Alabama and Saban playing the media

Have no fear Bama fans, Nick Saban and Alabama know what they're doing all along. Just like how the NFL has masterfully dominated the news during the off-season Alabama is doing the same thing up to the college national championship game.

Case in point: Alabama's arch rival Auburn is in the title game, and that is a huge recruiting advantage during this month off. By toying with the media, keeping Nick Saban & Alabama's name front and center during this time, allows Coach Saban to actively recruit the top prospects. This keeps the attention on Alabama and not Auburn. He is not going anywhere.

Alabama, Coach Saban and his agent Jimmy Sexton are all on the same page and are just using this to keep the attention on the Crimson Tide. They are playing everyone but it will work out perfectly as he will re-sign and get paid and sign the top high school prospects as usual. 

Evil Genius

Ed Hardy reporting 

Santa----I meant Saban watch 2013

According to every fanatic LSU fan I've run into this past week swears that Sabin is going to Texas. Wishful thinking? Not sure but I wonder if the Baylor outcome has any merit to that rumor.

Still, I believe Saban has a real shot at going back to the NFL with the Houston Texas admist Gary Kubiak's recent dismissal. They have one of the best defensive ends and wide receivers in the entire game plus the number one pick (potentially). I know it's a longshot but if he ever wanted to try the NFL again this is a tasty opening.

EH out!

The Saints recipe for success is not a tall order

Boom Slam!

The Saints offense last week against Seattle was completely uncharacteristic and flat out abysmal. The running game was shut down which is not a shocker as it has been hit or miss all season.  Jimmy Graham played like he had eyes in the back of his head and Lance Moore along with the other Saints receivers have completely vanished. So what's the answer when we play another tough defense like Seattle's, even when they are not in the Superdome? Answer: Jitterbug!

The Jitterbug I'm talking about is Darren Sproles of the Saints (coined by the Saints wife herself). While short in stature, the Jitterburg can do so many things, not just be a pass receiver out of the backfield. He will be Drew Brees security blanket now vacated by Lance Moore. As evident since his return from injury, Moore has been nonexistent and cannot shed receivers when Brees really needs him, especially when he has to scramble. The short pass is a major component of the Saints offense, it is like a run plan. All Saints fan know from watching Ingram, anything more than 2.1 yards a rush is a major improvement in this department. That's why Jitterbug (Sproles) needs to be a focal point of this offense again. Better late than never with Carolina coming up. 

Here are the benefits of inserting Jitterbug into the Saints lineup as a full-time starter, immediately:

• he knows the office like the back of his hand as he has been with Brees for years. You can rely on him when Drew calls late audibles.

• as Tim Fletcher says, the most dangerous play the Saints have is when he gets man-to-man with a linebacker and Brees floats a pass to him in open space, easy money

• against an aggressive defense like the Panthers, Jitterbug is a true asset not for the usual screen play the Sains love, but for the sprint draw, which due to his small stature, he can really do some damage when the rush goes quickly past him

• he also recognizes the defense and picks up blocks extremely well for his size

• he can be an even more effective runner if the Saints run him early and often, as the linebackers will have to account for him in the middle which will free up the big plays on the edge

• is skill-set is different from the three other running backs the Saints have on the roster, which is flat out hard to prepare for.

Jitterbug missed some time due to injury but I really think Coach Payton has him in the long-term plans especially for the upcoming Panther match-ups and for final stretch run. Just look in the history book of the Saints (under Payton), when Reggie Bush got more snaps than usual, it presented Bush as more of a threat than just a situational runner/receiver, and he had some big time plays! Coach Payton fed him the ball when it really counted (playoffs-crucial games). The season is on the line this Sunday versus the Panthers so it's time to let it all hang out and I'm telling you, Jitterbug needs the spotlight. The Saints are not a balanced team and I'm sick and tired of them trying to be one, they are a pass first, pass second, and maybe run here & there ball club. So does that make them a finess team? Yeah, but why is that's so freaking bad as look with the 49ers did back in their heyday with Montana? Last time I checked they were a finesse team as well but look at their results, it was Super. 

So getting back to my point, the Saints need to be totally aggressive offensively all the time, which they are so good at. So instead of the 3 yards and a cloud of dust with Pierre and Ingram on obvious run situations, get it to JITTERBUG. By utilizing him more, the defenses have to respect this little guy with and then Colston, Moore and of others will reemerge, as you can't cover everybody.

