Canal Street Chronicles: FanPosts

If you'd like to know more about Fantasy Football...

stujo4 — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 21:47:49 -0000

It's a nice, easy to read introduction. Fantasy Football 101. Explains all the terms and concepts.

One of the points is, FF changes the way you watch and follow football. I believe that is definitely true. I had a friend who quit it because he could not enjoy a regular game anymore because he was distracted by the stats of the players he owned and the players they were competing against in his Fantasy league that week. For me, it enhanced the details of the game. I now follow every team and every player, to some degree. I like the NFL and I watch and read more about it than before FF.

Another point made in a poll on this site: What's the most important thing needed for FF success? 26% said luck. I think that's right, but I also think you can make a lot of your own good luck by being informed and knowing who is hurt, who is on the decline, and who is an up and comer. For the latest news along with informed, reliable analysis (opinion), I don't think you can beat Rotoworld.com.

I'm sure Rita Benson LeBlanc started out managing fantasy leagues in college. Now she's got the VooDoo and will have The Saints by the time she's 40, probably. OK, no picture this time. Fantasy Football is a GOOD thing!

Good luck!

Suite offer for first preseason game-Houston

stujo4 — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 22:04:17 -0000

Just in case someone is not on the Saints mailing list, I got this today. $360 a seat?? Preseason?? Again, Rita Benson LeBlanc should have to sit on my lap for that price. I'm going to assume that we're all not going in together on this. Good news: Sold out, 3rd year in a row.

The New Orleans Saints, who have sold out the Superdome for the third consecutive season, are now offering a special opportunity that is limited to the first group that purchases this special package!

For the Saints' first preseason game of the 2008 season, which will be contested against the Houston Texans on Saturday, August 16th at 7:00 p.m., the Auxiliary Press Box, which is located on the 300 (Suite) Level is available for 74 guests and the ticket price is $360 each. For this special offering group rates are available for either 24 or 50 people.

This limited time special offering includes catered food through halftime and beer, wine, soda, and popcorn during the game.

The menu consists of:
· Sliced Fruit Tray
· Caesar Salad with blackened shrimp and grilled chicken
· Nacho Bar
· Hot Dog Bar
· Chicken Tenders
· Natchitoches Meat Pies
· Jambalaya
· Red Beans and Rice
· Cookies

Please contact the New Orleans Saints Ticket Department today at (504) 731-1700, to take advantage of this unique opportunity.

Sedrick Ellis interview

satchmo26 — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 21:14:18 -0000

I just tried to post this in the video section, but failed miserably. Here's the LINK

Nothing really new here. It's just the guys from NFL network asking the same old questions to Big Sed and getting the same old answers. Nevertheless, it's a great way to get to know our latest no. 1 draft pick. I'm feeling psyched that he will be a hugely disruptive force for us on the D line this year.

Be aware that he's not being interviewed on some balcony overlooking the golf course behind him. He's standing flatfooted ON the golf course with those massive shoulders towering over even the tallest trees out there. HE'S THAT BIG!!!! He could easily reach over and crush one of those houses behind him, if he so desired. OOPS, there I go hallucinating again. :-)

In all seriousness, I'm very glad the Saints jumped up and snatched him away from the Bengals in the draft. I think he will most definitely live up to the hype and be a great player.

How Jonathan Vilma Changed my Life!!!!!!!

Rhonnie.F — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 22:01:11 -0000

I'm a changed woman.....I'm officially a SAINTS FAN. No, this doesn't mean that I love my AZ Cards any less! But I admit, I've always been interested in the Saints...we all remember the Monday night spectacular when the Superdome reopened! But, before February 29th I wasn't totally sold on the Saints....something was missing, or shall I say someone was missing! But, on the 29th the scale tipper, the confirmer, the DARN straw that broke the camel's back occurred; the signing of Jonathan Vilma! Ladies and gent's, the fat lady has sung, I'm sold!

