Face it, people. The only reason you don't want to believe this about the Minnesota Vikings is because of him. And honestly, that's fair. Brett Favre drives everybody crazy all summer with his anguished, will-he-or-won't-he retirement drama. There are and should be consequences for something like that. In this case, the consequence is that you won't let yourself believe the gray-haired Sears pitchman from Mississippi has his hands on the reins of the best team in the NFC.
But I'm sorry to report that Favre and the Vikings don't care what you think, because as of this morning they were 6-0. And regardless of how good the Saints looked against the Giants, Minnesota is the deserving favorite to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl.
PHILADELPHIA -- Everybody who's watched Drew Brees and the Saints play their first two games of the season has been thinking it -- as ridiculous as it is, it's still the only conclusion you can draw after you watch a team rack up 936 yards and 93 points in two weeks. So it was nice to hear Brees, after thrashing the Eagles 48-22 on Sunday, actually say it.
"We play at a confidence level on offense where we believe, every time we touch the ball, we're going to get points," Brees said.
Amid all these NFL predictions flooding the web this week there are few certainties. But if recent history is any indication, we know for sure that at least one of this year's division winners will be a team that finished in last place a year ago. At least one team has turned the trick every year since the NFL went to the current eight-division format -- 10 teams total in six seasons. The Dolphins did it last year, the Buccaneers the year before, and the Eagles and Saints the year before that.
The reasons for this phenomenon are obvious -- overall parity, four-team divisions, a scheduling system that (basically) makes life easier for the teams at the bottom and tougher for the teams at the top. The only question as the 2009 season dawns is which of last year's last-place finishers will be among this year's division winners. We ranked all eight of them in order of their chances to continue the trend:
OAKLAND, Calif. -- NFL preseason games are about as meaningful as a Lindsay Lohan vow of chastity. But there is a modicum of significance to the third exhibition contest. Starters play for extended periods. Opponent game plans are installed. Coaches expect signs of rhythm, timing, execution. Then they yank the first teams at halftime and put them on ice until Week 1.
All of which made Saturday's surreal 45-7 New Orleans Saints' takedown of the Oakland Raiders at a stifling hot, mostly empty Oakland Coliseum even more disturbing for those expecting to see, well, anything of substance from the always rebuilding home team.
NEW YORK -- Malcolm Jenkins might have been a higher pick a year ago. Might have made more money. But he decided to stay one more year at Ohio State, and he went No. 14 overall to the New Orleans Saints in this year's draft.
He has no regrets.
"That's one of the best decisions I ever made, to stay in school and enjoy my senior year," Jenkins said at a press conference moments ago at Radio City Music Hall. "I'll graduate in June, I won the (Jim) Thorpe Award (for nation's best defensive back), I got to have Senior Day and all that went with that. I'm so glad I made that decision, because it's something I'm going to remember for the rest of my life."
The LSU offer was reportedly worth $500k, while Tennessee reeled him in with that shiny $850k offer.
Being that his former employ was in the NFL, Ed Werder style gossip soon followed.
Apparently, some within the organization felt Orgeron was more focused on his coaching future than his current job, and Payton grew tired of Orgeron juggling phone calls from LSU and Tennessee. The source also suggested that [Saints' coach Sean] Payton was not very pleased with the progress of the defensive line under Orgeron even before the LSU-Tennessee tug-of-war began, and he is looking forward to the opportunity to bring in a veteran defensive line coach with NFL experience.
Meeeeowwwwwwww. This isn't all that surprising, we are talking about the gossipy NFL here where if somebody isn't ticked at something they might as well stop breathing.
Reggie Bush makes his MTV debut in Ciara's new video, which features a moment that would make Tim Hardaway's head explode:
Now, if you're me, for a moment early in the video you thought that Reggie Bush was in a dress and wig facing away from the camera and you were sexually attracted to his fantastic, lithe legs despite not caring about the Saints even a little bit. And then Ciara turned around and you exhaled.
With a $4 million roster bonus looming if the Saints elect to keep him around next year, Joe Horn is being realistic about his chances of returning to the Saints. As much as he loves the organization, and as much as it loves him, the fact of the matter is that oft-injured 35-year-old receivers don't often get $4 million roster bonuses. Horn talked about it today. From 2theadvocate.com:
"Can I still play at a Pro Bowl level? Yes. ... The film don't lie. And my receiver coach knows what I can do, and I know coach Payton knows what I can do," Horn said. "But I won't be surprised if my agent got a phone call or I got a phone call and they told me I was going in a different direction. Then I'd clear out my locker, I'd say farewell to the fans here that I love dearly and they love me, and I'd put on another helmet."
Beloved hometown players leave their cities and teams all the time, but ... there's something particularly unpleasant about the notion of Joe Horn leaving New Orleans. In a lot of ways, Joe Horn is the Saints. There might not be anyone out there who made more of a personal effort to connect with the people of New Orleans after Katrina. It would be strange to see him leave.
Shuler's first tour of duty in Washington wasn't that successful. Out of the 19 games he started, 15 were failures. And that was enough for some to not even want to see him back, even in a suit and tie. Since leaving the Redskins, Shuler helped keep the New Orleans Saints sorry before exiting to the real estate and land development business. And now he's making a run for Congress.
Trivia question: what are the names of Shuler's two children? His four-year-old is named Navy, and his one-year-old is Island. And I have no idea if they are boys, girls, one of each or an unfortunate result of a losing wager on a bet.
The Good: After spending the 2005 season on the New York Giants' practice squad, former UNC defensive lineman Jonas Seawright (pictured) has made the final 53 man roster. A solid outing in the Giants' pre-season game against the New England Patriots helped solidify his spot.
The Bad: Former North Carolina running back Jacque Lewis was released by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after spending last season in NFL Europe. Lewis only received two carries during pre-season games, so it's no real shocker that he was let go. He's likely to continue his stint overseas.
The Ugly: Former Tar Heel defensive end Tommy Davis broke his elbow in a goal-line practice drill about a month ago and will spend the 2006 season on the New Orleans Saints' injured reserve list. This is both good news and bad news in that he will continue to be a part of the Saints organization, but he won't be eligible to play this year.
Face it, people. The only reason you don't want to believe this about the Minnesota Vikings is because of him. And honestly, that's fair. Brett Favre drives everybody crazy all summer with his anguished, will-he-or-won't-he retirement drama. There are and should be consequences for something like that. In this case, the consequence is that you won't let yourself believe the gray-haired Sears pitchman from Mississippi has his hands on the reins of the best team in the NFC.
PHILADELPHIA -- Everybody who's watched 
Amid all these 
OAKLAND, Calif. -- 
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NEW YORK -- 
Former Ole Miss head coach 
With a $4 million roster bonus looming if the Saints elect to keep him around next year, Joe Horn is being realistic about his chances of returning to the Saints. As much as he loves the organization, and as much as it loves him, the fact of the matter is that oft-injured 35-year-old receivers don't often get $4 million roster bonuses. Horn talked about it today. 
The Good:
