Drew Dat? Boo Dat, Two Dat!

At the rate the Saints are going, this face may be replaced by some local personalities. 3

Let me be very clear from the opening: I am big fan of quarterback Drew Brees of my home town team, the New Orleans Saints. I wouldn’t trade him for anyone at that position. He is a Top 5 NFL QB by any set of reasonable criteria.

The opening week loss by the Saints to the Washington Redskins was not all his fault. Yesterday’s road loss to the Carolina Panthers was not all his fault. Under most other circumstances, Brees did enough to lead his team to victory. I have complete confidence that Brees will help get the difficult situation in New Orleans turned around.


FORTY MILLION REASONS WHY IT DOESN’T MATTER WHOSE FAULT IT IS

Drew Brees was in a much publicized, contentious offseason contract negotiation with the Saints that ended just before the start of Saints training camp. The result was a $100 million contract with $60 million in guarantees and $40 million in guaranteed money this season. To whom much is given, much is expected. To whom the most is given (as was Brees' contract at the time he signed it) the most is expected.

When a quarterback is a rookie, a veteran backup, or an average starter earning $4 million per season, fans should be pleased, in spite of an 0-2 start, with a QB averaging 332 yards of passing per game (on pace to break the single season passing yardage record he set in 2012), averaging two touchdowns per game, and an offense averaging 30 points per game (second in the NFC). There are a lot of positives, on paper, with the performance of Drew Brees and the Saints’ offense.

When the quarterback is a perennial Pro Bowler, an All-Pro, a Super Bowl MVP, and a future Hall of Famer earning $40 million this season, nobody cares what the other issues affecting the team are. That player, Drew Brees, is expected to find a way to win the games regardless of which players and which units are not carrying their weight and regardless of whether the Head Coach is severed from the team for an entire season. Brees is well aware of this; I have no doubt.

Charles Godfrey (Panthers, left) thinks that Brees throws a great (pick six) touchdown pass. 2

NO DEFENSE FOR THE ABSENCE OF THE DEFENSE

To be clear, the Saints most glaring player personnel problem is their defense. Fix the defense (and by “fix” I mean “play slightly worse than the average NFL defense”) and the Saints will rise to the Top 10 in the league power rankings. The defensive unit is suffering from three major challenges: injuries, a new and complex defensive coaching scheme, and lack of depth.

Cornerback Johnny Patrick missed yesterday’s game with a leg injury; starting cornerback Jabari Greer missed Week 1 and was very limited in action yesterday; defensive lineman Turk McBride, on a D-line already struggling with depth, was out yesterday with an ankle injury; defensive captain and starting middle linebacker Jonathan Vilma is on the Physically Unable to Perform list, meaning he cannot play until the team’s seventh game (if NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell allows Vilma to play at all this season relating to Vilma's alleged role in the Saints Bountygate scandal), with a knee injury. Outside linebacker Chris Chamberlain, formerly under new Saints defensive coordinator Steve Spagnulo with the St. Louis Rams, is out for the season with a knee injury. Defensive end Greg Romeus, who was drafted in 2011 but has yet to play an NFL game due to a knee injury, will miss the entire 2012 season rehabbing the same type of injury this year.

The Saints defense, which was not very good in 2011 to begin with, is beaten up and battered. On top of that, by all accounts, Spagnulo’s system is more complicated and detail oriented than that of former defensive coordinator Gregg Williams. The next game I coach in the NFL will be my first, but I know that “new” and “more complicated” in any profession takes time to learn to a point at which the execution is smooth. Add in personnel that was low on productivity a year ago and short on total team health and the defense is going to have serious issues in the first few games of the season.

It shows. The Saints are dead last in the NFL in total defense. But while injuries and scheme changes, to the degree the Saints are experiencing them, can be overwhelming, NFL players have no excuse for missing routine tackles and dropping interceptions. That has happened too many times this season, especially considering the problems beyond the players’ control.

