Drew Brees.
Is there anything else to say?
After Sunday's performance agianst the Texans, that's all I can think of.
Brees lead his team to a 40 point day. A day which he threw his first two interceptions of the year. That bears repeating. Drew Brees lead his team to a 40 point day despite throwing two pics!
You don't have to be Sheldon from "The Big Bang Theory" to figure this out, that there Saints QB is pretty darn good.
Ask the Texans.
After being smoked like a brisket on a Texas spit, all they could do was spew cliches and platitudes. "They're not unstoppable, we just couldn't stop them", claimed the chorus of Texans' DBs fresh off giving up nearly 400 yards. You can hardly blame them for sounding so lame, I'm sure their heads are still spinning. Spinning to left for Lance Moore, spinning to the right for Jimmy Graham. Spinning like Linda Blair for Darren Sproles. I mean, who can blame them for such foolish talk.
Once again Brees displayed why he should always be mentioned in the same breath as Brady and Manning. After Matt Schaub hit TE James Casey on a 26 yard pass to put Houston up 26-17 with 14:54 remaing in the game, it looked like the Saints defense was gong to have to take another one on the chin. Then Sean Peyton went to the empty backfield set. This left Brees with the game in his hands. Houston was forced to man coverage which created great match ups for the Saints. Sproles, Graham and Moore were the benefactors of Brees' uncanny knack for pre-snap reads. A 27 yard pass to Graham that Brees could not have walked up and placed the ball any better. TD! A 16 yard back shoulder to Moore. TD! Two point conversion! A lucky bounce of the ball in Houston's favor followed. No worries, Brees has this. Sproles the the left, Moore on a quick slant, Graham up the seam. RB Mark Ingram, a 13 yard run. TD! Two 2 point conversion!
Throw in a pic from Jabari Greer and an end of game defensive stand and Houston was Texas toast.
You could almost see the little birds flyng around their collective heads as they sat, crossed eyed, in amazement.
You could almost hear them mumbling just above a confused whisper. "Uh, what just happened?
What Just happened you ask?
Two words.
Drew Brees!
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Well look who decided to show up!
Hello defense, it's nice to see you. You've been away awhile. Can you stay longer? Inquiring minds want to know.
They want to know if defense that sent the Monsters of the Midway back to Chicago with their tails between their legs has awaken from their winter slumber or just hit the snooze button.
Either way you cannot deny that last Sunday was the stuff Greg WIlliams dreams of. His defense won the battle of down and distance then sent the dogs on Jay Cutler. It did help that Cutler had less moves than Carson Kressley on Dancing with the Stars. But it was the pass rush that got the music playing in his head. It only took a couple more "remember me" shots before he shut down and sought isolation on the sidelines. You could almost forgive Cutler for his demeanor as his offensive line was nonexistent and anyone without the name Matt Forte contributed nothing. But he is a child. It doesn't take much to rattle him.
On the other hand, Jabari Greer continues to show that he's the class of the Saints corner backs. I must also point out that Roman Harper played his best game as a Saint. With Malcom Jenkins playing at a pro bowl level, if the secondary can get that kind of production on a weekly basis, there will be more QBs searching for asylum on the sidelines.
That's a big if.
The Houston Texans are up next after beating up on two AFC weaklings. Matt Schaub is a good QB with more composure and more weapons than Cutler and DaBears. WR Andre Johnson and RB Arian Foster are as good as there is. The Texans are the AFC's version of the Saints before the Super Bowl. Like the Saints then, they are more dangerous now because they can play without fear of a turnover or big penalty now that their defense finally has their back.
So another big test awaits the Saints defense. After facing the two participants of the last season's NFC chamionship game in weeks one and two, it doesn't get much easier. But that's life in the NFL. You don't get to hit the snooze button.
***********************************************************************************
Speaking of defense, LSU plays it. After dominating two of the most prolific offenses in the nation they get to travel to Morgantown to play the West Virginia Mountaineers. WVU QB Geno Smith will be the best QB the Tigers have faced up to this point, maybe the best all season. He has size, mobility and arm strength. He will play in the NFL.
