Haiti had just lost over 100,000 people in a monster earthquake.  I was embarrassed.

Until I figured out why.

Despite the waterworks, I called the radio show Sly hosts and made a startling declaration: it’s sort of foolish for people to cry over sporting events.  This world is filled with crime, tragedy, disasters, you name it.  Why should a 40-yard field goal reduce a man to tears?

My grandparents Poppus (Side note: I have NO IDEA how we spelled his grandfatherly moniker.  Let’s stick with Poppus) and Mimi lived in a duplex built on to the side of the Saints Tot’s house many, many Saints quarterbacks ago (Think Richard Todd).  I have few memories if any of my mother’s father.  But he loved his Saints.  So did my grandmother.  In fact, they were both so frightened of either of their grandchildren taking up football that they conned me into the piano and my younger brother into… ummm… I guess they would have been fine with him playing.

Anyhow, one of my hardest memories came after my grandfather’s health had begun to slip.  He wanted to wheel himself over to our side of the house to watch a Saints game with us.  I went to my friend’s house instead after church.  Poppus wheeled himself back to his side of the house as best he could since no one would watch the game with him.  He died less than a month later.

Did my fingers tremble a little writing that last paragraph?  Absolutely.  I mean, Poppus never saw the Saints win a frackin’ playoff game.  But year in and year out, he was ready to watch the season kick off.  And what did the Saints give him in his last year on this earth?  A 6-10 record, and a Heath Shuler, Billy Joe Hobert, and Danny Wuerffel turd sandwich.  Three decades as a fan and no playoff wins.

See, that’s the difference between Saints fans and over 25 of the other teams in the National Football League.  We still waited… and waited… and waited… faithfully waited.

Suddenly, a new millennium breathed new life into the Saints.  They knocked off the defending Superbowl champion St. Louis Rams in their first playoff win in 2001.  The following year, the Saints started the season 6-1 and looked to go into the promised land.  They crapped the bed and ended up 9-7 and outside of the playoff race.

A few years later, Hurricane Katrina plowed through and nearly evacuated the Saints to Los Angeles or San Antonio permanently.  The Saints Guy had actually tried to move to New Orleans a few weeks before, and long story short, ended up not going back.  (Side note: Confession, I’m not from New Orleans.  Put the gun down.)   A weird funk settled over the Saints for the year en route to a 3-13 record and the second overall draft pick.

And then the phone calls.  Hoss, Sly, Skywalker, everyone calling each other… Drew Brees? Really? I thought we wanted Matt Leinart… You serious?

And then more phone calls a few weeks later.  Same guys… Houston DID WHAT?  DeMario Williams?  So that means—you can’t be serious!  Are we going to screw this up?

Nope.  Drew Brees and Reggie Bush were going to start for New Orleans day one in 2006.

This long, long road led us to our first NFC Championship game.

And a couple of years later, we’re staring at a Super Bowl.

Say what you will for hypocrisy, but that win… it was more than sports.  It was four decades and two generations collectively breathing together.  It was a formerly ravaged city shouting “I’m okay!” as loud as she could.  It was a grandfather long gone who loved his Saints, and a grandson who remembers only too hazily watching football with him.  A grandfather who never saw the Saints win a playoff game.

This one’s for you Poppus.

This Super Bowl is for all of us.

“Mr. Rolle, Don’t Make Me Angry; You Wouldn’t Like Me When I’m Angry”

A few days ago, the Arizona Cardinals and the Green Bay Packers put on a scoring onslaught the likes of which had never been seen in the postseason. The teams had combined for 91 points after Arizona’s Michael Adams stuck his index finger inside Aaron Rodgers’ face mask, causing the football to come loose and Karlos Dansby to recover the fumble for a 17-yard touchdown.

Ball game.

A shootout of epic proportions that went into overtime has put the Cardinals in a really bad position heading into Saturday. Seriously, the Cards just had to score 51 points and now will face the top offense in the NFL on six days rest.

Could it get worse for Arizona?

Look at this.

“Let me tell you something - that dude is scary. We have a great defense and we were up on him and ready to pounce, and he found ways to tear us apart. I don't ever want to face him again in my life. I am dead serious. I'll face Drew Brees any day of the week before I face him again.” – Antrel Rolle

Ahem. That last part bears repeating.