Vilma's athletic prowess is nothing short of amazing! His on the field play during his first three seasons with the Jet's can best be described as freakish. The undersized middle linebacker out of Miami was out to prove a mission, as Vilma says in his Rocawear advertisement, "I will not lose," and he hasn't! During his rookie campaign the 12th overall pick in '04 draft recorded (brace yourself fools) 108 tackles, two sacks, and three interceptions, including one which was he returned for a touchdown. In 2005, the 2004 NFL Defensive Rookie of the year won his first trip to Honolulu (the Pro Bowl fools!) Vilma's play action combined with his mature demeanor allowed him to rack up endorsement after endorsement. From Rocawear, to Under Armour, to Sprint, Vilma became a staple in the New York media.

Unfortunately, towards the end of his tenure in New York Vilma's production slipped. This can be attributed not to faltering dedication but to new coach Eric Mangini's transition to a 3-4 defense. Under the new regime, Vilma struggled to block the oversized (obese) centers and guards of the dominate (overrated) AFC.

Despite all of his stats, Vilma's on the field accomplishments pale in comparison to his off the field strides. While at Miami, Vilma majored in finance and is rumored to have maintained 3.5 GPA (W-O-W, especially considering that the NCAA is a fatally flawed "educational institution," amateurism my ARSE....ok, ok a debate for another blog!") In addition to being THE true man-genius (Mangini has nothing on this dude) Vilma is a steady force in his community. Early in his career he founded Financial51, an innovative and impressive 501(c)(3) dedicated to educating children and athletes about the importance of sound financial investing. Additionally, Vilma can be seen around his hometown of Coral Gables giving back to his community not only through financial contributions (he ain't in it for the tax breaks,) but most impressively by giving his time (and no, it's because of a mandatory community service sentencing; oh little buddies, he's no Chris Henry/Mike Vick type!)

What does this mean for US Saint's fans....it means H-A-L-L-E-L-U-J-A (both on and off the field!) In the Saints defense, Vilma should return to the top! So have no fear, after signing Dan Morgan and then losing Dan Morgan, we still have hope, tons of hope! We've got Vilma, we've got a 4-3 defense, we've got Sedrick Ellis and now we have Will Smith (for a long and expensive time)....oh we will survive!

So, as you can see I'm a true ‘black and gold' Vilma STAN (a ridiculous fan) and now a Saints fan! The Saints kick off the pre-season here in Arizona against my BELOVED Cards, and I'm so torn!!! Is it ok if I rock my Vilma Jersey (all provided that my credit card doesn't get D-E-N-I-E-D) and my Cards baseball cap?

Ya'll mark my words...I will get Vilma's autograph and a brief interview for the blog!! I'm prepared to scale walls, run onto the field, and/or chase a bus if necessary (maybe not I am lady!) But, if I "bump" into Vilma, I'll be like a fat kid in a candy store....OUTTA DARN CONTROL!

Do the Saints need Najeh Davenport??

stujo4 — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 20:19:56 -0000

Just kidding. Dookie will end up somewhere, but not in NOLA.

via static.nfl.com

From Rotoworld: Najeh Davenport - RB - Steelers The Steelers are shopping Najeh Davenport in trade talks, according to NFL Network's Adam Schefter. They won't get much for him. Davenport can play on third down and is an average short-yardage back, but is injury prone, has off-field question marks, and is unlikely to make the Steelers. Teams can just wait for Davenport to be cut rather than give up a draft pick or a player with potential for him. Jun. 27 - 2:16 p.m. ET Source: NFL.com

From SI.com:

Davenport agrees to community service

Posted: Tuesday October 29, 2002 1:58 PM

MIAMI (AP) -- Green Bay Packers fullback Najeh Davenport agreed Tuesday to do community service to settle charges he broke into a university dormitory and defecated in a sleeping woman's closet.

Details of the player's service were not released during his court appearance. He must sign up for the program by Nov. 12. If he completes the program, a felony charge of second-degree burglary and a misdemeanor count of criminal mischief will be dropped.

