Da Chronic's Got Talent: Eight is Enough

by Dave Cariello on Feb 3, 2012 6:00 AM CST

We're ready to present another candidate in our search for fresh new front page talent here on Canal Street Chronicles, to make the best Saints blog on the net even better.

In case you missed the introduction to our little talent search here, be sure to read it first before continuing. Remember, any and all criticism must be 100% constructive and positive in nature. Keep Da Chronic classy!

Please welcome the next contestant of Da Chronic's Got Talent! S/he is willing to contribute every other week and possibly once weekly in the future.

It's Time to Put the 2011 Season to Bed

Two weeks ago at this very moment I was walking around Candlestick Park getting taunted because of my very low-key Saints warm-up jacket. Did I mention there's a police observation tower in the parking lot that looks like it was designed by the same architect (and for the same reason) as the observation tower at Folsom Prison? Now I'm sitting here on a Saturday afternoon watching college basketball and trying to move on without any meaningful football until August. As proud as I am of Brees, Graham, Bushrod, Evans, and Nicks, have you ever sat and watched an entire Pro Bowl game? Me neither. And seriously, Giants-Patriots? I'll watch but I refuse to enjoy.

Thanks to DirecTV I haven't missed a single Saints snap in years (if you don't count the Tampa Bay blow-out a few weeks ago Fox aired as a national game and then cut away from mid-way through the third quarter so we could sit on the edge of our seats watching Jared Allen almost break Michael Strahan's sack record). I'm also lucky enough to travel to see my team play a few times a year.

Well the Candlestick game didn't work out so well, and now I'm surrounded by Giants fans telling me they knew all along Eli could walk on water, or Jets fans hoping Peyton will put Mark Sanchez out of a job. Yes, I am a Saints fan in New Jersey. And I'm reminded that the Saints lost to the 49ers every time I turn on the television or leave my house and am forced to look at those giant inflatable Giants on everyone's lawn.

I'm a fan. I'm not a statistics guy, and I'm not a fantasy league guy. I am the guy who shuts down all non-football forms of life every Sunday from September until January. I am also the guy who has given my family no other reasonable choice but to be Saints fans. There we sit every Sunday in our jerseys (I'm Vilma, she's Colston, and the progeny is Jenkins), 1500 miles from NOLA, hoping the satellite doesn't go out as we cheer our fool heads off -- or wonder what the heck just happened (as in the case of the Rams game in October).

But enough about me, let's get back to the Divisional game. I saw it twice, once in person with the drunk guy behind me hitting me on the shoulder every time the Niners did something good, and once when I got home. The first time I was pretty depressed (and concerned about my personal safety), but the second time I was amazed at how good we actually played and how hard San Francisco had to work -- in spite of the 17 points we spotted them -- to squeak out a miracle victory at the last second. I'll leave the second-guessing to the second-guessers, and I'll leave the arm-chair quarterbacking to the arm-chair quarterbacks. Sure I'd like to win another Super Bowl, but I've been on this ride since Archie was under center and I'm still enjoying the fact that our team is really freakin' good.

Between the drunken and hostile Niners fans, and the screaming young lady in the #9 jersey, gold foil wig and fleur-de-lis face paint who didn't know the names of any of the other Saints besides Brees, my experience at Candlestick was truly once in a lifetime (because I'll kick and scream if anyone ever tries to take me there again).

I am looking forward to an off-season of improvement (hopefully), and next year I'll be at MetLife Stadium when we play the Giants, but mostly I'm just enjoying the ride and appreciating being part of something only a few football fans get to be a part of -- an organization that cares about winning.

It's not always easy rooting for a team halfway across the country, but it sure is fun being a citizen of the Who Dat Nation. Even when football is over until August.

Poll

Would you like Candidate #8 to become a regular front page contributor?

Yes

80 votes

No

5 votes

Neutral

9 votes

Undecided. Need to see more.

3 votes

97 votes | Poll has closed

Tweet Comment 15 comments | 0 recs |

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Comments

I really liked this

Much better than the last one.

The base paths belonged to me, the runner. The rules gave me the right. I always went into a bag full speed, feet first. I had sharp spikes on my shoes. If the baseman stood where he had no business to be and got hurt, that was his fault. -Ty Cobb

by Tim Goad on Feb 3, 2012 6:08 AM CST reply actions

the last entry, that is.

by Tim Goad on Feb 3, 2012 6:09 AM CST up reply actions

Agreed...but then again we're the only two that expressed we didn't like the last one.

