3/14/06 All Saints Day
March 14.2006 IS A DAY THAT SAINTS FANS SHOULD HAVE ENGRAVED IN THEIR MINDS FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES.
TWO MONTHS BEFORE THAT THE SAINTS HIRED DALLAS OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR Sean Payton AND SAINTS FANS WONDERED WOULD HE STICK WITH Aaron Brooks?WELL THE ANSWER WAS NO AND MANY SAINTS FANS WERE VERY HAPPY ABOUT THAT DECISION TO RELEASE THE FIRST QUARTERBACK EVER TO WIN A PLAYOFF GAME FOR THE FRANCHISE.
MEANWHILE THE SAN DIEGO CHARGERS CHOSE NOT TO INCREASE THEIR OFFER TO QUARTERBACK Drew Brees AND IT WAS THE SINGLE BEST THING THAT EVER HAPPENED TO THE NEW ORLEANS SAINTS. ON THAT INFAMOUS DATE HISTORY WAS MADE. Drew Brees SIGNED A 6 YEAR $ 60 MILLION DOLLAR DEAL WITH THE NEW ORLEANS SAINTS.I REMEMBER BEING VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE CHANGE IN THE FRANCHISE. AFTERALL I WENT THROUGH THE Bobby Hebert DAYS, ( no offense Bobby) THE Steve Walsh, THE JOHN FORCADE, THE Jim Everett ,THE Billy JoeS, THE Wade Wilson AND OF COURSE THE Aaron Brooks DAYS.While some of those days were positive, most were negative.
I WAS VERY ANXIOUS FOR THE START OF THE 2006 SEASON NOT ONLY BECAUSE OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE PREVIOUS SEASON, BUT TO SEE IF FINALLY I WOULD HAVE REAL HOPE, AS A SAINTS FAN THAT MAYBE JUST MAYBE ONE DAY I WOULD SEE THE ONE THING I WANTED TO SEE IN MY LIFE BEFORE I DIE... THE SAINTS GOING ALL THE WAY!
IN 2006 THEY CAME ONE GAME AWAY FROM THE SUPERBOWL BEFORE LoSING TO THE BEARS.
Then came the beginning of The 2007 season.
I'LL NEVER FORGET HEARING JIM HENDERSON'S COMMENTARY BEFORE THE COLTS SEASON OPENER SAYING THIS WAS THE MOST ANTICIPATED SEASON IN NEW ORLEANS SAINTS HISTORY.
HOWEVER IT STARTED WITH THE SAINTS GOING 0-4 TO START THAT YEAR. THEY ALMOST RECOVERED from that terrible start ACTUALLY CLIMBING BACK UP TO BEING 4-4. They ENDED UP WITH A DISAPPOINTING 7-9 RECORD.
IN 2008 I WAS EXCITED BECAUSE OF THE AQUISITIONS OF Jeremy Shockey AND JOHNATHAN VILMA BUT IT WAS MUCH OF THE SAME AS THE PREVIOUS SEASON. HOWEVER THE OFFENSE WAS #1 IN THE LEAGUE AND Drew Brees THREW FOR 5,000 YARDS AND Came 15 Yard's from breaking Dan Marino'S SINGLE SEASON RECORD."IT'S NICE TO HAVE A SAINTS QUARTERBACK BE ONLY THE SECOND MAN IN NFL HISTORY TO THROW FOR 5,000 YARDS BUT I'D RATHER BE IN THE PLAYOFFS", I REMEMBER TELLING A FRIEND.
THEN CAME THE 2009 DREAM SEASON. I REMEMBER NOT REALLY KNOWING WHAT TO EXPECT THAT YEAR AT ALL. I KNEW Greg Williams WOULD MAKE A DIFFERENCE ON DEFENSE. I KNOW THAT IF THEY RAN THE BALL BETTER ( AND LEARNED TO CONVERT ON 3RD DOWNS AND 1 WHICH KILLED THEM IN CERTAIN SITIUATIONS IN 2008) THAT Drew Brees WOULD BE EVEN MORE DANGEROUS AND EFFECTIVE.BUT I REALLY NEVER EXPECTED THE SEASON I'D ONLY DREAMED ABOUT! MY POINT FOR THIS ARTICLE IS IN THIS NEXT SENTENCE BASCIALLY.
AS SAINTS FANS WE NEED TO CHERISH THESE TIMES AND SIT BACK AND ENJOY THE RIDE RIGHT NOW BECAUSE WE NEVER KNOW IF WE WILL EVER EXPERIENCE THIS AGAIN!!!
IN 40 YEARS BEFORE Drew Brees AND Sean Payton GOT to new Orleans the Saints had five playoff appearances in 40 years! THINK ABOUT THAT FOR A MINUTE! JUST FIVE APPEARANCES IN POST SEASON WITH ONE VICTORY!!!! NOW THOSE DAYS ARE LONG GONE. Sean Payton WILL ONE DAY HAVE TO FIND SOMEONE TO TAKE BREE'S SPOT BUT TILL THAT DAY COMES WE NEED TO ENJOY THE BREES ERA. WILL the Saints HAVE A DYNASTY? WHO KNOWS. BUT I KNOW THIS. AS LONG AS Drew Brees IS UNDER CENTER, THE NEW ORLEANS SAINTS HAVE A REALISTIC SHOT.Check out Keith Null’s weekly article about the Saints on NFL.com by clicking here.
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