New head coach Dana Horgelson is a disciple of former Texas Tech head coach Mike Leach and former Kentucky head coach Hal Mumme. He's had stops as OC at Texas Tech, U of Houston and Oklahoma St and has been hugely successful. He brings that spread offense to Morgantown and if anyone remembers Texas Tech under Leach or Kentucky under Mumme, it gives defenses fits. Holgorsen's numbers with Texas Tech and Houston are scarey, but his biggest impact came at Oklahoma St where in his first season as OC, they surged from 61st in the nation to #1 in total offense. It ain't no fluke, this guy can run an offense.
But he hasn't faced a defense like LSU's. Ever. LSU's defensive speed can't be sensed on tape nor can it be duplicated at practice. Fast and physical beats fast and finesse 10 out of 10 times.
Then there's LSU's ball control pound the rock offense. With a huge OL leaning on the undersized DL of WVU and those DBs used to chasing WRs not tackling bull dozers, look for an TKO in the 3rd quarter and the #2 ranked Tigers cruising to victory.
They want to know if defense that sent the Monsters of the Midway back to Chicago with their tails between their legs has awaken from their winter slumber or just hit the snooze button.
Either way you cannot deny that last Sunday was the stuff Greg WIlliams dreams of. His defense won the battle of down and distance then sent the dogs on Jay Cutler. It did help that Cutler had less moves than Carson Kressley on Dancing with the Stars. But it was the pass rush that got the music playing in his head. It only took a couple more "remember me" shots before he shut down and sought isolation on the sidelines. You could almost forgive Cutler for his demeanor as his offensive line was nonexistent and anyone without the name Matt Forte contributed nothing. But he is a child. It doesn't take much to rattle him.
On the other hand, Jabari Greer continues to show that he's the class of the Saints corner backs. I must also point out that Roman Harper played his best game as a Saint. With Malcom Jenkins playing at a pro bowl level, if the secondary can get that kind of production on a weekly basis, there will be more QBs searching for asylum on the sidelines.
That's a big if.
The Houston Texans are up next after beating up on two AFC weaklings. Matt Schaub is a good QB with more composure and more weapons than Cutler and DaBears. WR Andre Johnson and RB Arian Foster are as good as there is. The Texans are the AFC's version of the Saints before the Super Bowl. Like the Saints then, they are more dangerous now because they can play without fear of a turnover or big penalty now that their defense finally has their back.
So another big test awaits the Saints defense. After facing the two participants of the last season's NFC chamionship game in weeks one and two, it doesn't get much easier. But that's life in the NFL. You don't get to hit the snooze button.
***********************************************************************************
Speaking of defense, LSU plays it. After dominating two of the most prolific offenses in the nation they get to travel to Morgantown to play the West Virginia Mountaineers. WVU QB Geno Smith will be the best QB the Tigers have faced up to this point, maybe the best all season. He has size, mobility and arm strength. He will play in the NFL.
New head coach Dana Horgelson is a disciple of former Texas Tech head coach Mike Leach and former Kentucky head coach Hal Mumme. He's had stops as OC at Texas Tech, U of Houston and Oklahoma St and has been hugely successful. He brings that spread offense to Morgantown and if anyone remembers Texas Tech under Leach or Kentucky under Mumme, it gives defenses fits. Holgorsen's numbers with Texas Tech and Houston are scarey, but his biggest impact came at Oklahoma St where in his first season as OC, they surged from 61st in the nation to #1 in total offense. It ain't no fluke, this guy can run an offense.
But he hasn't faced a defense like LSU's. Ever. LSU's defensive speed can't be sensed on tape nor can it be duplicated at practice. Fast and physical beats fast and finesse 10 out of 10 times.
