The first 20 years of the franchise didn't do us any favors in making us look respectable. Until the Mora years, the Saints were the very definition of 'laughingstock' to the rest of the league and the fans. With little exception, it's best just to just imagine that the Saints didn't begin until 1987. :hihi:
Yeah, the Saints' record from 1967-1986 is 90-196-5. More than double the amount of losses than wins. No winning seasons, only one non-losing season: 8-8 in 1979, right before the wheels fell off for the 1-15 1980 season.
Bum Phillips certainly laid some of the groundwork with some really excellent drafts in the early 80s, but the Saints truly became a completely different team when Benson, Finks, and Mora took over the reins.