After Tuesday's hearing, Davenport continued to deny breaking into the Barry University dormitory.

"Where's the evidence? Where's the manure?" Davenport asked outside court. "I know I didn't do it -- I just wanted to get it over with."

Prosecutor Jonathan Schwartz said by telephone he couldn't comment on specific evidence because the case could go back to court if Davenport fails the diversion program.

But, he added: "If there was no evidence in the case, we wouldn't have brought any charges."

Police in suburban Miami Shores, where the small Catholic university is located, did not preserve the feces because it cannot not yield DNA samples and would have been useless as evidence, said police Sgt. Robert Knowles.

Defense attorney Richard Sharpstein said Davenport most likely will do about 100 hours of community service in Miami after the football season. Davenport said he would try to help students apply for college.

"Najeh wants to put this behind him like he does linebackers in the NFL," Sharpstein said.

The state attorney's office and the victim were satisfied with the hearing's results, Schwartz said.

According to police, Davenport entered a dorm room at Barry University in the early morning hours of April 1.

Mary McCarthy, asleep in the room, told police she was startled awake by a strange sound and saw a man squatting in her closet. The man, later identified as Davenport, had defecated in her laundry basket, police said.

Do the Saints need LaMont Jordan??

stujo4 — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 15:03:35 -0000

Rotoworld has this year's news on Jordan in order here

Rotoworld: "NFL Network's Adam Schefter mentions New Orleans, Detroit, and Chicago as possible landing spots for LaMont Jordan.

The Bears and Lions are obvious potential suitors, but the Saints may be most needy with Deuce McAllister's health in serious doubt. Jordan isn't a power back like Deuce, but would add good competition for Pierre Thomas. He's also a good fit in a pass-first offense like Sean Payton's."

I owned Jordan in a fantasy league last year (desperation move) and was real happy with him at first, then he faded out. I thought he was hurt but Warren Sapp explained it (in Rotoworld via Yahoo): Retired DT Warren Sapp says that LaMont Jordan "is like the worst offseason running back I've ever been around." "After three games last season, LaMont Jordan led the NFL in rushing," Sapp said. "But...he was out of shape and couldn’t keep it going."

Is this the kind of guy we want on the team? You think he is in shape for camp? Of course, the coaches are going to evaluate the RB candidates and make an informed decision, but I still think Shaun Alexander might be a better choice (unless he physically can't cut it). He's got a lot more reputation to salvage than the others mentioned, and I think he's got the character that would make him want to redeem himself. And there was another item in Rotoworld about him saying he's not getting any interest and will probably have to accept the league minimum, probably during camp. Too soon now.

Will Reggie Step Up The Same Way That Chris Paul Did

persimmonsaint — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 06:55:06 -0000

We all saw what happened last year with the Hornets. Chris Paul, the prevous year, had an injury and last year he came back and had and MVP type of year. It was his third year. You look at Reggie from last year, he underachieved and got injured. Will his third year in the NFL be anywhere as productive as Paul's third year in the NBA.?

To be that productive at his position as Paul was at his, Reggiw would have to have a All-Pro/Pro Bowl caliber year. His stats would have to look like this:

150 Rushes, 800 yards, 8 touchdowns.

81 Catches, 950 yards, 6 touchdowns.

between 3 and 7 punt returns, 350 yards, 3 touches.

Can he reach anywhere to those stats?

He most certainly has the talent to get there. I don't know if he can.

Travis Henry a Saint!?

satchmo26 — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 21:52:35 -0000

I was just reading this Adam Schein article at FoxSports.com where he is saying that the Saints should acquire both Jeremy Shockey and running back Travis Henry. He thinks we should pick up Henry because Deuce's health is still in question and Reggie will never be an every down between the tackles back. From what I've heard about Henry, it's doubtful Payton would be interested in him and, so far, Deuce seems to be recovering nicely from his knee surgeries. Plus, with Pierre, I don't think we'll need Henry.

