It’s been a long season for the New Orleans Saints

November 25, 2012; New Orleans, LA, USA; San Francisco 49ers outside linebacker Ahmad Brooks (55) and inside linebacker Patrick Willis (52) combine to sack New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) during the second half of a game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The 49ers defeated the Saints 31-21. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Bounties. Suspensions. 0-4. Interim Interim. Winning streak. Interceptions. Shut out.

And here we are. Heading to Dallas to take on the Cowboys. Some fans are actually clamoring that the Saints should throw this game to improve the Cowboys’ chances of making the playoffs and ensuring that they retain Jason Garrett.

Does anyone actually think that teams intentionally tank games in the NFL? Could you see Drew Brees taking the field with the intention of losing? Just stop it with that nonsense. Also stop with the idea that the Saints should lose games to ensure better draft position.

For the life of me, I cannot remember ever wishing for the Saints to lose a game. It’s not in my makeup.

With the announcement of the vacation of the player suspensions in the bounty sham, my first thought was that the Saints would relentlessly pound the Bucs and kick off a winning streak inspired by the first sigh of relief this team has had since March.

I hope my prognostication is accurate; winning feels good. There is still a slim chance that the Saints can sneak into the playoffs if the planets align although highly unlikely. Personally, I don’t care about the playoffs anymore.

It’d be great if it happens, but that isn’t germane to my feelings about this team and this year. This year was doomed from the start. Doomed. No one wanted to admit it at the start of the year and we foolishly believed that Drew Brees alone could do it all.

Never did we consider the effect Sean Payton actually had until it was obvious. The inability to put together a complete game all year falls directly on the head coach and the Saints haven’t had one all year. Then the Bucs game happened.

Where the hell did that come from? The only thing I can attribute such a performance to is the collective vindication of our players (and by association, the coaches – regardless of Tagliabue’s “cover the league’s ass” statement).

After 9 months of adversity and a collective rash of crap from the NFL’s lackeys (aka: the national media and Jeff lol Duncan) painting the entire Saints organization as some dirty, underhanded club of thugs and punks, the Tagliabue ruling made it clear as day that Goodell had screwed the pooch.

So, again, here we are. Facing the Cowboys on Sunday. Statistical breakdown? Points of emphasis? Guess what. Doesn’t matter. What does matter is that the Saints will go out their and give it everything they’ve got. That’s what they do and have been doing all year.

I expect another beat down in Dallas. A “we’re better than you and you can’t have our coach” kinda game. It will be glorious.

You know what does matter? The week of the Super Bowl. The Ginger Hammer will be in the city and as Saints fans we should make our presence felt. Let him know what we think and how we feel. Ultimately, we are the ones who have been screwed by his shenanigans in the name of “player safety”.

We pack 70,000 into the dome for home games and reportedly had a million people at the Super Bowl parade. It would be a damn shame if we let this opportunity for protest pass without taking full advantage of it.

There will be a media feeding frenzy in New Orleans during the week leading up to the big game and it should be fully utilized. The “Do Not Serve This Man” campaign should be put into full effect. Signs, banners, t-shirts (you just know Dirty Coast will be game), megaphones, whatever. Do something.

This is our city. This is our team. And this was our year. Don’t let the NFL walk over us and act like the countless dollars we have spent on tickets, jerseys, Sunday Ticket, merchandise, etc. don’t matter.