As a dyed in the wool genuine New Orleans football fan, I would like to request a redo on my 2012 new year's resolution. Celebrating an all Louisiana football championship will have to be put on hold at least another year. Dreaming of a parade featuring a Blain Kern designed mega-float with Drew Brees riding shotgun in the Champion's throne on one end and a giant paper mache Les Miles hoisting a crystal football into the air on the other is over. It has has morphed into that dream where I just keep falling and falling and falling...
After ending their season with a day after Christmas Falcons beatdown and ruining the Panthers' New Year's plane ride back to Carolina, the Saints entered the 2012 playoff season as the hottest team in the NFL. The offense was so hot, January's temperature rose. In fact, in the final three regular season games, the offense scored 42, 45 and 45 points. Almost every team and indivdual offensive record was broken. Drew Brees(passing yards), Jimmy Graham(receiving yards), Darren Sproles(total yards). Total offense, passing offense, first downs, third down and on and on and on. This, some experts gushed, is one of the greatest offense's of all time. On to the playoffs...
First up, Detroit and Mega Tron. No problem. Behind Brees' brilliance and timely stops and turnovers form the defense, the Saints pull away in the second half and win going away.
Next up, LSU-Bama and the BCS championship in the Dome. LSU's 2011 was the most dominant in the history of collge football. It started with blowing out the #3 Oregon Ducks and ended with neutering the #12 Georgia Bulldogs. They slayed top 10 team after top 10 team in between. In Death Valley, on the road, or on a nuetral field, it made no difference. The fighting Tigers displayed a brutal running attack supported by a passing game as efficient as a Steve Jobs power point presentation. The special teams were spectacular. The return game was surpassed only by the most influential punting in LSU history. But the icing on the cake, the feather in the cap and the creme dela creme was a 9-6 overtime victory over Alabama in Alabama over the newest greatest coach in the history of Alabama. And they meet again. This time in LSU's backyard. Home of the previous two LSU BCS Championships...
and falling and falling and falling...
Despite the devastatingly confusing loss in the BCS game, there's still the Saints. Next up, the 49ers. The Saints open well. Take the opening kickoff and drive right down the field just like they've done throughout 2011. On third and goal, Brees finds ole reliable #23 in the flat. He catches the ball, turns then sheds a tackle on his way to the endzone. Touchdown! Saints lead 7-0! That's what every Saints fan, football fan, casual sports fan and most 49er fans expected. However, Mr. Pierre Thomas meet Mr. Donte Whitner, he's here to dislodge you from the football. Violently. Result? The first of three momentum changing fumbles and two interceptions totaling five turnovers. That old Saints buggaboo. The dreaded turnover. The ONLY entity capable of slowing down the 2011 Saints offense.
Despite those turnovers, incredibly, thanks to a hall of fame catch and run by Jimmy Graham, the Saints find themselves in the lead! With less than a minute to play! The the 49ers backed up deep in their own territory. No way they can win this. The Saints will allow them to complete meaningess underneath passes in the middle of the field and chew up the clock. At best the Niners will get a lucky catch around the Saints forty and attempt a long FG to send the game to overtime. Time to start rooting for the Giants to upset the Packers tomorrow night then kick their butts on the way to Indianapolis...
...and falling and falling and falling...
Just to dig the jagged edge deeper, the Giants come through. The 9-7 Giants, a team the Saints humiliated just weeks before, beat the damn Packers, end the 49ers dream season, then strongarm New England and those Gisele hated receivers to win the Super Bowl.
Next you'll tell me LSU will lose the state's top two high school players to Alabama. The #3 player to Texas. That their prized recruit, the #1 rated high school QB in America, will be a no-show for early enrollment then show up for class at Notre Dame! What?!
Oh, and the Hornets, 4-21!
Oh 2012! Why have you forsaken us? Is this what the Mayans meant?