Ed Hardy out!

Damage control



just run the damn ball baby!!!

After the 21 point loss to Alabama last weekend, LSU needs to do more than just regroup, in order to salvage this season of 2013. Damage control. Specifically what I mean by this as the psyche & character of this team has been severely challenged by this loss to this once equal foe (Bama). Face it, the gap has widened. Once upon a time, LSU was the only real test to derail Alabama's ascension to the top year in and year out. Last Saturday, that notion has been put to rest. Instead of the LSU fans and boosters rallying for a new coach, they are now searching for an identity.

Before the season started, I was very skeptical of Cam Cameron & the new direction LSU was taking in towards their team scheme and direction. I even wrote an article on it, stating what is really wrong with 3 yards in a cloud of dust- no offense, when you play great defense and are in the national title hopes year in and year out, why change? I predicted that this new philosophy will implode and Les would take the reins and play small ball yet I was wrong on one of those accounts. I also predicted Cam would jettison for greener pastures next season, but that remains to be seen. 

LSU fans got what they wanted, that is a high scoring offense with potential. But with that came its own set of departures from the past. The defense was in a serious overall mode with all the exiting stars to the NFL. Granted, the offense did its job early on bailing out the defense, outscoring the opponents and letting the defense cut its teeth in the process. But when their biggest for came up, the offense could not overpower Bama as Bama did not scrap their philosophy during the off-season. Ball control, running game and keeping their defense off the field would really have benefited LSU last weekend. Who knows if LSU's last years offense could have bailed out this year's defense, probably not. Still, this new offensive system did not pan out.

So yes I believe LSU is in an identity crisis now. Even a victory versus Texas A&M would help, it won't erase the reality that LSU is not the top tier team in the SEC with Alabama anymore. So as 2013 ends and with 2014 fast approaching, how will this Tiger squad respond? Do the Tigers stick with this new high-powered offensive philosophy or do they scale it back to keep the defense honest as it appears this same defense will be lining up next season as well? The same results can occur or will they?  Is it more of a personnel problem on LSU defense or is it the entire team identity change to being more high-powered rather than pound and ground which LUS has been so successful with?

No one can blame Miles on this one. Perhaps expectations this 2013 season were way too high as the defense simply could not reload like years past. Either way this off-season should be one of the most pivotal one in many years in Baton Rouge. Do they stay the course or did they go back to what has worked? Only time will tell.  

Ed Hardy reporting

Tim Fletcher show fabulous five pics for November 8 weekend 2013

Ed Hardy's weekend pics

Tennessee 27 Auburn 25, the Vols in upset special (auburn -7 1/2)

Ole Miss 38 Arkansas 17, The rebels are rested and will pull away in the second-half (Ole Miss -17)

Louisiana Tech 27 Southern Miss 17, winless Golden Eagles make it a game but fell apart in the second half (Louisiana Tech -16 1/2)

Alabama 27 LSU 23, the Tigers and The Tide will go back-and-forth but after half Bama will get a comfortable lead only to see LSU run out of time in the fourth quarter (Bama -12 1/2)

New Orleans 34 Dallas 30, this will be a back-and-forth contest but the Saints have the edge as they are at home yet don't cover (New Orleans -6 1/2)

Tim Fletcher's rapid fire weekend pics

Auburn 38 Tennessee 30 (auburn -7 1/2)

Ole Miss 62 Arkansas 10 (Ole Miss -17)

Louisiana Tech 38 Southern Miss 17(Louisiana Tech -16 1/2)

LSU 30 Alabama 28 (Bama -12 1/2)

New Orleans 40 Dallas 33 (New Orleans -6 1/2)

Last but not least Cupcakes sole pic

LSU  34 Alabama 28....

ED Hardy's (almost) mid season Saints Grades 2013.

The Saints difference maker: Kenny Vaccaro

ED Hardy's (almost) mid season Saints Grades 2013.

The Saints bye week is here and even though they're not yet at mid season yet, I feel like it's best to analyze the Saints ball-club as it stands now in 2013.Before I get into the nitty-gritty via the position group analysis, I want to say I am extremely surprised at The Saints overall record of 5-1. If you put me on the spot at the beginning of the season, at best I would say 3-3 after 6 games. The defense has performed better than we ever could've imagined, yet the offense has under performed (to Saints standards). Still, look at The Saints record,  baffling. Daddy is indeed back (Coach Payton) and his presence alone has stole wins versus Atlanta and at Tampa. This team has moxie, something it lacked severely last season. Granted, DC Rob Ryan deserves a ton of credit, but lady luck has played a major factor in all of this early season success. The opposition dropping passes, ball bouncing the right way, or perhaps it's just good schematics. Doesn't matter, we all relish where the Saints are this point.