Then there's LSU's ball control pound the rock offense. With a huge OL leaning on the undersized DL of WVU and those DBs used to chasing WRs not tackling bull dozers, look for an TKO in the 3rd quarter and the #2 ranked Tigers cruising to victory.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
The Defense Rests
Since last Thursday's gut wrenching loss to the defending Super Bowl Champs, the Saints defense has taken a brutal tongue lashing from fans and media alike. While I would love to jump on that bandwagon, I won't. It's too easy. Altough the thought of slamming defensivie coordinator Greg Williams and his misguided bravado makes my leg tingle, I'll leave that to the mainstream. Oh wait, I forgot, they are scared of him. I guess he gets a pass. I'm aiming higher.
I think it was in Jim Collins' book "Good to Great", that suggests a theary in business that managers should be tougher on the producers of the compmany. The thought being that the pride they possess will drive them to be even better since there's little hope for the non-producers anyway. What they provide is gravy. "By defination it is not possible to everyone to be above average", he writes. See Saints defense.
So at the risk of sounding like Ron Paul at a Republican debate, I will tread in hallowed waters.
Uh, Michael you are NOT going there?
Watch me.
An offense as prolific as the Saints should never be stopped on "and 1"situations. An offense possessing two of the best in their field in Sean Payton and Drew Brees should never be 1/5 in red zone production. An offense possessing an offensive line that won the Madden Award for being the best OL in the NFL just two seasons ago must not get mauled at the line of scrimmage. An offense that traded back into the first round of the draft to select a battering ram RB should give that RB the carries required to be that battering ram. For those ready to point out to me that it was that RB getting snuffed on the final play, see above.
Yet there they were. Sean Payton, again, trying to outhink the room ends up outhinking himself. Drew Brees? Well, I'm no fool. Brees (and Darren Sproles) is the main reason the Saints even had a shot, incredibly, to put the game in overtime. The OL continues to lose the battle of the line of scrimmage. I'll say it, the dirty little secret is they are an average group elevated by a brilliant QB with the ability to read defenses and change plays, throw to the right spot and manipulate the pocket with suttle footwork. Green Bay is not the first team to shut them down in short yardage situations. This has been the floater Payton's punch bowl since 2006.
They aren't they only group Brees should get a royalty check from. The WRs. I keep hearing how deep and talented this group is. However when Brees is not placing the ball in their hands in stride, I see nothing special. I remember two catches against Green Bay where they actually used their hands. Wow, what a concept! And could they be less physical? A 6'4" 225 lb Marques Colsten fumbles when hit by 5'11' 207 lb Nick Collins, then 6'2" 210lb Robert Meachum gets stopped in his tracks by 5'11' 197lb Houma native Tramon Williams. Even Devery Henderson, a former running back seldom breaks tackles for yards after contact. In reality they could be replaced easily. Did anybody even notice Lance Moore didn't play? Four hundred sixteen passing yards and 27 points suggest not.
I know it's only game one. I know there's plenty football to be played. But with physical Chicago up next, a team Payton is 0-2 against, then a vastly improved Houston Texans team, an 0-3 start is not unthinkable. Guess how many teams have won the Super Bowl after starting 0-3?
ZERO!
I haven't even mentioned the kick off coverage team and their one hundred eight yard display of lethargy.
I wish the fans would expect more. The Saints are no longer the loveable losers they were when coming close was like actually winning. They are one season removed from Super Bowl champs, it's ok to be pissed at them for losing that game. It doesn't make you a bad fan.
In the NFL football you only get 16 tries to win. The great Yogi Berra put it best. "It gets late early".
I think it was in Jim Collins' book "Good to Great", that suggests a theary in business that managers should be tougher on the producers of the compmany. The thought being that the pride they possess will drive them to be even better since there's little hope for the non-producers anyway. What they provide is gravy. "By defination it is not possible to everyone to be above average", he writes. See Saints defense.
So at the risk of sounding like Ron Paul at a Republican debate, I will tread in hallowed waters.
Uh, Michael you are NOT going there?
Watch me.
An offense as prolific as the Saints should never be stopped on "and 1"situations. An offense possessing two of the best in their field in Sean Payton and Drew Brees should never be 1/5 in red zone production. An offense possessing an offensive line that won the Madden Award for being the best OL in the NFL just two seasons ago must not get mauled at the line of scrimmage. An offense that traded back into the first round of the draft to select a battering ram RB should give that RB the carries required to be that battering ram. For those ready to point out to me that it was that RB getting snuffed on the final play, see above.