I wish this had more info. Something a little juicier to sink your teeth into in regards to something. But the writing is clear and concise and you can tell the writer is speaking with obvious signs of thoughtful intelligence. By far one of the best written ones we’ve seen in this contest.

-Lombardi was wrong...it's the internet, not fatigue that makes cowards of us all. But then again, what do you expect. Not like the guy could see the future.

by jeff.l.b on Feb 3, 2012 10:01 AM CST up reply actions

Well

Since the voting on that one is pretty much done with, I was the author of the 2nd entry.
I felt Friar unfairly drew attention to my salary cap numbers over my actual writing ability, which I believe is the foremost thing as a writer.

by Tim Goad on Feb 3, 2012 4:54 PM CST up reply actions

I was the author of the 3rd.

by Travis Dauro on Feb 3, 2012 5:20 PM CST up reply actions

Since we're all coming clean

I was the first

Drew Brees- the REAL MVP.

by Alex Swift on Feb 4, 2012 8:35 AM CST up reply actions

Well I apologize for being so harsh on my critique of the facts, which are the most critical thing possible if you want to be respected as a useful purveyor of information.

Now if you just want to stir the pot, facts are useless. But I didn’t think that’s what you were going for. And that also doesn’t strike me as a good qualification for a Chronic writer.

And if you go back and reread my comment, I started and ended with saying some good things about your intelligence, writing ability, and many other things. Let’s review the way I complimented your obviously great writing ability:

It was very well-written. No doubt whomever wrote it is a dedicated fan, a nice person overall, probably a very intelligent person in general, and a solid commenter on the site.

But your facts were so atrociously inaccurate that they were glaring. They stuck out like a sore thumb to anybody who knows anything about the salary cap. Worse yet they were well-supported by “peon logic” (i.e. the stuff you threw would — in isolation — sound perfectly reasonable to a middle-or-lower-class “peon” who makes 30K to maybe 100K a year) that would deceive people who don’t know about the cap (which sadly is almost everybody) or free agency into thinking your ideas had merit. And they didn’t.

And then I closed with this:

If the person involved wants to try again after having learned these critical lessons, I would welcome it. As I said at the start, its also obvious this is a dedicated fan who — despite his abysmal understanding of the cap and free agency — is no doubt otherwise probably quite smart and cares deeply about the Saints.

And I stand by every word. You ARE an intelligent person. You obviously care about the Saints deeply. You are obviously a dedicated fan. And with just a small — but extremely critical — improvement in understanding of free agency and cap concepts, you would be the best writer candidate in the entire bunch.

And I would immediately change my vote from hell no to “you gotta be insane NOT to sign this guy right now”.

by FriarBob on Feb 4, 2012 10:18 AM CST up reply actions

I never

Said that you bashed me. I just said that i thought pointing out my lack of understanding the salary cap pulled votes away from the actual ability to write. That’s all.

by Tim Goad on Feb 4, 2012 11:17 AM CST via mobile up reply actions

well written, enjoyable read.

"We've established the run; we've established the pass. Now all we have to establish is another championship!" (And a Defense!)
"Some say the glass is half empty;
Some say the glass is half full.
I say- 'are you going to finish that beer'?"
I've learned so much from my mistakes...I'm thinking of making a few more!"

by Philinwood on Feb 3, 2012 6:17 AM CST reply actions

Good stuff here.

by Jimbo03 on Feb 3, 2012 7:52 AM CST reply actions

Well done.

I hate to say it but I wish I would have gotten more of what Candlestick was like. That would have been something very original. Still very well put together.

"Saints fans should be sending Paul Tagliabue primo Hollywood quality hookers monthly for the remainder of his life"---Andrew Juge

by Malbrough on Feb 3, 2012 8:48 AM CST reply actions

I liked it...voted yes

Well written

I guess I can go anywhere I want. If only I knew where to go-Layne Staley

by AcquiredPanic on Feb 3, 2012 11:01 AM CST reply actions

Good stuff

Just a guess: I think this was written by Philinwood

by Pathomaniac on Feb 3, 2012 11:08 AM CST reply actions

My guess

SaintsInJersey

Drew Brees....MVS Most Valuable Saint! Who Dat!!!

by cajuncommando58 on Feb 3, 2012 1:09 PM CST up reply actions

my guess

maybetoday

--- I don't miss the alcohol as much as I miss having the built in reason on why I'm nekkid in public.
--- I used to want to be an inspiration to my son. now i just hope to be a dire warning.
--- just two men and a dog making candles
--- I know i'll win my battles though i fear we'll lose the war
--- if you find yourself in a fair fight you failed in planning.

by maybetoday on Feb 3, 2012 10:00 PM CST up reply actions