If you were unsure of how valuable coaching and veteran leadership are, look at the Saints right now, especially the defense. They are missing Jonathan Vilma like the desert misses the rain. 4

IT IS WHAT IT IS

Again, it doesn’t matter that the Saints defense is made of Swiss cheese or more porous than (father of 10) Jets cornerback Antonio Cormartie’s preferred brand of condoms. Drew Brees and the organization were aware of this challenge and others heading into training camp. If the D gives up 35 points, it is on Brees’ and the offensive coaching staff’s shoulders to figure out a way to score 36 or more (which the Saints have done often in years past). It is what it is.

The defense did not throw an ill-advised and rushed pass into the flat, deep in Saints’ territory, that resulted in a touchdown…for the Panthers. The defense did not make Brees rush throws in both last week’s and this week’s games, on a potential game-tying drive, that resulted in overthrows that were intercepted, slamming the door on any chance of a Saints win.

When a star player is earning $40 million in a single season, the answer isn’t, “I need a little more help,” even if he clearly does. The answer is, “This is what we have to deal with it and we will find a way to deal with it.” Drew Brees knows this. Drew Brees would probably say this or something similar. Git ‘er done, Drew!

Brees is going to find a way to get it done. 1

Don't forget to vote in the fan polls!

To advertise with The Daily Hat Trick, or to submit a guest column, please contact the editor at eric@thedailyhattrick.info.

The Daily Hat Trick is sponsored by Sports N Stuff. For great deals on jerseys, shirts, cologne, and other guy stuff, visit http://www.sportsnstuff.biz/.

1) Image from www.boston.com
2) Image from www.canalstreetchronicles.com
3) Image from www.sportsgrid.com
4) Image from www.usatoday.com

Drew Dat? Boo Dat!

The 2012 New Orleans Saints season began yesterday. It is the first glimpse that we got of the impact of the Bountygate suspensions of Head Coach Sean Payton, Assistant Head Coach Joe Vitt, General Manager Mickey Loomis, and middle linebacker Jonathan Vilma (whose suspension was overturned on Friday but missed all of training camp) on the team. What we saw was what we got: a team with limitless offensive talent but a rebuilding but injured defense under a new defensive coordinator operating without the head coach who led them to a Super Bowl championship three seasons ago.


FAILED TO MEET LOW EXPECTATIONS

I did not expect my beloved Saints to look crisp. I did not expect the Saints to blow the Redskins out of the Superdome. However, I did not expect the Saints to lose.

The Redskins have been one of the least successful and most dysfunctional NFL teams in recent years. The game was played in the Superdome, where the Saints did not lose a single game last season. They started a rookie quarterback, Robert Griffin, III, whom I expected to play well “for a rookie”. There isn’t a Hall of Fame quarterback who would throw Griffin’s performance back (19/26, 320 yds. 2 TD, 0 INT, 139.9 rtg.), reach back into the grab bag of QB stat lines, and hope for better.


THE GOOD

Saints: In spite of mistake after mistake after mistake on defense, an invisible and abandoned running attack, and the most inaccurate passing performance of Drew Brees’ career that I can recall, the Saints still had a longshot chance to tie the score on the final play of the game. When everything went wrong, this team was still in the game. That is talent. It is not reflected on the stat sheet. It means this team can look forward to brighter outcomes.

Redskins: Forget “the good”, Robert Griffin, III was unbelievable. I compared Griffin to Cam Newton in our QB evaluation piece back in late July. In some manners, Griffin’s performance was better than Newton’s rookie debut record shattering performance last year, including the fact that his team won on the road.

Robert Griffin: "Uh oh! You got me. PSYCHE!" 1

THE BAD

Saints: The defense did not look ready to play an NFL game. There were some mitigating factors. The Saints were pained by several preseason injuries on defense plus the loss of their defensive leader, Jonathan Vilma. In addition, they are in a new system under defensive coordinator Steve Spagnulo which, by all accounts, is more complicated than the scheme of former defensive coordinator Gregg Williams. However, there is no excuse for the ineptitude, particularly on third down, shown by the defense yesterday.