“I'll face Drew Brees any day of the week before I face him again.”

Yep, Antrel Rolle just gave the Saints what we in the biz like to call “bulletin board material.”  To educate, “bulletin board material” occurs when someone makes an idiotic comment that coaches and players can refer to as fodder to fire the team up even more.  Rolle’s comment qualifies as idiotic, for sure.

Keep going?  Don’t mind if I do.

Not only did Rolle make the comment, he followed it up a few days later with this gem.

"I don't call any player out.  I'm a professional in this league.  Drew Brees has earned his right as one of the most outstanding quarterbacks in this league.  His play on the field speaks for itself.  But it is what it is.  If they want to go use that as ammunition, something that I didn't say, then let it be done.  I don't back down from anyone.  I'm not scared of anyone.  The game still has to be played on Saturday, and I'm coming there to play ball, bottom line."

(Side note: If he backpedals this well on the field tomorrow, the Saints receivers are in trouble… but don’t count on it…)

Oh, and then?

"(The reporter) threw Drew Brees' name out there as I was walking out of the locker-room, and I'm like 'I'm not talking about Drew Brees right now.'  After a game like that, who is going to be thinking about Drew Brees?  I mean, the guy who just ripped us was Aaron Rodgers.  That's who I was talking about.  That's who I was giving praise to."

/End copy + pasting quotes.  Antrel Rolle is a good safety; nobody’s going to deny that.  But he wasn’t very smart and savvy after the Green Bay game last week.

Right now, New Orleans is a sleeping giant.  And yes, the Saints have been asleep for a few weeks it seems.  But would you in a million years want to do anything to motivate the best offense in the NFL in its own backyard?  Especially now that the team is healthy again and they signed Deuce McAllister for the playoffs?  (Side note: Even if Deuce doesn't play, this just took the Superdome crowd from a 9.5 to nuclear holocaust.)

Sorry, Antrel.  You’re about to be on the wrong side of history.  When I saw the Cardinals would be our divisional round opponent, I breathed a sigh of relief.  Relief because I know there’s no way your team will show up two weeks in a row.

Need proof?  Gosh, you’re pushy today.

You’ve won three straight games only two times this year.  Your winning streaks consisted of teams like the Texans, the Seahawks, the Bears, the Rams, and I could keep going on but the Arena Football League didn’t play this year.  Who’s the best team you beat in the regular season?  A Minnesota Vikings’ team that’s folded faster than a senator at a temp convention.

The Cardinals’ win over Green Bay doesn’t look all that impressive since the defenses took a vacation until overtime began.  And now they have to play on the road six days after that yardage explosion.

Mark it down: this is why I’d rather see Arizona any day of the week.  And I’m not paying them a compliment in any way. 

One week away from Balboa-Drago.

Nostra-Saints Guy predictions for Wildcard Weekend

Saints 31, Cardinals 14

Colts 21, Ravens 10

Chargers 21, Jets 7

Cowboys 28, Vikings 14

Wildcard Weekend: The Ivan Drago of the NFC

Two weeks ago, the Saints Babe and I sat in the Superdome with a numbing sensation in our limbs and a pit in our stomachs. After leading 17-0 in the first half, the Saints neglected to score again in the second half and let the 2-12 Buccaneers come back for an overtime win.

(I know, I know; I’ve run this in the ground, but it’s important for today’s blog, okay? OKAY? Good.)

At that point, the “Dome Mystique,” as my buddy Sly calls it, was evacuated. At that point, Saints fans began to panic about the upcoming postseason. At that point, it seemed we were headed for another typical Saints season: high hopes and nothing to show for it.

Making matter worse, New Orleans sat its starters Sunday and will go into the postseason riding a three-game losing season.

So why is the Saints Guy feeling better than ever?

Is it the tacos I just ate? (Yes.) Is it Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 sitting unopened on top of my PS3? (Nodding.) And is it positive feelings regarding New Orleans heading into the playoffs?

(Absolutely.)

Huh? You haven’t won a game in four, almost five weeks and you’re feeling good, you ask? You still believe in a Saints Superbowl? And now are you trying to break your question mark record set last week again? You’re an idiot?