Now it's going to my Saints mid season grades per position groups.

Quarterbacks – Drew Brees has not been the Drew Brees of 2012, however that is a good thing as he does not have to carry the entire team load as years past. While flawless at times this early-season, he has also been very ineffective in crucial times as well. One of the coach Payton's hardest tasks I assume is to calm Drew's "do it all mentality". This is so as the defense in 2013 is finally is playing like a defense. That being said, he still a top-five quarterback in the league. Any grade less than an A would ruin my reputation as an analyst and fan.
Grade- A-

Running backs- clearly a position of weakness on the Saints 2013 ball club. As far as finesse goes, this position group has that skill set as they can catch passes out of the backfield like no other. But that resembles just another glorified wide receiver a.k.a. Lance Moorish type. The Saints need runners period. Mark Ingram is a bust and is not the answer. Sproles is too small to be an effective every down back & Pierre Thomas does not get the touches he deserves. Only Khiry Robinson has lately earned Payton's trust as the short yardage move the chains on the ground back. But these yards on the ground are few and far between, and without an effective rushing attack, the Saints offense will become too predictable.
Grade C-

All receivers – again once a position of massive strength has now become a sneaky liability. Jimmy Graham and Marques Colston are killing it however their backups are severe question marks. Kenny Stills is hot and cold, Toon is nonexistent and Meacham needs to retire immediately. The injury to Lance Moore has hurt this squad more than anyone could expected as he is Drew Brees is Linus blanket. Still, when big plays need to happen, this position group has for the most part stood up.
Grade B

Offensive line-after really thinking about the offense, much of the blame probably goes to the right side of this line. RG Evans has been hurt and playing hurt which is really affected  his play. Strief also has played hurt and he is not the future answer at right tackle. LG Ben Grubbs and LT Charles Brown have been quietly good on the left and beginning of the season "weaker left side". Face it, Saints fans have been spoiled for the last six years of stellar offensive line play. This year, the offensive line has shown its deficiencies but still, overall it is a decent group which will get healthier.
Grade C

Defensive line- after a rash of early-season injuries, Hicks, Jenkins, and Jordan have been nothing but spectacular. One of the reason the Saints defense has had so much success is because these front 3 are getting pressure on the quarterback with no blitzing help. Truly amazing with undrafted rookies Foster and Walker subbing in too.
Grade A+

Linebackers – this truly is the hardest position great to analyze. The Saints have typically only ran a two linebacker set for most of the season. That being said, Curtis Lofton has been a flat out tackling and covering machine. Who would have thought he had coverage skills? Hawthorne has manned the other LB position and has played effective against the run and pass as well. Their smarts have allowed the Saints secondary to carry another man upfront. Not going to lie here, I'm shocked at this position group success. But it is only because of the defensive back help.
Grade B

Secondary – S Kenny Vaccaro, Kenny Vaccaro, Kenny Vaccaro, Kenny Vaccaro and Kenny and MF Kenny Vaccaro. He has single-handedly changed the entire culture of this defense in one season. He covers receivers, he covers running backs, he makes textbook tackles, he breaks up passes, the kid does it all. Attitude. And the fact that corners Greer and Lewis have had on and off games, the safeties have really bailed the Sanints cornerbacks out.  Vaccaro and Malcom Jenkins are like long-lost brothers. Both are cover corners, but both are better safeties great range and versatility. Roman Harper has been hurt but the Saints don't even need him anymore, and that is great in its own right. The backups have played well also.
Grade A-

Special teams – P Morestead is being Morestead, which is great. PK Hartley has been killing it with clutch kicks. Coverage and return units have also fared well, not a flashy position group but I tell you what, they have done very well this year.
Grade B+

Coaching- Sean Payton back at the helm. The team/franchise has its identity back and their unpredictability has caused nightmares for the opposition. The Saints will win more than they will lose, thank goodness daddy is back!
Grade A

Overall Mid season Saints GPA: 3.27

Ed Hardy out!!!

THE TIM FLETCHER SHOW PICK EM 2013

            Ed Hardy                  Tim Fletcher   

VS .  

