SIR SAINT WILL LEAD US TO VICTORY
OVER THE EVIL NFL FRONT OFFICE
OFFICIAL 2012 SEASON MID-SUMMER NEWSLETTER #5 PRESEASON RE-CAP EDITION
PRE-SEASON AINT THE
REAL SEASON
Cardinals 10 Saints 17
During the Saints' Hall of Fame Game victory over the Arizona Cardinals, Brees rarely took his eyes off the field
even after his one series had ended. After leading the Saints on an efficient touchdown drive, Brees paid close
attention to both the defense and offense and talked to the backup quarterbacks throughout.
Others have noticed his increased intensity since the start of camp.
"Drew is on every detail," tight end Jimmy Graham said. "He's that way anyways, but you can see where he's not
leaving anything to chance. Where Coach Payton might have been the guy to say something about how we did this
or that, Drew is the one making sure."
At the same time, Brees knows he's not in that ultimate position of authority. Where Payton had the power to
essentially hire and fire players, Brees can't cross into that realm. Likewise, Brees doesn't want to step on the toes of
other top veteran players, such as defensive end Will Smith or safety Roman Harper.
"I don't want to misconstrue this, I'm not out there trying to be Coach Payton," Brees said. "No one can replace
Coach Payton. Nobody. But we are all, within ourselves, trying to do whatever we can to lead, to do our job and, to
an extent because we don't have a head coach, to understand where there might be a little bit of a void.
Drew Brees (R) listens to offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael on Sunday. "Where does the slack need to be
picked up so that we can kind of share in that role of doing some of those little things. That's what I'm saying about
on the practice field. Maybe the tempo is not good and Sean would say, 'Hey, we need to get this tempo up, get
going.' I would probably do it anyway because I notice it, too, but it's almost as if he's talking in my head."
Be careful Drew. That’s the first signs of dementia….
Brees said the Saints did go through some of this last season when Payton got hurt after being hit on the sideline
during a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. From that point on, offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael called
the plays instead of Payton, who was forced to watch two games from the coaches' booth.
In that way, Brees now has a trust in Carmichael's ability to handle the play-calling in games.
"Sean would be up in the box giving Pete little advice here and there, but Pete was calling the plays. It had always
been Sean Payton, no one else, but then I had to suddenly stop hearing Sean and hear somebody else," Brees said. "I
have a long history with Pete. We go back to the Chargers in 2002, but this was the first time Pete had ever called
plays. He did a phenomenal job, but it was an adjustment, it was a change.
Now, it's Brees who has to find a way to convey the same type of messages to a team that has enough talent to
contend for a Super Bowl title.
Patriots 7 Saints 6
Tom Brady played two series and completed four passes in seven attempts for 30 yards. He also was sacked by Will
Smith and fumbled with Curtis Lofton recovering for the Saints. Smith has been suspended for the first four regularseason games in connection with the bounty witch-hunt.
"No," Smith said when asked if he's preparing any differently than if he had avoided punishment. "Preseason's the
same. Got to work hard. Job's always on the line, so got to go out and compete."
Once the regular season starts, Interim Coach Joe Vitt said, Smith, with 61 1/2 sacks in eight seasons, will be
missed. "You're going to miss anybody with the talent of Will Smith," said Vitt, who faces his own suspension for
the first six regular-season games. "Will's a heck of a player. He's a heck of a leader."
The Saints' defense gave up just one touchdown, but the Patriots were better, allowing a pair of field goals.
John Kasay had a chance to give the Saints the lead, but his 41-yard field goal attempt went wide right with 3:07
left.
New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees also played two series, lasting just six plays. He was 1 of 4 for 4 yards in his
second exhibition game. In Sunday's 17-10 win over the Arizona Cardinals in the Hall of Fame game, Brees was 4
for 5 for 41 yards on his only drive, resulting in a touchdown.
Jaguars 27 Saints 24
Gabbert outperformed Drew Brees, and the young Jaguars quarterback found rookie Justin Blackmon for a score as
Jacksonville took a 27-24 preseason victory over New Orleans.
Long after the starters were done for the night, the Saints rallied to take a 24-20 lead on undrafted rookie Travaris
Cadet's 24-yard catch and run with under 2 minutes to go. But Jacksonville backup Jordan Palmer hit Kevin Elliott
with an 11-yard touchdown pass on fourth down with 13 seconds left. Does this sound familiar?