Redskins: The Redskins’ “bad” is, by-and-large, the opposite of the Saints’ “good”. The Redskins racked up 40 points, faced an opposing quarterback with a stat line that Tim Tebow may have looked down upon, and still could have lost. Granted, when Drew Brees has a bad game, his team is still never dead as long as Brees has a pulse. The Skins will not face a QB of his caliber in most weeks. Still, when your opponent is down, you go for the jugular; you don’t wait to be saved by the bell (or the final gun).

Jimmy Graham still got to say, "YOU GOT DUNKED ON," to Redskins defenders. 3

THE UGLY

Saints: Drew Brees…. There is a TON of fault to go around and, actually, Brees is quite low on the list of people to blame. However, Brees is the $40 million man in 2012 because under the Saints’ difficult circumstances, the team has all eyes on Brees to lead.

In all fairness, Brees failure was in execution, not leadership. The Saints had a chance to win a game that 28 of the other 31 teams would have had no chance to win down 16 points in the 4th quarter. But completing 46% of his passes is unacceptable under any circumstances. That cannot happen again any time soon. I doubt it will.

Redskins: Absolutely nothing. Head coach Mike Shanahan’s game plan was beautiful. Robert Griffin, III had a debut that was beautiful. The Redskins coverage schemes were beautiful. Redskins Fan saw nothing ugly about their team yesterday. Congratulations.

This picture says a thousand words. 2

Don't forget to vote in the fan polls!

To advertise with The Daily Hat Trick, or to submit a guest column, please contact the editor at eric@thedailyhattrick.info.

The Daily Hat Trick is sponsored by Sports N Stuff. For great deals on jerseys, shirts, cologne, and other guy stuff, visit http://www.sportsnstuff.biz/.

1) Image from http://cnn.sportsillustrated.com

2) Image from www.cbssports.com
3) Image from http://espn.go.com

Google "Jonathan Vilma Penalty Flag Plain Clothes"

Today's chick pic has as loose a connection to sports as anything on the Hat Trick. While searching for a photo to go alone with today's Retweet of the Day, regarding suspended New Orleans Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma's ongoing feud with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, I came across this.

I am a die hard Saints fan and I support Vilma, but I'd rather look at her!

Image from www.pubsub.com

Retweet of the Day - August 6, 2012

The NFL has made its way back into the headlines in a big way over the last couple of days. First, the 2012 preseason kicked off with the annual Hall of Fame game, played for the first time in two years because of last season's lockout. The New Orleans Saints defeated the Arizona Cardinals in an exhibition that went downhill, from an entertainment standpoint, from the opening drive going forward. Still, football is BACK!

This morning, ESPN reported that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell offered suspended Saints linebacker a reduced suspension, from one full year down to eight games for his alleged role in the Saints Bountygate scandal, on the condition that he drop his defamation of character lawsuit against Goodell. This would seem to indicate that Vilma has some degree of leverage, for whatever reason, on Goodell (and his absolute power) and the league.

Today's retweet is a nice one, from RefereeLogic ‏(@RefereeLogic). Cardinals quarterback Kevin Kolb suffered a rib injury during last night's game in which, of course, Vilma did not participate. RefereeLogic served up this to the Twittersphere:


"Kevin Kolb is hurt, Roger Goodell fines Jonathan Vilma anyway."

Vilma: "He's gonna need the fine money by the time I'm done with him in court!"

Image from http://sports.yahoo.com

Retweet of the Day - Jonathan Vilma's Day in Sheriff Goodell's Court

I thought I was good at ripping pithy one liners before Twitter. I can accept that I am just a guppy in the ocean. Clearly, Rebkah Howard (@pink_funk) has "big fish" potential. She looks like a little cutie, too, guys!

This is funny on so many levels and in under 140 characters. Here is the Retweet of the Day for Thursday, May 17, 2012.

"Vilma is gonna be so disappointed when he finds out the Commish sits on the federal bench in LA, and the federal appellate court too."