All this speculation about our running back situation got me thinking about worst case scenarios and what if we need a power running back around midseason. If Deuce can't recover (which I'm praying will not be the case) and something happens to Pierre (Oh God no!), who could we get? Then, this highly unlikely but barely possible thought for a running back tandem came to mind--Reggie Bush/Ricky Williams. Two Saints 1st round draft picks in the same backfield. I know it's a ridiculous thought and in my mind I'm sure we'll be just fine with the running backs we have, but it would be a hyped up tandem that I'm sure the sportswriters would drool over. Ricky probably won't make the roster under Bill Parcels, so they may try to unload him. I don't think he's got anything left really and his addition, as far fetched as it sounds, would probably only hinder our offense. But, since every one else is speculating (guessing) about our RB situation, I thought I'd throw the most highly unlikely scenario possible out there. Personally, I can't wait for Deuce to hit the field in a preseason game, pick up some significant yardage, lay a few heavy hits on some people, and walk without a limp back to the huddle so we can finally put this question to rest.

Fatheads

#23fan — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 13:10:56 -0000

Does anyone know if you can get a Fathead of any player. I went to the website...... They only have Reggie Bush and Drew Brees. I would really like to get one of Marques Colston or Deuce. My number 1 pick would be Jonathon Vilma, but I would like to see him play before I go sticking him on my wall.

I want to trick out the living room for the FIRST SAINTS SUPERBOWL SEASON!!!!!!!!

Los Angeles Football Stadium

losangelesfootball — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 19:06:45 -0000

Los Angeles Stadium Plans Presented to NFL Commissioner

www.losangelesfootballstadium.com Provides Complete Plans

LOS ANGELES, CA – Ed Roski Jr. Chairman of Majestic Realty Co. and the leader of the new effort to return the NFL to Los Angeles presented the designs for the new Los Angeles Stadium to the NFL last Monday. In New York, the NFL met with Majestic Realty regarding Ed Roski's stadium proposal in the City of Industry in which this state of the art facility would be one of the premier stadiums in the country and will serve as a new entertainment center for families across Southern California.

"At their request, the Roski group provided us an update on their stadium project," wrote NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy, "Mr. Roski's site certainly seems to present an interesting possibility. The permitting and construction processes seem to be more defined than other sites we have seen.”

The Los Angeles Football Stadium is moving forward with its plans to build this new stadium.

The stadium development will feature:

ü 592 acres

ü 75,000 Seats, including 11,000 club seats and 175 suites

ü NFL team training facility

ü Medical center and clinic

ü 25,000 parking spaces

ü 2.8 million square foot mixed use entertainment and office development creating a sports and entertainment destination for Southern California

For more information on the stadium please visit: www.losangelesfootballstadium.com

True value of Reggie

stujo4 — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 17:34:38 -0000

I'm watching tapes again: Saints @ Giants, Dec 24, 2006

I just turned this on for fun. 2nd half, Saints are on the goal line threatening to score. The play is an end around to the left after a faked handoff to Deuce. Reggie lines up in the slot on the right, comes around and takes the ball cleanly. Osi Umenyiora, one of the top defensive ends in the game, comes in on the left and sees the entire play develop in front of him, he's not fooled at all. He draws a bead on Reggie but ends up grasping air and with dirt on the front of his jersey, Reggie sails into the endzone. Reggie is too fast (when he's healthy), no one could stop him from scoring on that play. So then the Giants take the kickoff and stall, and have to punt. Reggie fields the punt and returns it 54 yards UP THE MIDDLE for a touchdown. It's called back because he juked and fell and a defender barely touched his leg as he went down. Point being, when Bush is healthy, he is so fast and elusive that he can potentially score on any play. If he doesn't get the ball, the defense still HAS to account for him which can only make the play work better. Previous informed opinion cited here on CSC said he'll never be a big yardage back. BUT, he is certain to be a big play back. 800 and 800 (rushing, passing yards) is fine by me. We need to trust Payton and Offensive Coordinator Doug Marrone to design offensive game plans that make the most of Reggie's talents. Easy on the trick plays, though, guys. When they fail, they really suck.

