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This is the best, objective view I can render, but here it goes. There is nothing I am going to say that's new, but try to recap events. I know I'm going to be off on some and miss others so I encourage you all to correct. At the end of posting the events, I encourage each of you to try and be objective on your conclusions
2009: we caught lightening in a bottle, 3 years of building the right players and coaches, Brees begins to peak and a SB is won - Hallelujah!
2010: One of the best teams in the league but suffering SB hangover
2011: Arguably the greatest Saints team of all-time and 1 play away from a 2nd SB. Greg Williams bolts at the end of the season
2012: Saints penalized more than any team in professional sports history.
- - Head coach suspended for a year. Other coaches and players suspended
- - Team loses 2 2nd round draft picks. Even with our weak drafting, that equals 1 quality starter
- - Team in total disarray. Players furious. Coaches furious
- - Draft's really begin to suck
2013 - SP is back. Team has emotional driven year and wins 1st road playoff game. Realistic hope is back. Belief in SP is back. Many of us believe 2012 is already in the rear view mirror
2014: Loss of a team leaders gets serious and character of team changes.
- - Terrible and Expensive FA moves
- - Chaos in the FO. Rita wants to convince the courts that Old Tom is senile.
- - However, the FO is still acting like we are 1 player/FA away from return to SB
- - The FO and coaches know if Rita wins, there will be changes
- - Junya goes nuts after big contract
- - Defense is horrendous. Little talent and no real leadership
- - Team is clearly showing signs of aging
- - Brees' injuries begin
- - Finish 7-9
2015: FO Chaos boils over
- - Expensive Byrd and Browner signing clearly fail (at least to this point with Byrd)
- - Worst defense in history
- - Not just coaching but clear we lack defensive talent
- - The loss of Nicks, Grubbs and the downslide of Evans and Streif manifests and we have an extremely weak O-line. Brees takes terrible physical beating and is injured 12 out of 16 games
- - There is hope that we changed our poor drafting by getting Ireland and riffing some scouts
- - Team is in Cap Hell because of bad FA moves
2016: SP comes back emotionally like his earlier days with a real fire burning
- - Guts the team of any player he considers cancer and starts to bring-in players that fit his ideal "team" culture that was the hallmark of the 2009-2011 teams
- - Brees is playing in last contract year. Unknown if injuries will continue or if he has a few more healthy years left
- - Cap Hell still
- - Lot's of young players
- - Scary bad O-line which could really impact Brees health
- - Appears we had a pretty good draft if not real good
- - Many of us hoping we catch lightening in a bottle
- - FO is settled down. Law suits are over. Tom still owns the Saints
When I read through this and leave my emotions aside, I think we are likely going to suck this year, but I am really excited about the future. Loomis and SP recognized many problems and tried to fix them. The franchise is stable. Bountygate is in the rear view mirror. To me it feels like 2008 again, maybe 2007. We just don't have a Brees at his prime and O-line to keep him safe with open passing lanes.
I don't think there's anyway for us to assess how much actual damage was done by Goodell in 2012.
This is my 2-Cents. How do the rest of you see it? Who Dat!
2009: we caught lightening in a bottle, 3 years of building the right players and coaches, Brees begins to peak and a SB is won - Hallelujah!
2010: One of the best teams in the league but suffering SB hangover
2011: Arguably the greatest Saints team of all-time and 1 play away from a 2nd SB. Greg Williams bolts at the end of the season
2012: Saints penalized more than any team in professional sports history.
- - Head coach suspended for a year. Other coaches and players suspended
- - Team loses 2 2nd round draft picks. Even with our weak drafting, that equals 1 quality starter
- - Team in total disarray. Players furious. Coaches furious
- - Draft's really begin to suck
2013 - SP is back. Team has emotional driven year and wins 1st road playoff game. Realistic hope is back. Belief in SP is back. Many of us believe 2012 is already in the rear view mirror
2014: Loss of a team leaders gets serious and character of team changes.
- - Terrible and Expensive FA moves
- - Chaos in the FO. Rita wants to convince the courts that Old Tom is senile.
- - However, the FO is still acting like we are 1 player/FA away from return to SB
- - The FO and coaches know if Rita wins, there will be changes
- - Junya goes nuts after big contract
- - Defense is horrendous. Little talent and no real leadership
- - Team is clearly showing signs of aging
- - Brees' injuries begin
- - Finish 7-9
2015: FO Chaos boils over
- - Expensive Byrd and Browner signing clearly fail (at least to this point with Byrd)
- - Worst defense in history
- - Not just coaching but clear we lack defensive talent
- - The loss of Nicks, Grubbs and the downslide of Evans and Streif manifests and we have an extremely weak O-line. Brees takes terrible physical beating and is injured 12 out of 16 games
- - There is hope that we changed our poor drafting by getting Ireland and riffing some scouts
- - Team is in Cap Hell because of bad FA moves
2016: SP comes back emotionally like his earlier days with a real fire burning
- - Guts the team of any player he considers cancer and starts to bring-in players that fit his ideal "team" culture that was the hallmark of the 2009-2011 teams
- - Brees is playing in last contract year. Unknown if injuries will continue or if he has a few more healthy years left
- - Cap Hell still
- - Lot's of young players
- - Scary bad O-line which could really impact Brees health
- - Appears we had a pretty good draft if not real good
- - Many of us hoping we catch lightening in a bottle
- - FO is settled down. Law suits are over. Tom still owns the Saints
When I read through this and leave my emotions aside, I think we are likely going to suck this year, but I am really excited about the future. Loomis and SP recognized many problems and tried to fix them. The franchise is stable. Bountygate is in the rear view mirror. To me it feels like 2008 again, maybe 2007. We just don't have a Brees at his prime and O-line to keep him safe with open passing lanes.
I don't think there's anyway for us to assess how much actual damage was done by Goodell in 2012.
This is my 2-Cents. How do the rest of you see it? Who Dat!