Yet there they were. Sean Payton, again, trying to outhink the room ends up outhinking himself. Drew Brees? Well, I'm no fool. Brees (and Darren Sproles) is the main reason the Saints even had a shot, incredibly, to put the game in overtime. The OL continues to lose the battle of the line of scrimmage. I'll say it, the dirty little secret is they are an average group elevated by a brilliant QB with the ability to read defenses and change plays, throw to the right spot and manipulate the pocket with suttle footwork. Green Bay is not the first team to shut them down in short yardage situations. This has been the floater Payton's punch bowl since 2006.
They aren't they only group Brees should get a royalty check from. The WRs. I keep hearing how deep and talented this group is. However when Brees is not placing the ball in their hands in stride, I see nothing special. I remember two catches against Green Bay where they actually used their hands. Wow, what a concept! And could they be less physical? A 6'4" 225 lb Marques Colsten fumbles when hit by 5'11' 207 lb Nick Collins, then 6'2" 210lb Robert Meachum gets stopped in his tracks by 5'11' 197lb Houma native Tramon Williams. Even Devery Henderson, a former running back seldom breaks tackles for yards after contact. In reality they could be replaced easily. Did anybody even notice Lance Moore didn't play? Four hundred sixteen passing yards and 27 points suggest not.
I know it's only game one. I know there's plenty football to be played. But with physical Chicago up next, a team Payton is 0-2 against, then a vastly improved Houston Texans team, an 0-3 start is not unthinkable. Guess how many teams have won the Super Bowl after starting 0-3?
ZERO!
I haven't even mentioned the kick off coverage team and their one hundred eight yard display of lethargy.
I wish the fans would expect more. The Saints are no longer the loveable losers they were when coming close was like actually winning. They are one season removed from Super Bowl champs, it's ok to be pissed at them for losing that game. It doesn't make you a bad fan.
In the NFL football you only get 16 tries to win. The great Yogi Berra put it best. "It gets late early".
Sunday, September 4, 2011
LSU and Jarrett Lee have Rendezvous with Destiny
As I watched LSU pull away from Oregon in route to their 40-27, well, rout. I, like most people, couldn't help but feel good for Jarrett Lee. Lee and LSU have had a symbiotic relationship like no other college football team that I can remember.
In 2008 Lee was forced into action against Auburn, on the road, clearly before he was ready. He threw his first of what would be seven "pic six" interceptions that season. But what's been put into the distant memory of most LSU fans is that Lee came back to throw two TD passes in the second half of that same game, including the game winner late in the fourth quarter.
That's the story of Jarrett Lee's career at LSU. Goat, hero, goat, hero, Booed, cheered, booed cheered. Les Miles tried replacing, ignoring then burying Lee into the depth chart. Most would have transferred. Instead, incredibly, Lee said "I didn't come to LSU to transfer, I came to win".
Miles has brought in prized recruit after prized recruit yet there's Lee again, thrust into duty, standing tall and winning his first start since 2008. Against the #3 team in America!
It was vintage Lee. 10/22 for 98 yards and one TD. Pedestrian stats yes, but with Lee, who cares. Some bad throws, some bad luck, but like the Florida game in 2010, Lee came up with three big time passes. The first a perfect back shoulder beauty to Rueben Randle at the end of the first half that Drew Brees would envy. The second came after Lee took a sack instead of forcing a throw. His discretion paid off on the next play as he hit well covered TE DeAngelo Peterson in stride on third and twelve for a first down. A Michael Ford TD run ended that drive and put LSU up two scores. The third came following Oregon's second turnover in the third quarter. On first down, after a play action fake, Lee dropped a rainbow into the arms of Peterson inside the Duck's ten yard line. This set up Spencer Ware's plow into the end zone to put the Tigers up 30-13. Game over.
