Canal Street Chronicles, a New Orleans Saints community

New Orleans Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis will begin serving his eight-game suspension Monday. Although there was some discussion about a possible delay because of Hurricane Isaac, nothing was ultimately changed.

Saints assistant head coach Joe Vitt (six games) and defensive end Will Smith (four games) will also begin serving their suspensions Monday -- though Smith still has some pending appeals that could return him to the field, at least on a temporary basis at some point.

Benson, who closed on his purchase of the Hornets last week, chose Loomis, who remains the Saints' GM, as director of Hornets basketball operations. He also appointed Lauscha president of both clubs on Monday.

When Saints owner Tom Benson bought the NBA’s New Orleans Hornets, we joked that Saints coach Sean Payton could spend his one-year suspension working for the team.

As it turns out, Saints G.M. Mickey Loomis will spend his half-year suspension doing just that.

Mike Triplett of the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports that Loomis "likely" will oversee basketball operations for the Hornets.

"To think I am sitting in there listening and actually and or doing something with the offensive and defensive play calls of the opposing teams makes this story and the unnamed sources that provided the false information that much more less credible...it just didn't happen."

After seeing Aqib Talib's problems in TB, the #Saints' decision to select Tracy Porter in the 2nd Rd of the '08 draft looks better & better." -Jeff Duncan tweet

Aqib Talib is cooperating with Texas police investigating a March 21 incident for which the Bucs corner has been accused of pistol-whipping and shooting at his sister's boyfriend.

Talib's ... the key to Tampa's secondary as the "shadow" for opposing No. 1 receivers. Talib has 15 picks in his first 41 NFL games, and is one of the better run support corners in football. He'd also come on extremely strong in coverage over the last seven games after a slow start. - Rotoworld.com

"I don't have any trepidation about (the size of the investment), " Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis said. "We think he's the best offensive guard in the National Football League, and so he deserves to be compensated fairly.

"Anytime you can get one of your corps players signed to a long-term deal, that's a good thing. Jahri has performed at a really high level since the time he has come here, so it's good to see a fourth-round pick from a small college do so well and get rewarded for it."

Sean Payton might be in big trouble. Mickey Loomis could be in even more of it.

"He had an injury, and we just decided it was in the best interest of our team to put him on injured reserve,"

"It is what it is," Loomis said of the team’s less than full cupboard full of draft picks. "Our second, third and fifth picks are on in the field in the forms of Jonathan and Jeremy. And, I’m pleased we have those players here and I’m not looking back."

"We don't go out there and knowingly spread bad information. That's not a tactic that I'm comfortable with. But I'd prefer more to keep quiet, to be honest with you," he said. "In fact, even this press conference, if it wasn't mandated I wouldn't do it. It's just difficult, because obviously we want to keep this stuff close to the vest. When the questions start getting a little specific and people start reading into you, that's where we draw the line."