 

Tim Fletcher college picks:

Oklahoma 49 Texas 20

Texas A&M 45 Ole Miss 35

Georgia 41 Missouri 35

Baylor 56 Kansas State 40

Washington 44 Oregon 41

Alabama 34 Kentucky 23

Arkansas 31 South Carolina 28

LSU 31 Florida 23

 

Ed Hardy college picks

Oklahoma 28 Texas 14

Texas A&M 38 Ole Miss 33

Georgia 34 Missouri 17

Baylor 40 Kansas State 21

Oregon 43 Washington 20

Alabama 48 Kentucky 9

LSU 31 Florida 27

South Carolina 28 Arkansas 20

 

Tim Fletcher pro picks

Chiefs 30 Raiders 23

Buccaneers 13 Eagles 10

Ravens 31 Packers 28

Browns 20 Lions 16

panthers 34 Minnesota 10

Rams 24 Texans 21

Jets 17 Steelers 14

Bills 21 Bengals 20

Seahawks 27 Titans 17

Broncos 38 jaguars 10

Niners 34 Cardinals 20

Colts 38 Chargers 35

Cowboys 40 Redskins 23

Saints 37 patriots 34

 

Ed Hardy's pro picks

Chiefs 20 Raiders 6

Buccaneers 20 Eagles 19

Packers 28 ravens 24

Lions 21 Brown's 17

Panthers 20 Vikings 18

Texans 31 rams 17

Steelers 17 jets 14

Bengals 24 bills 17

Seahawks 31 Titans 7

Broncos 38 jaguars 9

49ers 28 cardinals 6

Colts 28 Chargers 24

Calibers 33 Redskins 30

Patriots 27 Saints 25

 

Please note this is for against the spread only from the lines in Fridays paper , stay tuned for separation Monday

 

Covering High School Football- Going down Memory Lane

I had the great fortune to play football for 10 years of my life and have been watching football for about 30 years of life religiously. I would never trade playing the sport no matter what even if it meant I would be guaranteed to be great and successful at anything else, as football has provided me so much in terms of life lessons. So I think I've seen it all until last Friday when I had the opportunity to be the color analyst for the Bossier Bearcats versus Northwood Falcons game at Bossier Memorial Stadium. Amidst a driving rainstorm, myself, play-by-play guy the Kissing Bandit(pictured above) and our stats boy Cupcake, manned the fort up in the palatial Bossier press-box. And from all my football experience, I was truly humbled. Putting your thoughts together in such a short instant really takes repetition and experience, which I had neither. However once the game rolled on I too became part of the experience. The Saints radio broadcast of Jim Henderson and Hokie Gajun are my favorite, not only because I'm a Saints fan but they are entertaining, informative and very real. Speaking of the color analyst part, Hokie really knows how to put a personal spin on everything. And just when you think he's a Cajun hillbilly, try doing it yourself, as you have to know the game to be able to quickly analyze what's going on immediately after the play. Hat's off to those guys.

 As for my experience, it brought back a flood of memories regarding Friday nights. Even though the crowd was extremely sparse due to the downpour, the players were just as giddy as if they were playing in front of a crowd of 50,000. Northwood High school is a senior laden team with a ton of experience depth and size. Bossier High school is rebuilding with a slew of underclassmen, having several notable players going both ways. Northwood had their way with Bossier early and often, racking up 40+ points in the first half alone. What struck me was how Bossier was going to handle it. Memories of my 1991 Loyola team instantly flooded my head. That year, I was a senior and our ballclub was undefeated & ranked for the first time in a decade. Haynesville rolled into town and we knew they were superior, however we thought we were pretty good too. After two quarters, we realized we had a long way to go as they were drubbing us 35 to nothing! Two of our players had to get carted off on stretchers. So were we going to come back in the second half with our tail between our legs or come out swinging? A last second touchdown by Haynesville in the second-quarter really pissed me and a bunch of my senior buddies off. They were up big time but yet relished in proving a point they could whoop up on some city Loyola City Slickers.
Fast forward to the second half. Led by first time starting quarterback Billy Thomas, we held the mighty Tors to seven points in the second half and we actually scored a touchdown. Looking back at the box score, one would consider this a blowout, but to our guys we knew we played our butts off in the second half and refused to quit. Many years later, I was working out at the YMCA and ran into a Haynesville O-lineman from that squad. He said we fought harder than any team they played that year, as in 1991 was one of many championship seasons the Tors had. It made me feel so good as they kicked everybody's ass, yet years later I still felt like we accomplish something.