Through it all, Oregon ran every defense they could think of to stop LSU. Eight in the box, nine in the box, blitzes and stunts. But Lee, riding a dominate running game behind Spencer Ware's 100 yards and Michael Ford's 96, stayed poised. He managed the game well and threw not one interception.
It helped Lee that LSU's defense was spectacular. Oregon leading rusher and Heisman trophy candidate, LeMichael James had no place to run. Much heralded Darren Thomas, was exposed as the average QB that he is. The vaunted Oregon special teams were anything but, comitting two turnovers resulting in LSU TDs.
Lee was voted team captain for the game by his teammates. In sports, there is no greater show of respect. Perhaps Lee's teammates know what more and more LSU fans are beginning to. When adversity comes to LSU at some point this season, Jarrett Lee will be there. Steadfast and determined. He knows no other way.
In 2008 Lee was forced into action against Auburn, on the road, clearly before he was ready. He threw his first of what would be seven "pic six" interceptions that season. But what's been put into the distant memory of most LSU fans is that Lee came back to throw two TD passes in the second half of that same game, including the game winner late in the fourth quarter.
That's the story of Jarrett Lee's career at LSU. Goat, hero, goat, hero, Booed, cheered, booed cheered. Les Miles tried replacing, ignoring then burying Lee into the depth chart. Most would have transferred. Instead, incredibly, Lee said "I didn't come to LSU to transfer, I came to win".
Miles has brought in prized recruit after prized recruit yet there's Lee again, thrust into duty, standing tall and winning his first start since 2008. Against the #3 team in America!
It was vintage Lee. 10/22 for 98 yards and one TD. Pedestrian stats yes, but with Lee, who cares. Some bad throws, some bad luck, but like the Florida game in 2010, Lee came up with three big time passes. The first a perfect back shoulder beauty to Rueben Randle at the end of the first half that Drew Brees would envy. The second came after Lee took a sack instead of forcing a throw. His discretion paid off on the next play as he hit well covered TE DeAngelo Peterson in stride on third and twelve for a first down. A Michael Ford TD run ended that drive and put LSU up two scores. The third came following Oregon's second turnover in the third quarter. On first down, after a play action fake, Lee dropped a rainbow into the arms of Peterson inside the Duck's ten yard line. This set up Spencer Ware's plow into the end zone to put the Tigers up 30-13. Game over.
Through it all, Oregon ran every defense they could think of to stop LSU. Eight in the box, nine in the box, blitzes and stunts. But Lee, riding a dominate running game behind Spencer Ware's 100 yards and Michael Ford's 96, stayed poised. He managed the game well and threw not one interception.
It helped Lee that LSU's defense was spectacular. Oregon leading rusher and Heisman trophy candidate, LeMichael James had no place to run. Much heralded Darren Thomas, was exposed as the average QB that he is. The vaunted Oregon special teams were anything but, comitting two turnovers resulting in LSU TDs.
Lee was voted team captain for the game by his teammates. In sports, there is no greater show of respect. Perhaps Lee's teammates know what more and more LSU fans are beginning to. When adversity comes to LSU at some point this season, Jarrett Lee will be there. Steadfast and determined. He knows no other way.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Note to Fans: "Stop worrying about the national pundits!!"
As someone who surfs message boards and websites harder than Bede Durbidge hits mid-tide Coasta Rican pipelines, I've always been somewhat amazed to the point of casternation as to why local fans concern themselves with the opinons of national pundits. The most recent ocassions were the perceived slights from Herman Edwards and Kirk Herbstreit.
Edwards, ESPN football analyst and former NFL defensive back who was selected to zero Pro Bowls, a former head coach boasting a 56-77 record, prompted a phone call to my weekly radio spot with WIST 690am legend Eric Asher from a crest fallen Saints fan when Edwards failed to mention the Saints as one of his picks to contend for the Super Bowl.
Herbstreit, ESPN college football analyst and former fourth string QB for the Ohio State Buckeyes, failed to mention enough LSU Tigers on his latest list of "all-stars" called "The Herbies". He is public enemy #1 on LSU boards. Why? Cause the affection he dotes to universities falls short of the corner of Nicholson and Skip Bertman Drive.