Vilma: "What? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"

Image from a prior Daily Hat Trick

Mariano Rivera’s Injury – The Turd in the Punch Bowl of this Week in Sports

Legendary New York Yankees closing pitcher Mariano Rivera (1-1, 2.16 ERA, 5 SV) suffered a serious knee injury in Kansas City yesterday. Rivera was shagging fly balls in the outfield, part of his long time pre-game conditioning routine, when he suddenly crumpled over near the warning track, eventually being helped off of the field. Rivera reportedly tore the ACL and the meniscus in his knee.

Rivera will most likely miss the rest of the 2012 season. At age 42, Major League Baseball’s last number 42 may have ended his career on Thursday. Rivera dropped a number of hints that this season may be his last. Considering Rivera’s stature in baseball and his first ballot Hall of Fame resume, my best bet would be that he either beats the six month rehab time and plays again this year or comes back next season to leave on his own terms.

Tough to watch from any angle. 1

WHAT AN AWFUL WEEK!

Regardless, bad news often comes in bunches. This past week offered a freight container of bad news. Here is a quick review of the week that was.

Saturday, April 28

Derrick Rose tears his ACL approaching the final minute of Game 1 of the first round of the NBA Eastern Conference playoffs. The Bulls were up by double digits and appeared to have the game in hand when the reigning MVP landed awkwardly while driving to the basket. With Rose’s injury, the Bulls hopes of winning the Eastern Conference, let alone the NBA Finals, are all but lost.

Tough to watch and possibly unnecessary. 2

Monday, April 30

New York Knicks star forward Amare Stoudemire lacerated his non-shooting hand after punching a glass pane of a fire extinguisher compartment in the Knicks locker room. Stoudemire missed Game 3 of the series, which the Knicks lost. His status for Game 4 is questionable.

Tough to see, but it has to be tougher on Stoudemire, who is not doubt kicking himself constantly for his costly stupidity. We've all done something incredibly stupid, but Stoudemire's mistake was for the world to see. 3

Wednesday, May 2

"Black Wednesday” in the National Football League…. Roger Goodell brought the hammer down on four current and former New Orleans Saints players for their involvement in the Bountygate scandal. Three players, two of which are no longer with the Saints, were suspended for part of the 2012 season.

The whammy was the year long suspension of Saints defensive captain Jonathan Vilma. In spite of the severity of the alleged offense, being the ringleader among the players in the Saints bounty system, the severity of Vilma’s punishment, including the loss of several million dollars in salary, was stunning and sent shockwaves throughout the fraternity of NFL players and legions of Saints fans.

In hindsight, if the reemergence of the ugliness of the Bountygate scandal was the worst news of the day, it would have been a pretty good day. Unfortunately, the suspensions and surrounding controversy were a blip on the radar compared to the news that would follow in the afternoon.

Former San Diego Chargers, New England Patriots, and Miami Dolphins linebacker and future Hall of Famer Junior Seau was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest. He was age 43. Rampant speculation about the safety of the game, dangers of concussions, and concerns about the well being of players after they leave the NFL followed. At the end of the day, a relatively young man and father who was beloved by his southern California community and an icon of the National Football League was gone far too soon in far too tragic fashion.

4

Thursday, May 3

While not tragic like the news of Junior Seau’s passing, another future Hall of Fame player was suddenly and unexpectedly saddled with a very difficult set of circumstances. Yankees closing pitcher Mariano Rivera suffered a probable season ending, and possible career ending, freak knee injury before a game in Kansas City. Rivera is the all time leader in saves in MLB history with 608.

Baseball fans can only hope that we get another chance to see this scene. 5

Don't forget to vote in the fan polls!

To advertise with The Daily Hat Trick, or to submit a guest column, please contact the editor at eric@thedailyhattrick.info.