 Now the second half did not turn out so pleasant for Bossier that evening, but my memories were in full force of my game 22 years ago. While I was covering my first game from the booth I was still living in those player shoes thinking about how it felt when I was on the other end of the stick. All I know is football is a great sport, and it teaches you more about life than any individual sport could. It's not just about winning or losing. It is really about how you persevere during those times whether theyre great or whether you're getting your tail kicked in. The end result is if you work your butt off it will make you a better person in the long run. No class, money or luck will really teach you those lessons. It WILL be taught on the football field. Damn I love this game. Ed Hardy OUT!!!

College Pick Em 2013 EH vs TF!

Ed Hardy Tackles First College Predictions

SEC Early Barometer

College football is here and so are the hopes and dreams of 124 Division I teams, athletes, coaches and of course the fans. Year after year teams outside of the SEC have been looking for a way to discredit the SEC dominance. Some call the SEC top-heavy though the proof is in the pudding, 7 titles in a row. But a new season brings new home and aspirations starting week 1. Can the rest of the country can make a dent in the SEC with some victories this upcoming weekend? This would help the outsiders not only for bragging rights, but for National Title contention. Alabama's chances could suffer in the long run in the power rankings if they happen to slip up (lose) at some point later in the year(not early at Texas A&M). With pansy scheduling like for Ohio State & Louisville, 1 loss could be detrimental to Alabama or whoever is the SEC top dog, if power ratings come into play.

So it's time to preview some of the SEC Barometer matchups against other conference foes this upcoming weekend.

1.Alabama versus Virginia Tech – this is not the Mike Vick led Virginia Tech squad, this is the worn out Hokies of 2013. Starting a freshman quarterback versus Saban's defense is just plain scary. Even if they had a savvy vet, the Hokie's are small bunch and are going to get pushed around all game long, hit the cancel button on the DVR if your recording this one.

Bama 51 Virginia Tech 9

2. Washington State versus Auburn. The old pirate himself Mike Leach versus Springdale five's Gus Malzahn, they both love to put up points. The big difference here is that Auburn has some athletes on both sides of the ball whereas the Cougars are very limited. Auburn is starving for a fresh start and Leach will try to throw everything at them, however,  in the end, speed kills and Washington State will take it on the chin.

Auburn 38 Washington State 17.

I forgot to mention the playing at the Plains.

3. South Carolina versus North Carolina. The Tar Heels rolling to Columbia with really nothing to prove as everyone is favoring the Gamecocks. Even South Carolina may be eyeing their next week's big matchup versus Georgia. North Carolina should make it a game early and play keep away as much as possible. However the common theme of the Gamecock’s season will be if they can get a decent lead on any opponent of this year, all they will have to do is turn their defense loose for the W. That's what I see will happen here as well, starting in the second half to the poor Tar Heels.

Gamecocks 28 Tar Heels 10

4. Mississippi State versus Oklahoma State. Last but not least, I believe this is the most interesting SEC barometer game over the weekend. Will versus will. The Cowboys want to put up big numbers while the Bulldogs want the ball and control the entire game. I really believe the Bulldogs will throw some new wrinkles towards Oklahoma State's defense. Dan Mullen is a better coach than Gundy. Turnovers will be the deciding factor in this ball game,  meaning Mississippi State better get at least 2 or 3 fumbles/interceptions if they have any prayer of winning this contest. Call me crazy, but I  believe Mississippi State will…………………..nah……………lose, But keep it really interesting.

Cowboys 28 Mississippi State 20.

Well, wish I could Guilbeau you but my predictions went pretty much how the majority sees it. However, if I’m wrong, and if South Carolina or Auburn were to lose (as we know Alabama's not), then the power rankings for SEC teams will take a big hit, especially if an undefeated SEC team were to lose to either SC or Aub. late in the year,  mark my words. But to hell with parody, long live the SEC and its dominance!!!

EH Out.

Ed Hardy: Saints Realist

New Saints defense of coordinator Rob Ryan inherited the worst defense in the league this past year. Little did he know that his two existing outside linebackers would go down (injured reserve for the year Smith & Butler)as well. Again back to the trash heap. But closely observed, is it really the trash cheap? Case in point.

