New Orleans Saints: Around The Web Link Dump 2.5.10 (Super Bowl XLIV Edition)

After 43 years as an NFL franchise the Saints have finally broke through and made their first ever Super Bowl appearance after beating the Minnesota Vikings in overtime to become the 2009 NFC Champions.

It sure is a great time to be a Saints fan!

The wins have not come without a price as the Saints defense, along with coordinator Gregg Williams, have now been labeled “dirty” for repeated blows on Brett Favre in the Championship game and Kurt Warner in the Divisional round.

Both quarterbacks suffered constant pressure and repeated blows that included vicious hits by DE Bobby McCray on both quarterbacks in both games, prompting fines over 20K for excessive roughness on McCray.

Warner has since retired from the NFL and Favre’s status is questionable that he will return for another season with the Minnesota Vikings.

Favre and his agent Bus Cook also released photos of Favre’s bruised leg and ankle in attempt to thwart the misconception that he could of run for several more yards to setup his kicker for the game winning field goal instead of throwing for it, which ended up an interception that returned the ball to the Saints.

The photos of Favre’s leg can be viewed at this link.

However you put it seems far fetched that anyone would attempt to label the Saints defense as “dirty” when all they are doing is playing fast, hard, aggressive football.

Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams sumed it up best by saying, “Unless your defense is feared, then it’s not really a legitimate defense,” said Williams. “And how that comes about is through contact, it comes about through speed, and it comes about through the fear of making a mistake against that type of defense.”.

Now the Saints have set their sights on Peyton Manning and winning Super Bowl XLIV, neither Williams or the Saints have made any secrets of what they plan to do and thats pressue Manning all game long.

On to the links:

• Where we always start, NOLA.com and the Times Picayune coverage of the Saints follow this link to view.
• I love to feature these Madden simulations even though it is already posted to NOLA.com: Madden 10: New Orleans Saints win Super Bowl XLIV with first half fireworks, late ball control.
• San Diego Union-Tribune: Brees found exaclty what he was lookin for in New Orleans.
• Reuters: Saints running ”Three-headed Monster” could be key.
• Eric Edholm of Pro Football Weekly gives his take on a key matchup: Saints DE Will Smith vs. Colts LT Charlie Johnson.
• Judy Battista of The New York Times takes a look at the Saints D: The Strip is the Saints’ not so secret weapon. 
• Indianapolis Star updates the status of Colts DE Dwight Freeney: Freeney misses practice yet again.
• Greg Stoda from the Palm Beach Post profiles Jeremy Shockey: Shockey sees Saints as career renewal.
• Gorilla in a Forth Worth Zoo chooses Saints over Colts (Video). linked here.
• ESPN’s Len Pasquarelli features the unusual diet habits of some of the Saints receivers: Healthy diet helps Saints wide receivers emerge.
• Davis Haugh of the Chicago Tribune tells the tale of RB Pierre Thomas: Saints Thomas primed for Super Bowl.
• Brett Martel of the Associated Press: No. 1 offense can lift Saints past the Colts.
• Nice piece from the Wall Street Journal that breaks down how much effort goes into an NFL season and Super Bowl berth: The time it takes to win it all.

Follow the New Orleans Saints through whodatdish.com at twitter.com/whodatdish.

Subscribe to who dat dish via RSS feed to get all your Saints news here