Yep, life’s good as a Saints fan, and after you read the NFC breakdown, you’ll completely understand why.

No. 6 seed: Philadelphia Eagles (11-5)

Three weeks ago, this was the scariest team in the National Football Conference. A team that weathered a McNabb-less storm in the early part of the season (remember, the Saints blew them out at home) came on incredibly strong throughout the rest of the year. With the Minnesota Vikings floundering in December, the Eagles had the chance to secure a first-round bye and the regular season NFC East title with a win over their heated rival, the Dallas Cowboys.

What happened? The Eagles crapped the nest and were shut out 24-0. In one game, the Eagles went from the No. 2 seed to the No. 6 seed, dropping harder than the chances for a Pacquiao/Mayweather fight.

Rocky villain: Thunderlips-- What looked like a tough opponent will easily get knocked out in the first round.

No. 5 seed: Green Bay Packers (11-5)

A riddle, if you will: What do you call a surprise that shouldn’t have been a surprise at all but ended up being a surprise anyway? Green Bay has had a talented young defense, a solid running game, and a quarterback that plays like a future Hall of Famer at times. While the story of the NFC North all season long was Brett Favre and his performance enhan-- I mean Brett Favre having fun out there, the Pack silently put together a stout regular season record finishing one game out of first place in the NFC North.

Regardless, this is a boring team that will only be significant if somehow the Packers and Vikings meet up at any point in the playoffs. No thanks.

Rocky villain: Adrian-- Annoying and completely ruined any part of the story in which she was involved, yet stuck around for a long time. Seriously, would you want to watch a Packer-Charger Superbowl? Didn’t think so.

No. 4 seed: Arizona Cardinals (10-6)

First, winning the NFC West is like testing yourself for an STD and coming out with chlamydia… Did you really win anything at all? Let’s move on…

Arizona has a quarterback that time forgot, an outstanding receiver who splits secondaries like a cleaver, and… that’s it. All season long, the Cards have only had a triple-digit rusher two times. If the Cardinals are going to the Superbowl, Warner will have to throw for 450 yards in three straight games, two of which will all but guaranteed be on the road. Don’t count on it.

Oh, and the biggest problem with Arizona? It would be half of everyone’s greatest fear in the postseason: Eagles-Cardinals in the NFC Title Game. Again, no thanks.

Rocky villain: Tommy Gunn-- You’re supposed to pretend this particular movie/villain never happened.

No. 3 seed: Dallas Cowboys (11-5)

This is it. This is the one. This is Rocky villain: Ivan Drago, the best villain in the best Rocky movie.

Follow me, if you will.

Ivan Drago (the Cowboys) killed Rocky’s best friend, Apollo Creed (the undefeated season) to start the movie. And spoiler alert: Rocky and Drago have an epic battle of the ages in which Rocky avenges Apollo’s death and goes to the Superbowl.

This script is perfect, especially considering the only way the Cowboys and the Saints can have their rematch would be in the NFC Title Game in New Orleans. I’ll go on record saying this would be the highest rated non-Superbowl postseason game in history, much higher than what Saints-Vikings.

Bigger picture: this would be the battle for America’s team (sort of how Rocky turned the Soviets to his side as the fight progressed). The country had already put its faith in the Saints, particularly before the three-game losing streak, and if they’re in the NFC Title Game, they’ll hop back on board.

Saints-Cowboys is the NFL’s dream come true. You could say it's Christmas for the league, which would be better since Balboa-Drago was fought on Christmas Day.

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Why am I happy? Well, for one, the Saints will be playing either a) a floundering Eagles team, b) a young Packers team in the Superdome, or c) a one-dimensional Cardinals team. See, the glass is half full for the Saints Guy right now. Originally, I was agitated that we didn’t go for the win against Carolina but then I realized the coaching staff knew exactly what it was doing.

We had already secured home field advantage throughout the playoffs when the Vikings lost to the Bears. The Carolina game could only be bad for us, to be honest. So why not get your health-- and your confidence-- back by resting your starters?

Imagine if the Saints had started everybody and still lost. Then you really have lost three straight. At least if you lose to Carolina, you have convinced your team and fans that your focus is not to just rest starters, but get everyone healthy for when it truly matters.