Will Smith would've been a major liability, not only the running game but the short passing game as evident as Matt Shuab made him look like a total goon. And this is not saying much as both Wilson and Gallete have been on the pine yet no one has been able to step up and take the outside linebacker  position for the Saints. So where do the Saints go from here?  OLB Parys Haralson was just signed from San Francisco, as he is a locker room stand out and has some outside linebacking experience, which we desperately lack. But he is not the answer, just a depth guy. Junior Gallete is the real X factor. As evident from the Texans game, opposing defenses will pick on the Saints flats, having Saints linebackers getting burnt with the opposing tight ends day end and day out.

Fortunately , the Saints can overcome with their badass offense. But unlike LSU and other Cowboys fanatics ,I happen to be a Saints realist. We are not going anywhere unless we bow up on defense. I refuse to drink the cool-aide.

Tune into Friday's Tim Fletcher Show, as we will give our NFL breakdown. Also, Fletch and I will give our NFL predictions for the year, so Listen up and be somebody: AM 1130 the tiger & the radioPup App baby.

Ed Hardy out!!!!!

SAINTS PRE-SEASON GAME 2 PREVIEW WITH SNEAK PEAK OF THE PROJECTED 53 MAN ROSTER

MATCHUP:

Saints versus Raiders in the Dome, Friday August 16, 2013.  Probably the worst opponent (Raiders) you could have to obtain a true assessment of how this new Saints Defense can play , versus someone else’s #1’s, for about a half. Could the Saints defense have rebounded in the next series if Alex Smith were to stay on the field last week? Or would they fold just like they did all of last year 2012? We’ll never know as the Raiders are still a train wreck sans Al Davis and LSU’s Matt Flynn will not surprise anyone. However, if the Raiders stack the box this week like the Chiefs did last week, I believe Coach Payton will say screw it, abandon the run, and light the scoreboard up!! This will delight the masses on hand, Drew Brees and get all of these new receivers seasoned up. Also, fat boy DC Rob Ryan will probably dial up a medley of blitzes, unlike the vanilla approach week 1.

3 THINGS TO KEEP AN EYE ON:

1.      The Saints Defense- don’t be expecting the 1985 Bear D anytime soon but more like the 2009 Saints D, a lot of blitzing, bending but not breaking. The breaking part is guaranteed due to our opponent otherwise, I would not know what to tell you. But since I’m aware of the Raiders, I do see the Saints making some strides.  In the Williams regime, the defense would bounce back on occasion after getting toasted, whereas they would lay down and die under Spags. I hope they lean more towards Williams’s way. One person in particular to keep your eye on is Cam Jordan. With all of this outside 3-4 LB edge rush, Jordan will get a slew of 1 on 1 matchups, thus I expect him to be very disruptive tomorrow evening.  Also, there will be a fierce linebacker and safety battle, so it wouldn’t surprise me to see some jaw dropping licks and perhaps an INT, courtesy of S Jim Leonard. Just a hunch.

2.      Team Discipline- coach Payton fell on the sword last week and said himself, his coaches need to do a better job But what he went on to say and really mean was that the offense needed to do a better job of getting to the line of scrimmage, getting the alignment right and communicating better. Look here, we take our offense for granted sometimes, but you know that this Payton-Brees machine is all about precision, adjustments and execution. Nothing pisses Payton off more than missed assignments. Personal fouls are one thing, but illegal procedure or God forbid having to burn a precious time out, drives Payton insane. So keep an eye on how quickly the offense gets to the line of scrimmage and snaps the ball, after Brees makes his last minute reads. A lot of pressure will be on these rookie wide-outs to be in sync with Brees as even though the Raiders D sucks, it’s typically week 2 when the gloves come off for the defense.

3.      Coverage Units and Hartley-this seems like a boring topic but the Saints were awful in special team’s punt and kickoff coverage. We simply can’t afford to give the opposition another 15-20 yards against our D, because our D is well, ourrrrr D. This will be a journeyman fullback, veteran linebacker or rookie free agents dream, as the Saints staff WILL KEEP YOU on the 53 man roster if you really succeed in special teams play (see Roby). Speaking of Roby, he’s hurt and guys like LB Humber and S Bush will be playing more with the starting D so whoever else steps up & shinestomorrow night in ST, may have a roster spot waiting on them. Hartley is so hot and cold. He hasn’t been stellar whatsoever in training camp so far. I know he’s not going anywhere but I would really like to see some 40-50 yard attempts on the hash marks if all possible.

PRE-SEASON WEEK 2 GAME PREDICTION

Saints 34 - Raiders 20. 