I know it's frustrating to watch these pundits yap it up and I must admit to once being sucked into the hate. So I am empathetic. But then I realized that these people have no clue as to what's going on down here. More so, they could care less. They have personal allegiances. Edwards played for the Eagles so it should come as a shock to no one that they are his pick for the NFC. Herbstreit displays no shame in his advocacy for the Big Ten, specifcally Ohio St. To be fair, though, he does hail USC, Alabama and Oklahoma. Though with slightly less vigor.
So why would one care what the likes of these two have to say about?
Maybe this speaks somewhat about ourselves. We are a quirky civic bunch. In some ways we're like the kid in the class, emboldened with the right answer, waving his hand feverishly only to see someone else noticed by the teacher. Whether it's our cooking, partying, tailgating or culture, we are sure that there is no one who can do it better. We don't mind telling anyone within whispering distance as much. Therefore when the likes of Edwards and Herbstreit have the audacity to snub our local heroes there's gonna be hell to pay on the message boards and radio shows.
Look, coaches want to be Al Pacino's John Milton,"never let them see ya comin". Hype motivates the oppositon and drops complacency on the hyped. That's why they retreat Costanza style when selected to the preseason top 5 in the polls.
Fans should take the same approach. Let your team fly under the radar.
Since 1950 85% of pre-season #1s have failed to live up to the hype. The 2004 USC Trojans are the only pre-season #1 to win the BCS. And they cheated. Who picked Green Bay or the Saints to win the last two Super Bowls?
All this tells you what? That pundits are wrong. They're wishing, they're hoping, they're guessing. Pay them no attention. John Milton once said,"look, but don't touch, smell, but don't taste". I say, "hear, but don't listen".
Edwards, ESPN football analyst and former NFL defensive back who was selected to zero Pro Bowls, a former head coach boasting a 56-77 record, prompted a phone call to my weekly radio spot with WIST 690am legend Eric Asher from a crest fallen Saints fan when Edwards failed to mention the Saints as one of his picks to contend for the Super Bowl.
Herbstreit, ESPN college football analyst and former fourth string QB for the Ohio State Buckeyes, failed to mention enough LSU Tigers on his latest list of "all-stars" called "The Herbies". He is public enemy #1 on LSU boards. Why? Cause the affection he dotes to universities falls short of the corner of Nicholson and Skip Bertman Drive.
I know it's frustrating to watch these pundits yap it up and I must admit to once being sucked into the hate. So I am empathetic. But then I realized that these people have no clue as to what's going on down here. More so, they could care less. They have personal allegiances. Edwards played for the Eagles so it should come as a shock to no one that they are his pick for the NFC. Herbstreit displays no shame in his advocacy for the Big Ten, specifcally Ohio St. To be fair, though, he does hail USC, Alabama and Oklahoma. Though with slightly less vigor.
So why would one care what the likes of these two have to say about?
Maybe this speaks somewhat about ourselves. We are a quirky civic bunch. In some ways we're like the kid in the class, emboldened with the right answer, waving his hand feverishly only to see someone else noticed by the teacher. Whether it's our cooking, partying, tailgating or culture, we are sure that there is no one who can do it better. We don't mind telling anyone within whispering distance as much. Therefore when the likes of Edwards and Herbstreit have the audacity to snub our local heroes there's gonna be hell to pay on the message boards and radio shows.
Look, coaches want to be Al Pacino's John Milton,"never let them see ya comin". Hype motivates the oppositon and drops complacency on the hyped. That's why they retreat Costanza style when selected to the preseason top 5 in the polls.
Fans should take the same approach. Let your team fly under the radar.
Since 1950 85% of pre-season #1s have failed to live up to the hype. The 2004 USC Trojans are the only pre-season #1 to win the BCS. And they cheated. Who picked Green Bay or the Saints to win the last two Super Bowls?