How Much Pressure Are We To Expect From The Defensive Line

persimmonsaint — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 07:49:12 -0000

If everything is even and all of the players show up in Jackson then there is a defininte shot that this could be one of the best defensive lines in football.

The biggest question is whether or not Charles Gran will be able to buy his way out of the his up coming trial. If he does then this line will be able to get a ton of pressure from its ends. We will three players that could potentially start on any team in the league. I think that we all expect that Will Smith will have double-digit sacks this year. If Grant is here then he could very well have double-digit sacks also. The deal is predicting what to expect from Bobby McCray. I think that a good starting point is six.

The defensive tackles are a totaly different animal altogether. You kind of don't expet them to ge many sacks but with the fact that there will be a lof of pressure coming from the which might end up in some double teaming, this means that all bets are off. We just drafte Sedrick Ellis seventh overall,and, generally, one does not expect a nose tackle to get many sacks but because of the aforementioned double teams on the ends, Ellis could have a beig year sack wise. Then, there is Brian Young. He is coming off of an injury and is getting older. Will he stay healthy long enough to possibly put up some big numbers.

The facts state that if the defensive ends are earning their combined contracts then the Saints will have a big year.

How Much More Can We Expect From Deuce

persimmonsaint — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 07:55:18 -0000

We know that Deuce is coming up to that less than magical age for running backs. It is the age of 30. At this age a running backs productivity starts to go down. It can be extentuated even more if said runnig is a "old" thirty. This means that he has had a great deal of injuries. Deuce's injury problems go back to Ole Miss, that is why he dropped in the draft which allowed the Saints to have the ability to pick him at such a low position.

Even though he did not play in his first year, because the team still the flake that was Ricky Williams, he still had som pretty good years. Then came his first knee injury. It took him a half of a season to get back to som simblance of what he was before. Will it be the same this year?

I think that the team can get one maybe two good years from Deuce. After that, who knows. The big question is Do the Saints have his replacement on the roster?

What happens if Brees gets hurts or plays bad

persimmonsaint — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 21:05:27 -0000

I think that if Drew Brees is a top quaterback in the NFL and in this post I am taking the two worst case scenerios.

1. Injury

2. Poor Play

In terms of injury, that can't be helped. Major injuries happen every year in the NFL. The other example is poor play.

It can't be argued that Brees started out slow last year. This came after he had a great final two games in the preaseason. It was not just that he started out slow but the entire offense did as well. Receivers wer' catching the ball. Running backs were not gaining yardage. Most importantly, the offensive line was not blocking. All of those previous factors contributed to Brees having poor stats and getting sacked more. When a team is that lathargic then the coach is always thinking of pulling him in favor of getting a spark from the back up quarterback. That did not happen because I feel that they did not have the confidence in Jamie Martin. I can' t argue with that. The thing is that I feel that if the same thing happens this year they won't hesitate to pull Drew Brees. The reason is that Mark Brunell has the skins on the wall. These skins say that he has won some pretty big games. He has several wins in the playoffs. Don't get me wrong, I don' t think that will happen this year, but if it does, I have all the confidece that Brunell will get th job done.

Another Deuce interview

satchmo26 — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 18:42:06 -0000

I was surfing the net during my lunch break to find a pick of Deuce's new bride when I came across this interview with the man himself at chicksinthehuddle.com. Not much more than we already know here, but an interesting read nonetheless for any Deuce fans out there. The lady interviewer named it "7 minutes in Heaven with Deuce McAllister." Interesting. There's also a link there where she humorously begs Reggie to stay away from Kim.