Gabbert a.k.a. “The Muppet Man” wound up 13 of 16 for 112 yards and 2 TD’s.
“We were playing against their first-team defense, so it says a lot for us to take the lead early in the game,” said
Gabbert, who helped Jacksonville jump out to a 17-3 lead.
Brees was 10 of 13 for 133 yards and one touchdown, an 8-yard pass to Devery Henderson. Brees also turned the
ball over when he was sacked and stripped by Jeremy Mincey.
“We need to do a better job protecting Drew,” Joe Vitt said. “We have a lot of coaching to do.”
Cadet had 90 yards from scrimmage and a TD for New Orleans making a case for the Saints to find a place for him
despite already having four established running backs on the roster. “I felt like I took a step forward,” Cadet said. “I
feel like I need to do more. I'm never satisfied. ... This is a hard team to make. You've got to be able to do
something to separate yourself.” After Cadet's late score on a pass from Chase Daniel, Palmer quickly drove
Jacksonville back down the field with the help of pass interference calls against Jose Gumbs and Cord Parks. The
second penalty put the ball at the New Orleans 6. Kicker, Josh Scobee had field goals of 36 and 47 yards, the
second giving Jacksonville a 20-17 lead late in the third quarter.
Several Saints players left the game with injuries, including Abdul-Quddus, who appeared wobbly after a collision
late in the third quarter. Acting Head Coach, Vitt declined to get specific other than to confirm that the safety was
hit in the head. Reserve linebacker Chris Chamberlain left the game with a left knee injury, and reserve receiver
Andy Tanner sustained a left ankle injury. The Jaguars' only injury appeared to be a pulled hamstring by reserve
running back Keith Toston. Saints reserve linebacker Chris Chamberlain says he is out for the season after injuring
his left knee Friday night in the game. Chamberlain confirms in postings on his Twitter page that MRI results from
Saturday show he has torn his anterior ligament.
Texans 27 Saints 34
The star quarterbacks for Houston and New Orleans combined for 373 yards passing in a high-scoring first half, and
Joseph Morgan’s touchdown catch late in the fourth quarter lifted the Saints to a 34-27 preseason victory over the
Texans on Saturday night.
''I feel like we have been sharp for the most part,'' Brees said. ''Even though it hasn't been perfect, I think we've been
pretty efficient. ''We have very high expectations for our team, this offense. We set the bar pretty high,'' Brees
continued. ''We just know how good we can be and we want to continue to test that limit as often as possible.''
Schaub completed 15-of-18 passes for 194 yards and a touchdown, but three turnovers by Houston helped the Saints
stay close despite two fumbles of their own.
Brees was 17 of 25 for 179 yards, including TD tosses of 20 yards to Lance Moore and 8 yards to Jimmy “The
Golden” Graham. The performance was reminiscent of the Saints offense that broke numerous NFL records a
season ago, a good sign after a troubled offseason.
Titans 10 Saints 6
The Saints finished off a preseason and buffeted by stormy weather with a 10-6 loss to the Tennessee Titans, in case
you missed it.
Interim Head Coach, Joe Vitt, scratched 26 players, including Drew Brees and their top three running backs and
wide receivers, ensuring the Saints (2-3) will be on solid footing as he begins a suspension for the “Bounty WitchHunt”. Offensive Line Coach, Aaron Kromer will lead the team into its Sept. 9 regular-season opener against the
Washington Redskins.
JUST SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT….
“I knew it!!!!” - George the Fan
The Kicker’s Challenge Has Been Won:
The tight duel between kickers, Garrett Hartley and John Kasay, came down to the final exhibition game against the
Titans.
Hartley, one of the heroes of the team's run to a Super Bowl XLIV title in 2009, was challenged this spring and
summer by Kasay, who filled in last year when Hartley was sidelined for the entire season with a hip injury.
Special Teams Coordinator, Greg McMahon said before last week's game with the Houston Texans that the
coaching staff was no closer to making a decision than when training camp started last month. "We're going to go to
the last two games and let it play out," McMahon said then. "I think that is the fair process. That's what we decided
to do going into camp, and we'll stay true to that."
In the first four exhibition games, Hartley was 4-of-5 on his field-goal attempts with his only miss coming from 53
yards out, while the 42-year-old Kasay was 2-of-4. Against the Titans in the final exhibition game; Hartlet was 2of-2 and made all extra points.
