Here's a little Saints Trivia for you Old Timers (1 Viewer)

[AARPSaint]

I'm obviously not an old timer but abramowitz stands out like a sore thumb. Is #46 number retired?

Couldn't be because Hokie Gajan wore it.

 

[Phil]

Couldn't be because Hokie Gajan wore it.

They both wore #46. Abramowicz was long gone by the time Hokie came.
Hey. Wasn't Abramowicz doing radio commentating when Hokie was there? I still remember Abramowicz going crazy in the radio booth that monday night game against Oakland in 1979. Don't recall how long he did radio for us. I do remember him as a assistant for Ditka.

 

[Cuozzo67]

Abramowicz was the color commentator with Wayne Mack from 1977-81.

 

[Phil]

Ok, so he was gone by the time Hokie came along.
I remember listening to him as a kid.

 

[Saintman2884]

Phil, Abromawitz once he was traded to SF 2 games into 1973 season and several years afterwards, wasn't on good terms with Mecom or Saints FO, once while re-negotiating a contract with GM Richard F. Gordon(a former astronaut Mecom hired as GM after a Apollo 12 WH ceremony) that he'd traveled to the Moon for far less then what Abromawitz wanted, Danny's replied: "That's your problem". Abromawicz has been openly criticized of Mecom and Saints' FO's ineptitude for destroying Manning's huge NFL potential, arguably perhaps rightly, it ruined his career, he even privately told Archie in to "get to hell out of here, go somewhere else where you'd have a chance" in 1977 while Archie was still struggling with his surgically reconstructed throwing arm. And Archie in his autobiography said that despite Mecom's playboy, easy-going, somewhat likable persona he never found a competent, independent-minded GM, a "Tex-Schramm-type", that could make personnel decisions independently, hire a competent scouting dept. that find decent role players, and who wouldn't trade 2nd round picks for draft information like several other Mecom-era GM's.

FWIW, if you were to rate this franchise's history regarding draft selections, it wasn't until early 80's when Bum arrived, that quality of our drafts began to get consistently better. That's not saying we didn't occasionally draft a few enormous busts-Shawn Knight and Alvin Tolles are proof of that--but overall the quality of talent with Rickey Jackson, Frank Warren, Jim Wilks, Morten, George Rogers, Dombroski, Waymer, etc was vastly superior than most of our 70's drafts. All of them eventual Pro-Bowlers and two future HOF's(Morten Andersen is a sure-fire HOF as far as I'm concerned that I won't refrain including him here along with Rickey albeit currently premature).

 

[CoolBrees1]

Billy Kilmer...Danny Abromowitz...and Jim Taylor...that's about it....wait...Dave Rowe and Jake Kupp also....

 

[dtc]

Here's a little off season trivia exercise.
I put up a team picture of the 1967 Saints in the image gallery of my website.
Without looking a roster list, how many of the players can you name off the top of you head?

The pic is at The 1967 New Orleans Saints Team Picture

Not many, but I love your gallery.

One thing is for sure and that is over 5 years of what some might call disappointment, Reggie Bush has secured himself in the all time highlight photos of not only the Saints, but the NFL.

That kid can fly.

 

[Phil]

Phil, Abromawitz once he was traded to SF 2 games into 1973 season and several years afterwards, wasn't on good terms with Mecom or Saints FO, once while re-negotiating a contract with GM Richard F. Gordon(a former astronaut Mecom hired as GM after a Apollo 12 WH ceremony) that he'd traveled to the Moon for far less then what Abromawitz wanted, Danny's replied: "That's your problem". Abromawicz has been openly criticized of Mecom and Saints' FO's ineptitude for destroying Manning's huge NFL potential, arguably perhaps rightly, it ruined his career, he even privately told Archie in to "get to hell out of here, go somewhere else where you'd have a chance" in 1977 while Archie was still struggling with his surgically reconstructed throwing arm. And Archie in his autobiography said that despite Mecom's playboy, easy-going, somewhat likable persona he never found a competent, independent-minded GM, a "Tex-Schramm-type", that could make personnel decisions independently, hire a competent scouting dept. that find decent role players, and who wouldn't trade 2nd round picks for draft information like several other Mecom-era GM's.

FWIW, if you were to rate this franchise's history regarding draft selections, it wasn't until early 80's when Bum arrived, that quality of our drafts began to get consistently better. That's not saying we didn't occasionally draft a few enormous busts-Shawn Knight and Alvin Tolles are proof of that--but overall the quality of talent with Rickey Jackson, Frank Warren, Jim Wilks, Morten, George Rogers, Dombroski, Waymer, etc was vastly superior than most of our 70's drafts. All of them eventual Pro-Bowlers and two future HOF's(Morten Andersen is a sure-fire HOF as far as I'm concerned that I won't refrain including him here along with Rickey albeit currently premature).

Couldn't agree more. I love to hear about the "curse" that plagued the early Saints. The curse's name was John Mecom. Mecom was a totally horrible owner. I've read that the real reason Billy Kilmer was traded was because Mecom ran into Kilmer and one of Mecom's secretaries in bar after after a loss. The conversation supposedly got very heated and very soon there after Kilmer was gone.
I've also heard that when Dick Nolan had things rolling in 1979, Mecom went and hired one of the Rosenblooms (of the LA Rams) as GM and basically stripped Nolan of all authority. The hiring was repayment for the Rosenblooms help in getting Mecom into the NFL. The following year was 1980 and that wonderful 1-15 season.
There's no question that things got better when Benson took over, but I credit Jim Finks more than Bum Phillips.
Bum is the one that kicked Archie to the curb.