Deuce Interview

Nice heart-warming SI article

satchmo26 — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 18:03:30 -0000

Here's an article I just came across at SI.com talking mostly about Payton finding ways to bond the team together through community service and other activities. Here's an excerpt:

The Saints are now a big part of restoring the city. Author Michael Lewis, who wrote the best-selling sports books "Moneyball" and "The Blind Side," has recently moved back to New Orleans to conduct research for an upcoming book that will center on the restoration of New Orleans. "It's slightly alarming how much better run the Saints are after the storm than they were in the 38 years before it," he says. "They aren't a symbol of the city getting back to what it was before the storm; they're a symbol of the city remaking itself entirely. Below is the link:

SI article

Saints SS Roman Harper is ranked DB1

stujo4 — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 22:21:10 -0000

via static.nfl.com

From Rotoworld article

Coming off a torn ACL, Harper was exposed at times in coverage in '07. But he showed a knack for the big play and held off Kevin Kaesviharn for playing time. Giants GM Jerry Reese, who's quickly established himself as an elite judge of talent, wanted Harper in a Jeremy Shockey trade this offseason. The Saints said no.

Harper returns a full year removed from surgery and should regain some range. The Saints like to send him on blitzes, which increases Harper's fantasy upside, and he could see more tackle opportunities behind a linebacker unit that may have two starters returning from serious injury (MLB Jonathan Vilma and WLB Dan Morgan). Harper projects as a consistent and top-shelf DB1.

2007 Line: 90 (75 solo) – 4 SCK – 3 INT – 0 FR – 2 FF – 8 PASS DEF
Projection: 100 (84 solo) – 3 SCK – 2 INT – FR – 3 FF – 7 PASS DEF
2008 Rotoworld Rank: DB1

LeCharles Bentley Released By Cleveland

MarcusR — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 23:43:50 -0000

So the team kept him around for two years when he was long-term injured, and the moment he gets healthy he gets himself released. Sounds like pure class on his part (like we didn't already know that), but he's a damn good centre (if healthy) so do we think he could be worth a shot?

An incentives-laden, low base salary kinda deal would seem to be the most obvious thing, not sure whether or not anyone will be dumb enough to pay him big guaranteed money.

Lindy's Pro Football 2008 Preview magazine highlights

stujo4 — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 23:21:25 -0000

Bought my first NFL magazine this season. Usually don't get Lindy's but there was a cheer leader on the cover. Here are the highlights:

Saints predicted to win the NFC South. Dallas wins the NFC championship.

The NFL's BEST:

QB- #4 Brees

WR1- #4 Colston; Breakout season = Meachem

TE- Last chance = Eric Johnson

Passing game- #3 Saints

RB2- #2 Bush

Fullbacks- #2 Karney

Offensive Line- #4 Saints- "If Brown and Stinchcomb can raise their game, this unit can match any in the league."

Mid/Inside Linebackers- #6 Vilma; Best Additions- Vilma

CB2- #10 Gay; Best additions- Gay

Power Rankings- Saints 68; For contrast, Giants 71 (HA! no way) Dallas and Philly 70; Vikings 66; Patriots 76; Falcons 60; Chiefs 56.5; Browns 70.5 (what?)

My summary: Looks like the Saints offseason moves were noticed. "We don't get no respect!" is not going to work this year. The Boys are going to need to overperform to get to the Superbowl, past Dallas and Philly.

Bucs vs Saints today on NFL Network

satchmo26 — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 17:30:51 -0000

For anyone interested in reliving a painful Saints moment, NFL Network is replaying our heartbreaking loss to the Bucs in the Dome last year. It's on at 6:00 PM Central Time this afternoon and 6:00 AM tomorrow morning, for anyone wanting to start their Monday in a bad way. You'll remember it as the one that looked like we were on our way to a close win over our division rivals when a botched reverse play between Reggie and Devery went oh so wrong. During the play, the entire left side of the O-line got blown up by the Bucs D-line, which led to Reggie making a terrible decision to lob the ball into the backfield resulting in a fumble recovery by the Bucs. OH THE HUMANITY!