For those of you who don’t remember; the most important stat of all is the clutch performances in the 2009 Playoffs
which had him missing none of his attempts. One of which sealed the victory in the NFC Title Game and the other
established him as the only kicker in NFL History to make all 3 FG’s of 50+ yards in a Super Bowl!
“Why was this ever up for debate? I knew my guy would win!” – Connie the Fan
“Thanks for being a great fan!” - ‘Southlake’ Hartley
In Other News:
The National Football League has filed a lawsuit against nearly three dozen insurance
companies, seeking to force them to defend the league against mounting brain injury claims by former players and
their families (which is the real reason our team was made an example of and why the Bounty Witch-Hunt began).
The suit, filed late Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Court, names virtually every major insurer in the country,
led by the Allianz-owned Fireman's Fund. All the firms were involved in coverage for the league or its affiliates at
some point between the late 1960s and today. The NFL said it was a defendant in at least 143 bodily or personal
injury suits, and that its insurers were obligated to defend the league under its general liability policies, which the
group said they had not provided.
"As a direct and proximate result of said insurers' breach of their contractual duty to defend the NFL and NFL
Properties in and against the injury lawsuits, Plaintiffs have suffered damages in attorneys' fees and other costs
incurred to defend against those suits," the NFL alleges in its complaint, adding it was entitled to at least $5 million
in damages.
Retired players in increasing numbers are taking action against the NFL over brain injuries they claim to have
suffered playing football. At least some of the suits allege the league deliberately and fraudulently concealed the
risks of injury, a charge it vehemently denies. Several retired NFL players have committed suicide in recent years
by shooting themselves in the chest, in some cases with the explicit goal of preserving their brains for study.
The case is National Football League et. al. vs. Fireman's Fund Insurance Co. et. al., California Superior
Court, Los Angeles County, No. 490342.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has written an open letter to fans explaining the NFL's strict policy against
bounty systems such as the one league investigators have said they uncovered in New Orleans.
Goodell says this year there will be ''clear, consistent and renewed emphasis'' on enforcing the NFL's longstanding
bounty prohibition.
Goodell describes bounty programs as those which provide incentives for plays resulting in injuries, or even ''for
performance against an opposing player, group of players, or team.''
The commissioner says such programs undermine both the integrity of the game and the league's efforts to
''aggressively protect the health, safety and long-term livelihood'' of players.
The NFL on Thursday provided a federal judge with what it says is evidence Commissioner Roger Goodell did not
improperly pre-judge the four players suspended in the bounty investigation.
The evidence includes a copy of a letter the NFL Players Association sent the league on March 7 asking Goodell to
delay punishment of players implicated in the bounty probe.
It also includes a sworn declaration from Goodell in which he states he was prepared to hand down player discipline
at the same time he announced suspensions for coaches and executives on March 21. Goodell's declaration states he
held off after verbally agreeing to do so in a phone conversation with union head DeMaurice Smith.
Attorneys for Jonathan Vilma, who have sued separately, and NFLPA lawyers representing the three other
punished players have argued Goodell showed improper bias with comments he made before sending the players
notice of their suspensions on May 2.
Attorneys for the players have been given until Friday to file their own evidence and briefs on the matter.
Vilma's consolidated lawsuits include a defamation claim against Goodell. Vilma's attorney, Peter Ginsberg, has
argued Goodell made reckless and false statements about Vilma being the ringleader of a bounty program that
offered cash for injuring targeted opponents.
Vilma has asked U.S. District Judge Ginger Berrigan to grant a temporary restraining order that would allow him to
return to the Saints while his case proceeds, and the judge has said she would be inclined to rule in his favor, but will
hold off until she is comfortable she has jurisdiction to do so.
Berrigan has indicated that she might prefer to see how separate proceedings called for in the league's collective
bargaining agreement play out.
One item still pending is the NFLPA's appeal of system arbitrator Stephen Burbank's ruling that Goodell had the
authority to serve as arbitrator on the bounty matter because of the commissioner's stance that the violations
represented ''conduct detrimental'' to the league, as opposed to standard on-field violations, which would call for an
arbitrator other than the commissioner.
A three-member appeal panel is expected to review Burbank's decision late this month, and if it rules in the players'
favor, that could negate the need for further action in federal court.
In the meantime, the judge has urged all sides to try to settle the matter with the help of a federal magistrate.