All is not lost. And sure, this is the toughest NFC playoff picture in a long, long time. But somewhere in the New Orleans Saints is the team that beat the New England Patriots in the Superdome in November. It’s in there. The Saints have an extra week to right the ship, and the fans have an extra week to get ready to rock the ‘Dome for two straight weeks before the Superbowl.

Everyone counted Rocky out in nearly every fight he fought. And we all know how that turned out…

Nostra-Saints Guy predictions for Wildcard Weekend

Bengals 24, Jets 14

Cowboys 27, Eagles 24

Ravens 17, Patriots 14

Packers 31, Cardinals 17

Mail Time: What if I pulled my starters, too?

Mark Brunell is starting tomorrow for New Orleans, a team that desperately needs a win (or at least a good showcase) to break out of a nasty slump. I can only tell myself so many times that the team that beat the Patriots is still in there somewhere, right?

Let’s move on to the questions from our fake e-mailers. There’s a vat of acid that I may or may not jump into afterward.

Have you ever seen Sean Payton call a more tentative game than he did in the second half against Tampa Bay? With a three-score lead, at home, with home-field in the playoffs on the line, it's like Payton was playing not to lose rather than showing his usual killer instinct. At least, that's what my daddy slurred after he had a couple of six-packs in him.

T-Bob,
Baton Rouge

I was at this game, and I tweeted (That’s the word, right? Tweeted?) many times in the second half that both sides of the ball were playing not to lose. And I kid you not, 70,021 people had the exact same look on their faces just like I wrote this past week. It was one of the lowest points I’ve felt in a long time with a sporting event involved.

You know what shored this theory up for me? A couple of 4th-and-inches plays for the offense where we elected to punt. Never mind the punt return; just the thought that a 13-1 team couldn’t get that extra foot or two against a 2-12 team is not good for a team going into a tough, tough NFC playoff in the next couple of weeks.

And our answer this week is to rest our super-duper star quarterback and not try to get any momentum back when we need it more than anybody… Hold on, the Vikings are calling and saying they’ve only won one out of their last four games and may not even get a first round bye. Guess the grass isn’t necessarily greener.

Is the problem with the Saints offense as simple as missing Jeremy Shockey? I know you love my pops, founder of the square hamburger and 7-yard curl route catcher extraordinaire, but is Shockey's ability to create mismatches on linebackers in the slot and go vertical hampering the offense? Can we safely assume New Orleans will resume scoring 35 points per game upon his return, after averaging only 17 in his absence?

Melinda Lou "Wendy" Thomas Morse
Columbus, Ohio

Let me break this down into terms from “The Wire.” Jeremy Shockey is best compared to Avon Barksdale, the criminal mastermind of the West Baltimore projects—a man that is totally dangerous and not to be messed with. Your father, David Thomas, seems more like D’Angelo Barksdale—a very talented and smart lieutenant, but not quite “The Man” like his uncle Avon.

Where would this rank Jim Mora, you ask? Sideshow Bob from the Simpsons. (This makes PERFECT sense if you remember Jim Mora.)

Have you thought that maybe YOU are the one to blame for the Saints' slump? After all, the Saints were 12-0 and storming their way to the perfect season when YOU decided to resurrect this blog after an 18-month absence. Why of all times did you choose now to mess with perfection? The Sports Guy, Los Angeles

First of all, to get a fake e-mail from you ranks almost as high as the emotions I felt on my wedding day. A lot of crying and throwing up.

Seriously, though, we ended up winning that Atlanta game, which made me think that this all isn’t my fault after all. Are the football gods angry that I created this blog then neglected it for 18 months until my team starting being overly successful? Or was it just time for the Saints to lose? Will this end up being a good thing? Am I trying to break a record for most question marks in one paragraph??????????????

(I think that did it.)