The Daily Hat Trick is sponsored by Sports N Stuff. For great deals on jerseys, shirts, cologne, and other guy stuff, visit http://www.sportsnstuff.biz/

1) Image from http://nbcsports.msnbc.com
2) Image from www.zimbio.com
3) Image from www.terezowens.com
4) Image from www.chargers.com
5) Image from www.seattlesportsinsider.com
 

Fool Me Once, Shame On You; Fool Me Twice, Shame on Me

The verdict is in and Sheriff/Judge Roger Goodell has handed down his sentence. Saints Head Coach Sean Payton has been suspended for the 2012 season. Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis got 8 games. Assistant Head Coach Joe Vitt got 6 games handed down to him. The team was fined $500,000. The Saints had their second round picks in 2012 and 2013 taken away.

1

WHY SO SEVERE?

I’ve made absolutely no secret that I was raised in New Orleans and am a die hard Saints fan. I love the Saints and am as heartbroken as a football fan can be. But, Sean Payton and his gang brought this upon themselves and the fans.

Goodell approached the Saints in 2009. He told them that they suspected that the bounty practice was happening. He ordered the Saints to stop it if that was the case. The Saints effectively patted him on the head, basically threw the finger at Goodell and kept doing it for two more seasons. When the Commissioner’s top priority, during the last two seasons, has been "player safety, player safety, player safety" and the man in charge is willfully disrespected on that topic, tough consequences can be expected.


ON THE FIELD

This is a crippling blow to the Saints Super Bowl XLVII prospects. The biggest operational part of an NFL Head Coach’s job is to manage his position coaches, who manage the players, first-hand. Without a doubt, Payton's staff is first rate. But there is a reason Payton is the top coach and his organizational excellence is ultimately why the Saints won a Super Bowl.

Talent goes a long way in professional sports and I expect the Saints, with Drew Brees at quarterback, will more likely than not have a winning record and more likely than not get into the playoffs. But the Saints' road to winning the big prize without Payton is filled with peril. I cannot see the Saints, with very little time to prepare for or adjust to these penalties before the draft, minicamps, and training camp, going deep into the playoffs in the coming season.


LONG TERM IMPACT

I am willing to bet no other coach tries this, going forward. I am disappointed, but the Saints asked for this. The only person for whom I have sympathy is Saints Owner Benson, who, from all accounts, had nothing to do with this. I cannot imagine that Payton and Loomis, under the circumstances, would not have been fired were it not for the Super Bowl success to which they led the team.

The Saints program was run by coaches, who are managers and leaders by example, not players. This is a key difference in what the Saints did and most player run, under-the-table bounty programs. Today, the league is much tighter on player safety issues. The NFL is being sued for withholding information vital to player safety by a number of former players, who suffered concussions and other head injuries. The Saints could not have picked a worse time to run afoul of league rules with a bounty program.


WHO’S NEXT?

When the New England Patriots were fined $500,000 and docked a first round draft pick for their involvement in the “Spygate” sideline video recording scandal, I thought the league sent a very loud and clear message that it would not tolerate an organization’s disregard for the Commissioner’s office. The penalty was the harshest, ever, handed down to a team from the NFL commissioner. Apparently, that wasn’t enough.

Perhaps the Saints’ brass thought a half-mil and a lost pick was simply a cost of doing business. Perhaps they thought instructions to cease and desist a potential league-image-wrecking practice were guidelines and not actual rules. After these severe penalties, I do not know what more the Commissioner’s office can do to show that it means business. I would not want to be the team to find out, either.

No place to be.... 2

Don't forget to vote in the fan polls!

To advertise with The Daily Hat Trick, or to submit a guest column, please contact the editor at eric@thedailyhattrick.info.

The Daily Hat Trick is sponsored by Sports N Stuff. For great deals on jerseys, shirts, cologne, and other guy stuff, visit http://www.sportsnstuff.biz/.


1) Image spliced from images from  www.examiner.com, www.onlineathens.com, www.seattlepi.com, www.diradiocast.com, www.stockpodium.com 
2) Image spliced together, crudely, from http://wcc.dli.mt.gov/ , http://www.indyposted.com/ , and http://www.bloguin.com/