FanHouse SteveGleason

Last week, I worried what Steve Gleason's knee injury would mean for his future in New Orleans. Already rumored to be on the bubble of getting cut, missing half of training camp could have served as a death knell to the fan favorite's stint with the Saints. But now Gleason resides on the IR and will miss the entire 2007 season. Believe it or not, that's a good thing.

The original prognosis for Gleason's recovery was three weeks. It's pretty rare that the recovery time on an injury jumps from three weeks to six months, enough to warrant missing the whole year; I suspect Gleason will technically be healthy to play by the time the season begins. What the team was doing with this move was showing a little loyalty to Gleason, one of those guys every team would be lucky to have. By putting him on the IR, Gleason gets to finish his current contract with the Saints instead of suffering the stigma of getting cut, and is able to be with the team as they progress through their most anticipated season in, like, ever. Next year, if the Saints choose not to re-sign him, Gleason will have a full offseason to find a new home instead of scrambling to find a new home now. But I hope he comes back.

Moves like this set a precedent -- if you're good to the team, the team will be good to you. That only benefits camraderie.

The casual football fan may not be familiar with Steve Gleason, one of the NFL's most vivid personalities. He's one of the Saints' longest-tenured players, a cult hero, and, as seen above, responsible for maybe the most memorable moment in team history (not to mention the ultimate achievement, honorable mention status in our City's Best series).

But Gleason will miss the first two-three weeks of training camp, putting the future of his career with the Saints in jeopardy. Since Sean Payton's arrival in New Orleans, "specialists" have been systematically weeded out in favor of special teams players who can double on offense or defense. Gleason, a liability at safety (his listen position), was on the bubble last year but survived the numbers crunch. He was entering this year's training camp on the brink, as well, and this injury doesn't bode well for him.

This offseason has already seen three longtime fan favorites (Joe Horn, Michael Lewis, Willie Whitehead) depart, Gleason could make four. If his tenure in New Orleans is winding down, however, he gave Saints fans something to remember him forever by.

FanHouse is posting the top five current athletes for America's top 25 cities with the following criteria: 1) Who would a New Orleans fan say is his/her favorite athlete? 2) Would the player's name (or face) be familiar to locals who don't follow sports?

Find your city's top five: ATL | BOS | CHA | CHI | CIN | CLE | DAL | DC | DEN | DET | HOU | IND | LA | MIA | MIL | MIN | NO | NY | SF | PHI | PHO | PIT | SD | SEA | STL

Two years ago, this list would've been impossible. With all due respect to the NOOCH, New Orleans is and always will belong to the Saints, despite the bad times. So though Saints fans have always been fiercely loyal, we'd be making a list including Aaron Brooks and John Carney. Not very sexy.

But after the hurricane, New Orleans athletes have knocked down the barrier between them and fans, forging more personal connections with the locals. The Hornets are still ... well, let's just say "blah," but the Saints are the apple of the city's eye, and finally earn it. A few months ago, LSU could have placed JaMarcus Russell or LaRon Landry, but both have started their NFL careers in other cities. As such, this list reflects the black-and-gold love buzzing around the city this year.

5. Marques Colston: At this time last year, the few who expected Colston to make the Saints final roster were wondering whether that'd be as a receiver or tight end. After an incredible rookie year (with a snub for Rookie of the Year, if you ask me) and on the brink of his first season as The Man, the city is expecting big things from Hofstra's finest.

4. Chris Paul: There hasn't been a lot of excitement from the Hornets lately (though nothing says "thrills" like the term "New Orleans/Oklahoma City"), but Paul, the 2006 Rookie of the Year, is dy-no-mite. His rookie year also garnered him the prestigious (read: worthless) ESPY for Best Breakthrough Athlete. In his second season, Paul upped his scoring and assist averages while cutting down on turnovers. If the Hornets ever decide they wanna sniff .500 again, they've got a great player to build around.
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