I'd like to introduce myself since we've never met. I'm Matt Moore. I'm sure you hadn't heard of me before a couple of weeks ago. I was one of several mediocre QBs at UCLA before deciding I was wasting away playing in the shadow of USC's golden arms. Ended up as a two-year starter for Mike Riley at Oregon State. Went undrafted and went through the preseason with the Cowboys before being waived and picked up by the Carolina Panthers. Saw my first action against the Saints in October of '07 and some more action that December after an injury to Jake Delhomme and crappy performances by David Carr and Vinny "Will I Ever Die?" Testaverde. Backed up Jake all of last year, and with him absolutely sucking this year, all of a sudden I'm 3-1 as a starter, including back-to-back upsets of the Vikings and the Giants. Now your Saints are coming to town, and even though home field is locked up, I'm sure they don't want to go into the playoffs on a 3-game losing streak, and I bet you wish your old buddy Jake was taking snaps instead of me, don't you?

Matt Moore
Charlotte, N.C.

Pat yourself on the back, Matt—you’ll officially be the guy who got Jake Delhomme cut. What surprises me is that you’re NOT the guy who got John Fox fired. In a “what-can-you-do-for-me-yesterday” league, how does John Fox survive having never had back-to-back winning seasons? Mike Shanahan won two Superbowls and currently needs a job… this makes my head spin.

And you may get even luckier next season, Matt, since it’ll be Fox’s turn for a winning year.

(Which makes me secretly sick because I, and everyone else, realize that this HAS to be the year the Saints win the big one. Hold on a second while I tie these jumper cables to my nipples.)

It's your #1 fan/foe (hey, I have an identity crisis sometimes) again. With our second straight loss, it's looking all but sure that my boy #9 won't get MVP or Offensive Player of the Year (hello Peyton and Chris Johnson). But don't you think that D-Sharp has been the Defensive Player of the Year? Yeah, there are some good candidates out there. Patrick Willis is a man child for the 9ers. Elvis don't call me Dumb-ervil is running away with the sacks title. And Darrelle Revis doesn't have the stats because basically nobody even challenges him anymore. But D-Sharp has been amazing. Tied for the league lead with 7 picks. His 3 pick-6s and 376 INT return yards lead the league. He's been a run stopper, too, with 77 total tackles as a free safety. He's been the stabalizing force in a secondary that has been hampered by nagging injuries. And his arrival has helped turn around what quite simply has been a mediocre and underachieving defense for years.

R.B., The Big Easy via L.A. and San Diego

I dare say Darren FRACKIN’ Sharper should have the right credentials for the award, but he sort of petered off after an excellent start. He had four INTs through four games with two pick-sixes. In weeks 6 through 16, he’s had three interceptions. True, it’s difficult to keep up such a high pace going (ask Elvis), but hopefully he’s done enough so far. Gun to my head, I think he’s the guy.



(Wait, no, Vince Young, I didn’t mean that literally!)

Anyhow, since Drew’s sitting, I’m going to have to count on the D to win the Carolina game tomorrow. And our man D-Sharp is going to have to be the man in that game. Here’s hoping the regular season ends with a W… heaven knows three L’s would be difficult to overcome, even with dome field advantage. With that, I bid you adieu.

(Editor's note: D-Sharp is sitting as well against Carolina today. Guess the Saints know something we don't about momentum heading into the playoffs...)

Stood Up By The Moment

Pure, unadulterated shock. It was the look and feel of every Saints fan today. If you read last week’s blog, you’d know that I took the Saints Babe to the Saints-Buccaneers game today to see New Orleans clinch home field advantage throughout the playoffs. And if you read this blog at all, you’d already know that the Saints lost.

My intentions for today were to do a Time Line documenting the win and the reaction of the crowd when The Moment came. You know, The Moment when 70,021 people cheered and congratulated a team for a feat never before accomplished.

It was a moment that would never come.

No matter. I’m going to do the Time Line anyway. Here, you can see what I saw and feel what I felt. Without futher ado…

11:42 a.m. Welcome to what has been a great morning in the French Quarter and is only destined to get better! We started with a bacon, egg, and cheese croissant downtown before finally making our way to the Superdome. The air is buzzing, and it looks like a banner is going to drop out in front. You can really tell how special today will be when The Moment arrives!

11:54 a.m. We’ve finally taken our seats and the crowd is truly alive. I really, REALLY hope we announce the offensive starters today and blow the roof off early.

11:56 a.m. Well, they did the defense first today. Who cares! (By the way, a nine-year-old just knocked the national anthem out of the ball park.)