Vilma has been suspended the entire season and he is currently barred from Saints headquarters, where he was
hoping to rehabilitate from offseason knee surgery.
Saints defensive end Will Smith has been suspended for the first four regular season games and is currently
participating in training camp.
Two former Saints who are still active also were suspended: Green Bay defensive end Anthony Hargrove was
penalized eight games and Cleveland linebacker Scott Fujita three games.
Goodell's discipline of non-players included a full-season suspension for Saints head coach Sean Payton, a halfseason suspension for general manager Mickey Loomis and a six-game suspension for assistant head coach Joe Vitt.
Former Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams has been suspended indefinitely.
Goodell also fined the Saints $500,000 and docked the club second-round draft picks in 2012 and 2013.
The NFL's initial bounty reports, made public in early March, described Saints players taking part in a bounty pool
that lasted from 2009 through 2011. The reports also said the Saints specifically targeted several star players for
injury, including quarterbacks Brett Favre and Kurt Warner in the 2009-10 playoffs.
Sure, that’s why Favre played until the end of the game and Warner wasn’t knocked out of the game until he
scrambled ‘out of the pocket’ and tried running with the football down the sideline.
Just so you also know; during the hearings for the players' lawsuits, seven current and former Saints, along with
Coach Vitt, have testified under oath that there was no pay-to-injure program, yet, their testimony wasn’t sufficient
in the eyes of the Commissioner, but the lack of ‘physical’ evidence was? Vilma’s attorneys have requested to see
any physical evidence, no matter how small or insignificant, and the League has dodged the request repeatedly.
The players have admitted that they only took part in a ‘pay-for-performance’ pool and not a ‘pay-for-injury’ pool
that provided cash bonuses primarily in the hundreds for big plays such as sacks, forced fumbles and interceptions,
and collected fines for missed assignments and penalties including unnecessary roughness. Hasn’t this been done in
the game of football on all levels at once….and certainly in the NFL for decades already? How’s a program like
that considered “cheating”? Didn’t the head coach of another big-money franchise get caught video-taping the
practices of opposing teams? Wouldn’t you call that “CHEATING”? Wasn’t that franchise only fined? I don’t
believe any of the players, assistant coaches, or even the head coach ever suspended at all! Must be nice….
Of course, now with Jonathan Vilma suing NFL commissioner Roger Goodell for defamation after Goodell's very
public statements regarding the reasoning behind the suspensions of Vilma and several current and former members
of the Saints organization, the sign above, posted in the front window of Brother Jimmy's, can also be found along
the front of the restaurant and inside the dining room. There's no word on who was behind this, but one suspects
that Vilma is the man behind this. He's maintained his innocence in the Saints bounty witch-hunt all along.
Brother Jimmy's BBQ in Miami, which is co-owned by Vilma, with Denver Broncos linebacker D.J. Williams and
Carolina Panthers linebacker Jon Beason on board as well. All three players are University of Miami alums.
“That’s funny stuff!” - Keith the Fan
The New Orleans Saints have announced that Offensive Line/Running Game Coach Aaron Kromer will replace
Assistant Head Coach/Linebackers Coach Joe Vitt during Vitt's six-game suspension.
Kromer is entering his fifth season with the Saints, and has 22 years of coaching experience. He will officially take
over the duties on Monday, September 3.
Coach Joe Vitt begins serving his six-game suspension on week one of the regular season. Vitt was tapped to fill the
vacancy left by head coach Sean Payton's season long suspension. Both Vitt and Payton were suspended by NFL
Commissioner Roger Goodell for their alleged roles in the team's pay-for-performance program.
Saints owner Tom Benson and General Manager Mickey Loomis made the decision on Kromer.
“This was a difficult decision because we have several coaches on our staff that would do a great job in this role,”
said Loomis. “Ultimately, I wanted to have the least amount of change with both the offensive and defensive staffs,
and maintain the most continuity with the program that has been in place for the last six years.”
After initially coaching the Saints running backs in 2008, Kromer has overseen the Saints offensive line the past
three seasons. The former college offensive lineman has developed the skills of seven Pro Bowl blockers during his
time in the NFL, including three in 2011. Known for his teaching skills and attention to detail, five Saints blockers
have been selected to the Pro Bowl under Kromer’s direction. The line has allowed the third-lowest sack total in the
past three seasons in the NFL. In both 2009 and 2011, the New Orleans offensive line has been honored with the
Madden Most Valuable Protectors Award, awarded annually to the best offensive line in the NFL.