 

EARLY BIRD SAINTS 53 MAN ROSTER PROJECTIONS AS OF 8/15/2013

1.    Brees

2.    McCown

3.    Collins

4.    P Thomas

5.    Ingram

6.    Sproles

7.    Cadet (K Robinson on Pr Squad)

8.    Colston

9.    Moore

10.  Toon

11.  Stills

12.  Parker

13.  Tanner (on to let Roby heal and out of Pr Sq options)

14.  Roby

15.  Graham

16.  Watson

17.  Higgins

18.  Brown

19.  Strief

20.  Armistead

21.  Jones

22.  Grubbs

23.  Evans

24.  Puente

25.  Olsen

26.  Hartley

27.  Morestead

28.  Drescher

29.  Jordan

30.  Hicks

31.  Foster

32.  Richardson (T Johnson can’t stay healthy)

33.  Bunkley

34.  Jenkins

35.  Gallette

36.  R Johnson

37.  Hawthorne

38.  Martin

39.  Wilson

40.  Will Smith (almost left him off, I will next week if he stinks vs. Oak)

41.  Humber

42.  Chamberlain

43.  Reddick (special team surprise)

44.  Lewis

45.  Greer

46.  White

47.  Robinson

48.  Harper

49.  Jenkins

50.  Vaccaro

51.  Bush

52.  Leonhard

53.  Carr (vet leadership)

On bubble: Herring, Abdul-Quddus, Tiller, Breaston

Ed Hardy

OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Control

Control: To exercise authoritative or dominating influence over, to adjust to a requirement, to prevent the spread of.

One would be a fool to suggest that a college football head coach with a record of 113-42 does not have control of his programs. Proof is in the pudding; if it ain't broke don't fix it. All of these are nice clichés, however, Coach Les Miles is on a very slippery slope. His 2013 margin for error is extremely razor thin after 2 consecutive seasons, as the team as faltered. And what has brought him so much success, his stubborn control, has not fully worked in the past several campaigns. Thus Miles is conducting an extreme departure from what has made him who he is during his coaching tenure at LSU.  The strange thing is that Les Miles has been so predictable lately, the unpredictability we all knew and loved that led into some serious success in the past has vanished. Whether it be a blindfolded over the back pass to a placekicker, consecutive fourth-down attempts or going for the touchdown with seconds left at home for the victory, the Mad Hatter knows how to shock and awe. But lately when not getting the good old Mad Hatter weren't getting somewhat resembles Mr. Safety hatter .  And you know what, for the most part it has worked. The keep away, field position war, with the ball on the ground has proven to be extremely successful for the Tigers no matter who the opposition was in the regular season. However, that same conservative, boring Big Ten, run at no end mentality has caused colossal failures in the postseason, most notably: the Alabama championship game.  So just when you think Les has gone soft and placid, he goes in hires his old buddy can Cameron to  take over the offense. Miles will "supposedly" change the game plan mindset.  Let me explain.

John Chavis’ assembles dominating defenses year-to-year in Baton Rouge .  Now he does have a good crop to choose from but what he does with that crop makes him elite. But keep in mind, the LSU offense, while much ridiculed, does its part by playing field position constantly, chewing on the clock but more importantly putting LSU's defense in favorable positions to get after it. Just because the offense doesn't put more points on the scoreboard doesn't mean Coach Miles boring offensive game plan doesn't fit the entire “big picture” of how to win ballgames, as it does. Though this model has prohibited this team to win the big enchilada, all being versus the nation’s elite. His seat is not hot however Miles sees the writing on the wall and is going back in the phone booth to get the Mad Hat back. In comes Cam Cameron.

If you listen to The Tim Fletcher Show on Monday Wednesday and Fridays, you frequently will hear my skepticism of new offense of coordinator Cam Cameron ug.He did get just fired from Baltimore, who later won the Super Bowl. He sucked as a head coach. He is a good coordinator though. A noted control freak who puts a ton of pressure on his quarterback and star skill position players. Although, I'm not arguing anything with that, as LSU needs a new direction, and criticism. Can pre-madonna Zac Mettenburger, handle the pressure? But most importantly, will Coach Miles stay true to his word when the game is on the line?  That my friend is the number one question going into the season. The Flagship University has bent over backwards hiring new offensive coordinator's year in and year out to no avail, to help the offense get over the slumps (not hump), yet Miles keeps going back to small ball. So does it really matter who they bring in at offense coordinator? According to the national media and most Bayou Bengals, the answer is yes because Cam Cameron is different. Not only was he an NFL head coach he also is in Miles extreme inner circle as being a groomsman in his wedding. So maybe they are correct when the populous says this is a different hire.