12:02 p.m. Bucs won the toss will receive. The crowd is ready to explode.

12:05 p.m. 3rd and 1 for Tampa Bay. Time out, credited to the crowd. Josh Freeman just made the big screens and looks positively frightened.

12:11 p.m. Buccaneers punt. Reggie actually ran forward! Here comes the offense.

12:18 p.m. Very nice balance so far for the offense on the first drive. Mostly run plays. We nearly matched our run total from last week in our first series.

12:19 p.m. And Reggie just hit down on the right analog stick for that juke. What a move. Please be here next year…

12:21 p.m. Pierre Thomas in for the score! 7-0 Saints! Crowd cheering, but The Moment has not shown up just yet.

12:29 p.m. Darren Sharper gets the interception! Superdome explodes. Sharper saves the defense after letting Tampa Bay run wild.

12:35 p.m. Brees to Meachem for a 14-0 score! Strange… The Moment is still not here. I guess he’s still tail-gating.

12:46 p.m. Wait a second… Charles Grant just got a sack? Was it paper or plastic?

12:47 p.m. 3rd and 20 for Tampa Bay, and the Buccaneers are forced to call a timeout. Crowd again has gone positively insane. Still no Moment…

12:54 p.m. Reggie gets a first down. He’s one of my most consistent e-mailers… My only question is which Reggie shows up for the playoffs?

12:59 p.m. It’s 4th and 1 and the crowd wants Payton to go for it. Coach Payton is taking the points here. I’m okay with this… Get everybody reps before the playoffs including the kicker. 17-0 Saints.

1:05 p.m. Hmmm… Morestead isn’t putting his kickoffs into the endzone today. Not good…

1:11 p.m. Weirdest sack I’ve ever seen: Freeman broke away from three Saints defenders, proceeds to run into his own man and then gets plowed from behind by Will Smith. I’ll take it.

1:23 p.m. Tampa Bay gets into field goal range and wants to get on the board before the end of the half. Coach Payton calls a timeout to try to ice the kicker. This man is positively possessed.

1:25 p.m. Buccaneers get the field goal before halftime. Hold on a few minutes while I go check on The Moment…

1:31 p.m. Nutcracker Suite-themed halftime. Oh, the ballet, not what you were thinking…

1:38 p.m. Second half has started. And we have the first fight of the day. Scoreboard, Tampa Bay, scoreboard…

1:40 p.m. Drew completes a beautiful throw to Marques Colston while getting drilled in the back. Such pocket presence… Here’s your MVP, NFL.

1:41 p.m. I’ve just realized how quiet the crowd has become. They better get ready when The Moment finally shows up.

1:47 p.m. There’s the crowd again. 3rd and 2 for Tampa Bay and yet they still converted. We’re only up two touchdowns, lest we forget.

1:49 p.m. Tracy Porter just pulled the ball out of thin air and blows the roof off! What a pick in the endzone—Saints football!

1:55 p.m. Crowd now doing the wave. Color me disgusted.

2:04 p.m. End of the third quarter. I thought The Moment may show up after the third quarter. Nope.

2:12 p.m. Buccaneers score. The crowd is really down now. I’m starting to wonder if The Moment decided not to come at all today…

2:21 p.m. In a disgustingly strange moment, Colston’s fumble with nine minutes to play has actually put new life into the crowd. The Dome is rocking against, finally.

2:27 p.m. 4th and inches for Tampa Bay. Crowd is absolutely electrifying. The Bucs snap the ball, and the Saints get into the backfield for the stop! Saints ball!

Wait.

Tampa Bay called a suspicious timeout. Now the Saints are going to have to try it again.

2:29 p.m. And Charles Grant makes his second huge play of the day! He knocks down Freeman’s pass and gives the ball back to the Saints! I can feel The Moment coming!

2:39 p.m. Offense does nothing here. The defense is going to have to win the game today. We’re now punting on fourth and inches.

2:40 p.m. Strange series of events: one of Tampa’s defenders jumped offsides, which in turn, caused special team’s o-lineman Kyle to jump. Instead of an encroachment call for the first down, it’s a false start. This caused the crowd to go nuts.

(Side note: After looking at the replay, I think it was a good call. I didn’t at the time, of course, but that’s what happens when you’ll sell your soul for The Moment.)