“I appreciate the confidence that Mr. Benson and Mickey have in me to handle this duty while Coach Vitt and
Coach Payton are not with us,” said Kromer. “Coach Payton has laid a successful foundation here and our jobs are
to make sure we keep moving in that direction.”
“Aaron knows Sean’s system very well and how he would be expected to operate this team,” said Saints QB Drew
Brees in a Saints news release. “We have a very strong coaching staff and Aaron is a coach that is very well
respected in our locker room.”
After managing an offensive line in which all five players had started 22 consecutive regular season games, Kromer
played a vital role in the development of two first-time starters in T Zach Strief and C Brian de la Puente in 2011.
The line allowed the second-fewest sacks in the NFL, and played an instrumental role in blocking for an offense that
set the league’s single-season yardage record as well as several other NFL marks. A resurgent run game ranked sixth
in the league in the club’s most productive season since 1987, grinding out 132.9 yards per game.
How ‘bout that?
Pre-Season Injury Report to Date:
WR Courtney Roby, LT Jermon Bushrod and LB Curtis Lofton were all taken by trainers to the locker room before
practice ended with what Vitt described as heat-related ailments.
RB Pierre Thomas also required a break during which trainers cooled him down with sponges.
Safety Malcolm Jenkins made one on a pass intended for Marques Colston and LB Jonathan Casillas snagged a pass
over the middle intended for TE David Thomas.
LB Aaron Tevis missed practice with a knee injury. Vitt declined to say which knee.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
I’m having a SPECIAL!
Starting in WEEK 1; everybody that visits The Quarter for SAINTS Football
will receive an “Attendance Ticket” when they arrive. Each ticket will be
placed into a raffle drawing to be held at the end of the season during the
NFC Championship Game. If your ticket is pulled you will win a $500 Gift
Card (non-transferable) and a VIP table during the Super Bowl Party!! Remember
to ask your server for the ticket and please fill out and return. It’s one ticket
per person. However, you can increase your odds of winning by purchasing
one of our three “New Drink Specials” indicated below to receive a second
ticket. (Limit 2 tickets per-person)
“He is having a special….for all of our special fans!!” - The Bev
2012 Season Game Day Specials will include….
$15 Miller Lite, Coors Light and MGD64 buckets
$5 Pat O’Brien’s Hurricanes
$3 wells ALL day on Sunday’s until the Season ends
OTHER MENU ITEMS – Char-grilled Oysters (are BETTER than Drago’s), Oysters on the
Half-shell, Oysters Rockefeller, fried crabclaws, sloppy roast beef po-boy, soft shell crab
po-boy and crab cakes…*
NEW DRINK SPECIALS:
$4 Fireball Cinnamon Whiskeys
$4 FireFly Vodka’s (All Flavors)
$4 Buffalo Trace 1792 Bourbon
Coupon is good for any visit to The Quarter. Limit One per person (per visit)
For only food purchases of $20 or more. Expires 9/10/2012
20 % OFF
Just print it out and bring it with you!
You should join me this SEASON to watch the
“Aerial Assault” take on the “Evil Franchises” of football and the NFL Front
Office during the 2012 ‘Revenge Campaign’ at the premier destination for
Black & Gold Football, The Quarter Bar in Addison!!
“NEELY”
“CYN”
JENNI
“SCOOTER GIRL”
Don’t forget about the great job being done by The Quarter’s Staff!!
WWW.DALLASDOMEWHODATS.COM
“Am I going to be on the website with my new friend?” – The Little Fan
U betcha! The Dallas Dome Who-Dats website is currently under
construction everybody and will be launched on or before Sept. 8th. Please check back
between now and then to see all of last season’s pictures, as well as, all of the pictures taken
at the commercial shoot on June 16th.
If any of you have ANY suggestions or questions just send an email back to this address
(thesaintsguy@yahoo.com) and I’ll get back with you ASAP! If you haven’t recently; check out these links below,
including the one I use for Trivia Information so you can have the edge to win!
www.thequarter.biz
www.neworleanssaints.com
www.footballdb.com
The Aerial Assault is coming….
DIVISION CHAMPIONS
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THE 1ST NEWSLETTER OF THE 2012 REGULAR SEASON IS COMING THIS WEEK!!