Pure speculation, T.O didnt like Parcells. The current coach runs a different ship and treats those players with better respect that Parcells ever did. They responded better under the new coach as a team and T.O individually.
he led the NFL in TDs his first year and played with a broken hand for 75-80% of the season. I'd take that tumor anyday. I know you don't like the dude, but for someone who is a "cancer", look at his team's W/L records with him, then after him to show you the drop-off once he leaves your team. Too lazy to look it up, I'll give it to you. Eagles record with him: 2004: 13-2 (was injured for 5 games) 2005: 4-3 (had 763 yards in seven games) Total: 17-5 Eagles record from 2006-07 without him: 19-15 Cowboys record from 04-05 without Owens: 15-17 Cowboys record from 06-07 with Owens: 22-12 I don't even need to tell you what happened to the 49ers once he left there. And about your little wisecrack about Shockey playing LB, yes, the Giants defense did step it up in the 2nd half of the year, but Eli also was a big part of the team winning ballgames. Why do you think that is? I think it is because he was free to throw the football to who he wanted to and did not have a loud-mouth tight end in his ear at all times.
Let me tell ya, that troublemaker Shockey's at it again: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/peter_king/07/28/mmqb/4.html
Everyone is happy in July. Let's see if he is doing those things in October. Did you really expect him to be causing problems already?
Shockey at the Saints training camp in Jackson, MS (he's #88 for the Saints, same number he had at the "U") It's from an article by Peter King of Sports Illustrated explaining Shockey's side of the story with the whole fiasco at the end of last season with the Giants -- http://i2.cdn.turner.com/si/2008/writers/peter_king/07/29/mail/t2.shockey.si.jpg
you'll never see me in that attire. I am not a front-runner, either... Unlike virtually everyone else in this state.
You need to be careful with blanket statements. And no, the world 'virtually' doesn't save you from having made a blanket statement. You know that most Saints fans have been lifelong and as such have suffered through more hard times than almost any other franchise. I know personally, I've been a Saints fan since I was 9, and an LSU fan since I was 11. ('88 and '90 respectively) I didn't live through the AINTS years, but I did suffer through the end of the Mora era and the Ditka/Haslett years. Are they more vocal now? Hell yeah! That happens when you have something to be proud of for a change rather than embarrassment. And you think bandwagoners are unique to Louisiana? That's naive to say the least. The Cowboys bandwagon has gotten pretty darn full over the past year. How many vocal Red Sox fan did you see seven years ago? Bandwagoners are everywhere. You just happen to live in Louisiana. And personally, I don't see what's wrong with people showing pride over something local. It's not like we as a state have a lot to be proud of everywhere else. It's human nature to be drawn to a team when they are winning. Would you be a Cowboy fan if they had never won a Super Bowl? A Braves fan if they had never been to the World Series? The Rockets if they'd never won an NBA title? I have a hard time believing you'd pick teams in different cities that aren't in your home state without the team's winning percentage coming into play somewhere along the line. I know it seems like I'm picking on you, clair. I'd like you to know I like you and definitely respect your sports knowledge. It just really gets to me to see you continually run down the people of the state for supporting the local team. /rant
it's much, much worse in Louisiana than anywhere else. I said in the "favorite team" thread that it's nothing anyone here, but as people as a whole. Being you will call out my professional teams, let me explain my reason for cheering. Rockets = I loved Clyde Drexler. I was a fan of the Blazers casually when he was there and I have family from Houston so it made it all fit. Then T-Mac became my favorite player and the Magic my favorite team, but fate works out in weird ways and my favorite player came home. Braves = TBS. To a kid, any team that is on TV every night is golden Cowboys = Can not really explain that one. My dad, grandpa are all fans so I just hopped on with them. My problem is not with diehards like you who are born Saints fans and who die Saints fans whether the team is 4-12 or 12-4. My problem is with fans who are only fan when the team is 12-4... and in Louisiana's case, are only fans when the team is 16-0. And as someone who has been all over the country, I can tell you that it is MUCH, MUCH worse here than anywhere else. The Hornets were about to lose the entire franchise tickets were so bad. Then boom, a few wins and they are a big draw. You think it won't go back to 7,000-8,000 in the arena if the team sinks to 30 wins again? Part of my allegiance with the Cowboys stems to them always being on television in the early 90s. Now, I was just a kid and I was not allowed to stay up to watch Monday Night Football then, so the only games I watched were noon kickoffs on Sunday. But the Cowboys were on TV and the Saints were not. I remember having the Saints game on the radio while the Cowboys game was on the TV. Why wouldn't the Saints be on TV? Because the team stunk and they were blacked out. That's sad. If the Cowboys went 0-16, they'd still sell out every game. You know how I know that? Because they went 1-15 in 1989 and sold out every game. Again, I am not calling out you or anyone here, for the most part. I am just calling out those that are not loyal to the team, but are just loyal to the success of the team. I know every fan base has them, but New Orleans' record sort of speaks for itself in this.