2:41 p.m. And a special teams collapse for the ages ties the football game 17-17.

2:41 p.m. I'm pretty sure this isn't the team we want to be in the playoffs. Understatement, much?

2:42 p.m. Awesome 3rd down play by Drew to Henderson to respond. Henderson made a circus catch on the play.

2:46 p.m. Offense still stagnant. Just as a note, it WAS 17-3 through three quarters. We've been playing "not to lose" football.

2:48 p.m. New Orleans algebra equation: Wide open field + Reggie Bush = 15 yard gain.

2:52 p.m. The Saints keep driving. The Moment must have pulled into the parking lot! Robert Meachem with a great run after contact, and with nine second left, Garrett Hartley is kicking for the win.

2:54 p.m. .... And Hartley misses. We're going into overtime. This... doesn't feel right.

2:57 p.m. Tampa Bay wins the coin toss for the second time today. The Dome is now the loudest it has been so far.

3:01 p.m. Loud Dome be darned, the Bucs are moving the ball. I don't think we're getting it back.

3:04 p.m. 1st and 10 for Tampa Bay on the 35-yard line. Everybody in the house has the exact same look on their faces. Pure, unadulterated shock.

3:06 p.m. Is this it? A 45-yard field goal coming up. I think Payton is going to try to ice the kicker.

3:07 p.m. Field goal is good. No time out. This game is over. The Moment never came.

3:10 p.m. Tampa Bay has won 20-17 after scoring all its points unanswered. This one hurt like few others.

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When this game ended, The Saints Babe summed it up best: "At no point today did I think we would lose. And we did." I think 70,021 people had the exact same thought. How could our team disappoint today so badly? The crowd deserved better from its team, and didn't get it.

It was a strange, strange phenomenon. The Moment never came today because it wasn't supposed to. Now, if the Saints win next week, or if the Vikings lose, it will be 55 people celebrating on the field or in the locker room. Not 70,021. We deserved that, Saints. Who Dat Nation deserved it today, and we didn't get it. We've believed in you all year long, and we didn't get it.

We've been wronged, and the only right is giving us a Superbowl Championship. These past two weeks will be forgotten, I can assure you.

Make it up to us, New Orleans.

Please.

Make it up to us.

Lil’ Lagniappe: Bonus Mail Time

Couldn’t resist. Had a few more e-mails to add before the Tampa Bay game. All these questions came from the same account, but they were nice enough to leave their real, different names. Oh, and Merry Christmas Eve.

Am I clinically insane for taking this loss so hard? I mean, it's not just that we lost. Sure, we wanted 19-0. As Drew Brees said, some of us felt entitled to it. Like the city deserved it. The region deserved it. The players owed it to the fans. But the signs of a loss were there. I'm glad it happened during the season and not in the playoffs. But to the Cowboys? Really? Of all the teams to lose to, the Dallas frakkin Cowboys? Am I crazy to think that I would rather lose to the Falcons, Bucs or Panthers than to Dallas? I know it's not a divisional rivalry, but I certainly HATE "America's Team"!

Sincerely,
Every La. resident who doesn't live in Shreveport

Look, you’d rather have your first loss in December than in January if given the choice. And say what you will, but this may be the best thing that happens to this team before all is said and done now that the undefeated monkey is off its back.

My favorite part of this whole thing-- Guess who benefits the most from the loss Saturday? Everyone in the Superdome for the Tampa Bay game, including yours truly. Think about it: if you win against Dallas, which would have been nice, of course, you would have wrapped up your division by default after the Vikings laid a giant dog turd against Carolina. Don’t get me wrong, the chance to go 19-0 was more important at the time, but now you can do something incredibly special for your home crowd Sunday.

Don’t think the Saints don’t know this. And Tampa Bay more than likely knows this, too. The Bucs have shown some life recently, but I don’t think it will be enough to stop the Saints from rolling at home this weekend. It’s made me 1,000x more excited to do the Time Line next week.

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Since you will be in the Superdome this weekend for the Saints' game against Tampa, please tell Jermon Bushrod thanks for me. That dude made me and Anthony Spencer look like we were rushing against East Jefferson High School. Oh, also remind him that I had suffered a neck injury the week before and was only about 85 percent when I destroyed him. Don't you think the Saints need some help at left tackle in the playoffs, especially if they see me and my teammates again?