All this tells you what? That pundits are wrong. They're wishing, they're hoping, they're guessing. Pay them no attention. John Milton once said,"look, but don't touch, smell, but don't taste". I say, "hear, but don't listen".
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Conventional Wisdom Wrong on the BRPD
Wikipedia defines conventional wisdom as a term used to describe ideas or explanations that are generally accepted as true by the public or experts in a field. Such ideas or explantions, though widely held, are unexamined.
Do me a solid and read that second sentence again.
Now apply it to nearly all the media, LSU fans and other "experts in the field" in the case of Jordan Jefferson and his three amigos.
Its conventional wisdom that the BRPD has turned a simple bar fight into the reincarnation of the OJ saga. From calling the four LSU football players prominently involved to the BRPD for statements, to getting a search warrant to Jefferson's apartment, then swabbing him for DNA samples. Most observers have blasted , get this, the POLICE, for doing their job. "The BRPD are showboating", "They are an embarrassment", "This is a simle bar fight between college students", blah blah blah.
More often than not...alot more often than not, conventional wisdom is wrong. This is one of those occasions.
First, This is not simple bar fight between college students. When the highest profiled athlete on campus is involved there is nothing simple about it. Here's a guy two weeks outside the most important start of his athletic life. A senior. Probalbly would have been voted team captain. From all accounts an upstanding student athlete. He breaks curfew, goes to a bar and scrums with two sophomores and a freshman?! What's his thought process? "Let's see, do I stay in tonight or break a team rule? Hmm, this is toughie." We all know what his decision was. Bad judgement.
Second, theres a second degree felony charge that somebody's about to get hit with. You don't just phone in an investigation when jail time is a possibility. You need to talk to all parties involved. Collect all evidence available. Evidence that could either implicate or exonorate the accused. I ask you, if your son was beaten so badly that veterbrae were fractured, allegedly kicked in the head while prone and unconscious then left in the street while the perps were escorted away by loyals, would you want those so called showboating keystone cops to find out who's responsible? Don't answer. I already know.
Third, it occurrs to me that the BRPD is bending over nine ways to sundown to make sure no stone is left unturned, no eveidence is omitted, no questions remain so there can be no second guessing in the event the players are let go. If I'm Les Miles, I want all channels examined as thorough as can be.
I'm a fan of the BRPD. Are they perfect? Of course not. Are they dedicated? Hells yeah!
I'm not a fan of conventional wisdom. It's lazy. It's easy. In this case, it's wrong.
Do me a solid and read that second sentence again.
Now apply it to nearly all the media, LSU fans and other "experts in the field" in the case of Jordan Jefferson and his three amigos.
Its conventional wisdom that the BRPD has turned a simple bar fight into the reincarnation of the OJ saga. From calling the four LSU football players prominently involved to the BRPD for statements, to getting a search warrant to Jefferson's apartment, then swabbing him for DNA samples. Most observers have blasted , get this, the POLICE, for doing their job. "The BRPD are showboating", "They are an embarrassment", "This is a simle bar fight between college students", blah blah blah.
More often than not...alot more often than not, conventional wisdom is wrong. This is one of those occasions.
First, This is not simple bar fight between college students. When the highest profiled athlete on campus is involved there is nothing simple about it. Here's a guy two weeks outside the most important start of his athletic life. A senior. Probalbly would have been voted team captain. From all accounts an upstanding student athlete. He breaks curfew, goes to a bar and scrums with two sophomores and a freshman?! What's his thought process? "Let's see, do I stay in tonight or break a team rule? Hmm, this is toughie." We all know what his decision was. Bad judgement.
Second, theres a second degree felony charge that somebody's about to get hit with. You don't just phone in an investigation when jail time is a possibility. You need to talk to all parties involved. Collect all evidence available. Evidence that could either implicate or exonorate the accused. I ask you, if your son was beaten so badly that veterbrae were fractured, allegedly kicked in the head while prone and unconscious then left in the street while the perps were escorted away by loyals, would you want those so called showboating keystone cops to find out who's responsible? Don't answer. I already know.
