I remember the lean years! (1 Viewer)

[Saatc35]

I remember when beating the Falcons an upsetting 1 or 2 teams was a great year. Ownership didn’t even attempt to field a winner! In the late 1980’s the Saints had success but failure in the playoff through the early nineties. We have experienced the highest of highs and lowest of lows since 2006. Since 2006 these lows have been with a successful team nonetheless. My point is at least this organization wants to win and tries to win. Let’s enjoy the ride ! Black and Gold Forever!

 

[Trey W.]

I'm with you on that. The problem is we have witnessed greatness and still have Teams that are way more talented than any teams we fielded before. We've reached NFC Championships only to be knocked out by horrible play or horrible penalties. After suffering through all those decades of 8-8 or worse, it's just heart breaking to see so much talent being wasted to get so close only to fall because of a play or two.

 

[UFCSaint]

Well I have a feeling we are getting ready to head back into those lean years.

 

[Saint Jack]

It’s only been three weeks.

 

[Mad Max2]

I don't think we are heading back to those lean years, but for me, this year feels a lot like Haslett's last year in 2005. Most of us were dealing with Katrina and football just wasn't quite the same. It was all fitting for the time, a disaster and a disappointing team that felt like an end of an era. I do think this may be a disappointing end of the Brees era, and many other players on this team because we will have to deal with this cap soon. That being said, as long as Payton is here with Ireland handling the draft, I see a rebuild, but I don't see it without a purge and a disappointing season or 2, and one of those may be this year. After the way the last 3 seasons ended and this whole pandemic mess and how this season started, I feel as ambivalent as I did in 2005.

 

[JvilleJoe]

I have been absorbed with the Saints since 1997 and to say lean years is a vast understatement. We had decades of Cleveland type failures caused by poor ownership, poor coaching and the worst draft decisions probably in NFL history over many many years. It was not until Bum Philips got us to 8 - 8 in the 80's that we even broke even for the season! So I do have that perspective and also the joy of seeing a Franchise become truly a model in stable coaching, outstanding drafting and CAP management and players who actually want to come here! I have enjoy every minute of the last 15 or so years and will always cherish the Superbowl Win in '09 (always had thought I would never see that happen and only wish my dad and many many others could have lived to experience that day). Everything since has been a bonus!

 

[kizzy821]

I think I was a happier fan in those times. I loved the Saints unconditionally with no expectations. It was impossible for them to let me down. As long as they set foot on the field and tried, they could do no wrong in my eyes. They just ran into some bad luck is all.

But with Brees and Payton, my appetite changed. I started expecting things of them. I held the team accountable. They didn't get a pass just because they suited up. They had to actually accomplish things.

It was mostly fun and most of us enjoyed it, but I think the ride is over. And I'm not sure how long we're supposed to hold onto the fact that we used to be bad. It's no different than teams who want us to never forget that they used to be good.

 

[jasonsw]

Any low tides that the Saints have had in the Payton years I would have considered good years before Payton arrived or even the Haslett years were decent until 2005. Well what I'm saying is that the Iron Mike Era stunk and N.O has stayed clear away from that level of futility.

In the past 20 years the only season I thought N.O might not reach the playoffs before the season started was 2012. I thought in the 2005 offseason the Saints had a playoff contender, but that team sunk quickly after a 2-2 start. That's pretty good fortune to have. Lots of fan bases would sign up for that

 

[efil4stnias]

I think I was a happier fan in those times. I loved the Saints unconditionally with no expectations. It was impossible for them to let me down. As long as they set foot on the field and tried, they could do no wrong in my eyes. They just ran into some bad luck is all.

But with Brees and Payton, my appetite changed. I started expecting things of them. I held the team accountable. They didn't get a pass just because they suited up. They had to actually accomplish things.

It was mostly fun and most of us enjoyed it, but I think the ride is over. And I'm not sure how long we're supposed to hold onto the fact that we used to be bad. It's no different than teams who want us to never forget that they used to be good.

I was in the dome when the lighting caught fire vs 49ers.

My seats were SO HIGH UP that we had a cloud bank of smoke that we had to LOOK THRU to see field lolol.

btw that was the "highlight" of that game HAHA

 

[onanygivensunday]

Well I have a feeling we are getting ready to head back into those lean years.

Don't recycle your brown paper bags for a while. They may come in handy again. lol

Seriously, a lot of teams get lucky with QB draft picks and rebound rather quickly. You just never know.

 

[BBarnes]

Well I have a feeling we are getting ready to head back into those lean years.

Yes, with a top 3 roster in the league

 

[UFCSaint]

Yes, with a top 3 roster in the league

Well as any Saints fan know....'on paper' does not translate to 'on field'. And I honestly was referring to once Drew retires. We got very very lucky with that one.

 

[UFCSaint]

I think I was a happier fan in those times. I loved the Saints unconditionally with no expectations. It was impossible for them to let me down. As long as they set foot on the field and tried, they could do no wrong in my eyes. They just ran into some bad luck is all.

But with Brees and Payton, my appetite changed. I started expecting things of them. I held the team accountable. They didn't get a pass just because they suited up. They had to actually accomplish things.

It was mostly fun and most of us enjoyed it, but I think the ride is over. And I'm not sure how long we're supposed to hold onto the fact that we used to be bad. It's no different than teams who want us to never forget that they used to be good.

I think it was the opposite for me. During my early fandom (yearly 80's) I was just excited to see them (and even listened to games on the radio when they weren't on TV.) But then the Mora years came followed by Ditka, Haslett, etc. Then I was very absorbed and involved in everything from scouting to mock drafts, front office decisions, etc. It was extremely frustrating to me then because I felt like a lot of bad decisions (Carl Smith, Steve Walsh to name a few) that were made and drafts picks that were selected were the opposite of what I had wanted. In other words I felt like my own scouting and decisions were better than what they were doing - I actually worked with a girl once whose fiancé was a scout for the Saints. I asked her how he got that job. She said she had no idea, his friend had gotten him the job. I told her it was no wonder we sucked. Anyway enter Loomis and Payton. For the first few years I still questioned things out of habit but they always made great decisions (e.g. hiring Payton, signing Drew, choosing Pierre over Pittman to name a few. Under older regimes I doubt those decisions would've ever happened. At one point I realized these guys know what they are doing and I then just sat back and had complete faith in all of their decisions and just enjoyed the ride.