Coach Miles did say LSU will be up-tempo and stretch the field as much as possible in 2013. He has given control, for now, to his old pal coach Cameron. The best case scenario for this offense in 2013 is to put up leads against elite opponents early and then kick back and let the defense do what it does best. The worst case will be that this young defense will be left on the field too often, whether it be from offensive turnovers or from lack of offensive production, which will allow other teams to get back in the game. If the Defense tires, it will be a rough season in Baton Rouge. Bottom line is that LSU's defense has been the reason their record has been so damn good the past several seasons, but to beat Goliath   , smash football mouth wins, with a sprinkling of explosive offensive game plays & execution. LSU has lacked the explosive game plays and execution which hopefully Cam Cameron will provide. We will see very shortly how this new system works, however I still am skeptical and I fully believe Les will be Les. The Mad Hatter will still meddle in the offensive game plan when the game is on the line, bank on it! I foresee Les secretly takes over and will somehow pull out another major upset WIN in 2013, when LSU’s season is on the line after a loss.  Coach Cam will be marginalized on the sidelines once again and takes another coaching gig in 2014. Though publicly, neither will ever admit it.  Only to see, wimpy team playing, Ohio State and Louisville skate to the championship.  And Miles saves face once again, as he re-claims control.

Think I’m wrong? We’ll see.

Eh Hardy Out!!!

Information Overload

  Information Overload.


I've never championed myself as a traditionalist when it comes to sports. I started off craving information, the only data resources I could get was from the box score in the newspaper articles and from limited late-night tv recaps. How I loved waking up in the morning for breakfast and my mother not giving me food first but giving me the paper first, so I could catch up with yesterday's events. It was a simple time of life, I can even remember her mailing me box-scores to summer camp, so I could catch up on the latest Braves action. It's amazing when you can visualize the three-run inning in your head, just from a box score and wonder the excitement, the movement and all that took place to produce that type of inning. Where has it gone?

For the first time in 15 years I'm not playing fantasy baseball. I can honestly say my knowledge of baseball has waned severely because of this. My team is a complete loser in the Astros, but a fan is a fan and I'll never will bail on them. However technology has ruined it. Let me explain:



My daughters mini iPad has been broken for a week now, and the local repair guy keeps promising  me each and every day it will be fixed to no avail. The Saints nugget is a wonderful kid, does not pitch a fit but I can tell she really misses having the information in contact with her friends and life via the Internet. So today I ride the repair guy hard & even stay at the repair shop until he's finished. I think, kids these days .... they just have to have everything at their fingertips. Then I look at the TV at the repair shop and I realize, I am just as guilty. I missed that Braun was suspended and a few other tidbits I should've easily paid attention to but don't really care about anymore

One thing I am a champion of is the NFL, especially how free agency works, widespread flexibility , leading teams who never have a chance -- have a chance all because of revenue-sharing and constant player movement. To me, it is by far the best sport in the world due to that & continuous league news and data. However, it comes at a severe cost. The world is a copycat league, and now it seems every professional sports franchise has adopted wheeling and dealing, comings and goings, and more importantly the information overload.

So how does this pertain to my daughter and her generation and mini iPad? Answer is everything. I cannot get enough sports from the time I wake up till I go to bed, and even though I do cohost radio show, there is so much I can only digest every day. Truth is I can tear up a buffet, but would much rather have ribeye steak with a killer side instead.


Point being, maybe there is some truth to being a jack of all trades but master of none. The Internet has ruined it for a lot of once purists like myself and has made us Jack of all trades.

However, have no fear as one of my favorite quotes of all time still remains, "I love me some me".. just kidding, it really is "Stats are for losers". Statistics back in the day was an art to collect, translate and appreciate. Nowadays it's like taking candy away from a baby, way too easy. Maybe it's just our times but you know what, maybe it isn't so bad to be a one trick pony, as long as your passion is fully there.

So as my baseball prowess is waning, instead of being sad I can relish at the fact that my other sports passions are getting even stronger. Picking and choosing the battles I guess. How in the heck did I come to this revelation at a computer repair shop, who knows.

Go Saints


EH

Out!!!