Third, it occurrs to me that the BRPD is bending over nine ways to sundown to make sure no stone is left unturned, no eveidence is omitted, no questions remain so there can be no second guessing in the event the players are let go. If I'm Les Miles, I want all channels examined as thorough as can be.
I'm a fan of the BRPD. Are they perfect? Of course not. Are they dedicated? Hells yeah!
I'm not a fan of conventional wisdom. It's lazy. It's easy. In this case, it's wrong.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
What I saw
Offense:
The OL is not ready for the season opener. RT Jonathan Stinchcomb continues to get abused on pass protection. The loss of center Jonathan Goodwin is magnified due to the fact that Matt Tennet proved not ready to step up to be his replacement. This sent the Saints scrambling to find a veteran who could step in. Fortunately, Olin Kreutz was available. Unfortunately, this has caused a lack of chemistry that is vital for any OL's success. The good news is the Saints have three more pre-season games to find that chemistry. This is a surprising development to keep an eye on. However, I liked what I saw in free agent center Cecil Newton. He looks quick and athletic for someone of his size and gets to the second level in a hurry.
RB Joique Bell showed why the Saints released Lynell Hamilton. Though physically similar, Bell is the more polished and versatile back. He can also be use as a kick returner in a pinch.
Drew Brees looks a little rusty. Granted , he did not get much time against San Fran, but reports from camp is that Brees has not been as crisp as usual. I highly doubt it's anything to worry about, though.
Defense:
Greg Williams is taking no prisoners this season. He blitzed early and often. Perhaps this is a result of the lack of off-season workouts, but I suspect the loss to Seattle has something to do with it.
Jonathon Casillas is my favorite to be the starter at OLB. He shows no affect from the injury that sidelined him for 2010. He has speed, instinct and explosiveness at the point of attack. Former starter Danny Clark was cut prior to the 49er game because of this. Will Herring will provide quality depth.
CB Johnny Patrick was impressive until he injured his right knee. He looked further along than former first round draft pick, CB Patrick Robinson did at this point last season. Hopefully, the injury won't keep him out too long.
DT Mitch King was all over the place. He's undersized and may be lost in the numbers, but his motor never stops. He looks like he'll be a tough cut.
Special teams:
Two words, Joe Morgan.
The OL is not ready for the season opener. RT Jonathan Stinchcomb continues to get abused on pass protection. The loss of center Jonathan Goodwin is magnified due to the fact that Matt Tennet proved not ready to step up to be his replacement. This sent the Saints scrambling to find a veteran who could step in. Fortunately, Olin Kreutz was available. Unfortunately, this has caused a lack of chemistry that is vital for any OL's success. The good news is the Saints have three more pre-season games to find that chemistry. This is a surprising development to keep an eye on. However, I liked what I saw in free agent center Cecil Newton. He looks quick and athletic for someone of his size and gets to the second level in a hurry.
RB Joique Bell showed why the Saints released Lynell Hamilton. Though physically similar, Bell is the more polished and versatile back. He can also be use as a kick returner in a pinch.
Drew Brees looks a little rusty. Granted , he did not get much time against San Fran, but reports from camp is that Brees has not been as crisp as usual. I highly doubt it's anything to worry about, though.
Defense:
Greg Williams is taking no prisoners this season. He blitzed early and often. Perhaps this is a result of the lack of off-season workouts, but I suspect the loss to Seattle has something to do with it.
Jonathon Casillas is my favorite to be the starter at OLB. He shows no affect from the injury that sidelined him for 2010. He has speed, instinct and explosiveness at the point of attack. Former starter Danny Clark was cut prior to the 49er game because of this. Will Herring will provide quality depth.
CB Johnny Patrick was impressive until he injured his right knee. He looked further along than former first round draft pick, CB Patrick Robinson did at this point last season. Hopefully, the injury won't keep him out too long.
DT Mitch King was all over the place. He's undersized and may be lost in the numbers, but his motor never stops. He looks like he'll be a tough cut.
Special teams:
Two words, Joe Morgan.
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