DeMarcus,
Arlington

First of all, DeMarcus, I’m floored you even suited up. I watched the hit you took last week and thought your whole defense was going to be suspect. Kudos to you for playing even though your status was 50/50 48 hours before kickoff. I hate giving any Cowboys credit, so after this graph I’m through. But I’m glad you’re okay.

Now…

Let’s get back to Jermon Bushrod. I truly hate it for this kid. You’re asking a tackle from Towson to step in and find a way to play on a line for an undefeated team that has played without its stud (Jamaal Brown) and not have a bad game. Yeah, he made you look like a pro-bowler, and in all honesty, after that performance, you should be. Crap, I just complimented a Cowboy again. Let’s move on before there’s a Miles Austin Fathead in my “office” room next to Drew Brees.

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Is Sean Payton schizophrenic? It seems his play-calling can be so hot and cold. I know the Saints fell behind 14-0 early, and they tried to play catch up all game. I'll grant you the argument that the offensive line just didn't get any push off the line of scrimmage, but Payton can't expect his team to win without any balance in the playcalling. Drew Brees threw the ball 45 times. Mike Bell, Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush combined for 11 carries. Repeat, ELEVEN CARRIES! You cannot win games in the National Football League like that. One of the reasons the Saints offense has been so dynamic this year is how well they have run the football. Can someone please drill that into Payton's head so he'll remember it every week?

Bobby J,

Baton Rouge

To be honest, I have to blame the defense foremost for this. When you’re playing from behind, your first instinct is to throw the ball to try to play catch-up as quickly as possible. I can’t blame the play calling entirely, except for the fact that Payton and company forgot that they’ve played from that far behind and beyond a larger portion of the season than we’d all like to remember.

Actually, you know what? Scratch what I just said. Down 14-0 when you’re the 2009 New Orleans Saints means you actually have a ten-point lead. Payton strayed from what had worked all season: a delicate balance of run and pass that he neglected in 2007 and 2008. We’re so quick to recognize Sean Payton as an offensive genius that it takes a look at the final box score before we really see what went wrong. A 45-pass, 11-rush scenario is not going to win in the postseason, much less the Superbowl. I hope the Saints’ coaching staff realizes this before it’s too late. These next two games against Tampa Bay and Carolina should help get the team and the fan base some confidence back.

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Love the columns. Tell all those stupid bandwagon fans to either fully support this team or stay the hell away. We're still 13-1, still the top team in the NFC and still on our way to winning a Super Bowl.

Rachel,
Metairie

I’ll say this: it’s been over 40 long years of wandering in the wilderness so I’ll take whatever fans we can get in Who Dat Nation. I’m sorry if this upsets diehards, but it’s sadly true. Let's keep churning out as many fans as possible without thinking we're invincible. If you don’t believe me, ask the Baltimore Colts, Seattle Sonics, Cleveland Browns 1.0, etc., …

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Just wanted to send you a personal apology after last week. After showing signs of life again in the win over Atlanta, I busted a big 30-yard run up the middle (no dancing and I ran hard), caught a pass for a first down and even fielded a punt without running backward. But I tweaked a hammy and was done for the night. Sorry that I again reverted to being an injury-prone softie. Please forgive me Who Dat Nation!

R.B.,

The Big Easy via San Diego

To answer your question first: we’ll forgive you after you promise to play the same way against us when you sign with the Dallas Cowboys for a 6-year, $70 million contract during the upcoming uncapped offseason.

Honestly, R.B., I’m at a loss as to what to do with you. Seeing you in someone else’s uniform will hurt a lot more than, say, Joe Horn suiting up for the Falcons. But you’re going to want more money than you’re entitled to, and that makes me sad. I understand the NFL is a business, but you won’t find any green pastures anywhere else right now. I hope you’re here for the long run, but not if it’s going to break our bank. There are a lot of other guys that we need to pay before we can pay you, plain and simple.

Of course, I’ll look forward to your 4 touchdown, 170 all purpose-yard performance Sunday against the Buccaneers to make me eat my words.