Panthers' Mike Mitchell tells Drew Brees to 'stop being soft'

Carolina Panthers safety Mike Mitchell has found himself lighter in his wallet because he feels the league is targeting him. Based on what he had to say about New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, Mitchell might find himself with a big bullseye on his back when the Saints and Panthers square off.

Mitchell went on Fox Sports L.A.’s FnA podcast and explained why he thought Brees was soft and accused Brees of flopping after being hit by San Francisco 49ers linebacker Ahmad Brooks.

“The thing that I hated about the play, the whole thing, and this is what these offensive guys are doing, they’re kind of running with it,” Mitchell said.  “Drew Brees is throwing a fit in the post-game interview saying how he got hit in the chin and he was dazed, and all this other stuff.  And it’s like, dude, the replay clearly shows he did not even touch you in the chin.

“Stop being soft, get up off the ground,” Mitchell said.  “You fumbled the football, that’s why the only reason you were acting like you were hurt, is so you could draw a flag.”

How are you gonna tell another player how he feels after being hit? Was the hit clean? In my opinion yes it was, by the rules no,but Brees did get his bell rang on the play. Did you see how his neck snapped? Someone is gonna feel a some pain after a hit like that. So I don't see how Mitchell accuse Brees of flopping.

Mitchell had more to say.

“He did not get hit in the chin.  He got hit hard, which he should have got hit hard because we are playing full speed tackle football.  And he fumbled the football.  And I think that’s really was the reason he was down so long.  He was really trying to sell that and trying to get a flag.  And obviously it worked, and their team was able to steal a win because of that play.”

The Panthers are chasing the Saints in the NFC South. The teams will face off twice in the next four weeks. Mitchell’s comments make an already interesting pair of games between the Panthers and Saints even more compelling.

I'm sure Brees will be eager to show how "soft" he is.

Saints bring back receiver Robert Meachem

The New Orleans Saints have re-signed wide receiver Robert Meachem to a one year deal.

Meachem recently played one year with the San Diego Chargers but was released last weekend after an underwhelming season last year (14 receptions for 207 yards in 15 games) and struggling in the preseason.

Who knows what kind of production the Saints will get out of Meachem. Th Chargers are desperate for receivers and they cut their losses which might tell us there might be something wrong with Meachem. On the other hand Meachem had his most productive years in New Orleans and used that to cash in with San Diego on a big contract.

The Chargers were counting on Meachem to be something he's not. With the saints he's just another weapon in quarterback Drew Brees' arsenal. Meachem is happy to be back in New Orleans since he thrived in the system there.

 "You take a negative and you turn it into a positive," Meachem told the New Orleans Times Picayune. "That's my mission now. To go out there and show the gifts that I was blessed with. Put my head down and just relax and go play football." 

The Saints have decided to go younger at the receiver position with Nick Toon and Kenny Stills being in the rotation so who knows how much Meachem will be able to provide.

Saints cut former No. 2 pick, Jason Smith

The New Orleans Saints released offensive tackle Jason Smith on Wednesday, coach Sean Payton announced.

That means the second pick in the 2009 NFL Draft is currently on the market. Smith was drafted by the St. Louis Rams after Matthew Stafford.

Smith came to the Saints after spending last season with the New York Jets as a backup and blocking tight end. He was brought in by the Saints to compete with for the starting left tackle job. Instead the Saints opted to go with Charles Brown and Terron Armstead.

There is a possibility that Smith will be picked up somewhere down the line, but you have to wonder why three teams have given up on him so quickly.

Mike Ditka would take a chance on Tebow

Mike Ditka once traded an entire draft for Ricky Williams when he was coaching the New Orleans Saints. So it doesn't seem far fetched that Ditka would have Tim Tebow on his roster if he was still coaching today.

Ditka thinks there is a place for Tebow at quarterback or another position. Tebow has scoffed at switching to tight end or H-back, preferring to try to make it as a quarterback.


From the Sun-Times' "4 Downs with Ditka" column on Sundays: 

“I think [Tebow] can play quarterback in the NFL, but whatever offense you run might have to be tweaked a bit. This kid is a talent and he proved it in college. He is an outstanding leader. Now, does he have an unusual throwing motion? Yes. But there a lot of quarterbacks that didn’t have a perfect throwing motion. Some of them turned out to be great quarterbacks because they were great leaders. I really do think there’s a place for him. If not at quarterback, I think he could play tight end. If I was in the league and coaching today, I would take a chance on him at quarterback.”

That's why Ditka is a studio analyst today. If you recall, when he coached the Bears he had a hard time settling on a quarterback. That's part of the reason the Bears only have one Super Bowl to their credit despite being one of the dominant teams of the 80's.

Ditka comes from the old school where wins, leadership and heart were valued more than yardage, 40 times, and arm strength.  A lot of those old school guys didn't pan out either but you wouldn't mind going to battle with them. That's why he said he'd give Tebow a shot.

But before all the Tebow fans paint him as a winner, a Mark Sanchez led New York Jets team beat the  New England Patriots in a road playoff game and nobody calls him a winner.

Panthers' Smith says Saints player admitted trying to hurt him

In another episode of "The Bounty", Carolina Panthers receiver Steve Smith said that a Saints player admitted to targeting him. With everything that has came out recently it hardly registers as shocking.

Smith was on NFL.com's "Dave Dameshek Football Program," and told him he's "always known" that Gregg Williams' defenses try to hurt you. he then rehashed an altercation with a Saints player who shall remain nameless about a cheap shot he tried to give Smith.

"I actually had an altercation with a guy who told me firsthand," Smith said Tuesday on NFL.com's "Dave Dameshek Football Program," although he didn't name the Saints player. "I was going out of bounds, and the guy went for my ankle. I said, 'Hey, man, cut that out.' He's like, 'Well, we get fined if we don't go after your legs when you go out of bounds.' ... And actually this past year, this last game when we played them, I had a little conversation with Gregg Williams. ... He took responsibility, he was saying it wasn't right, but that's who he was."

If you remember back in week 5 the Saints-Panthers game got a little chippy and there was some pushing and shoving from both sides.

Right now any story about the Saints hardly surprises me.

NFL wants Gregg Williams tapes from filmmaker

Bountygate is the story that just won't die. Ten days ago filmmaker Sean Pamphilon stirred up the hornets nest by releasing an audio tape of then New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams telling his players to injure San Francisco 49ers players before their playoff game in December.

The NFL now wants Pamphilon to shed more light on the scandal and the league wants everything he recorded while he filmed his documentary with ex-Saints player Steve Gleason. Pamphilon told Michael Silver of Yahoo! Sports that the league wants a complete look at what was recorded behind closed doors.

“NFL security called four times on Friday. They want the Gregg Williams tapes,” Pamphilon told Silver.


Pamphilon said that he wanted commissioner Roger Goodell "to answer real questions first". No one knows what he means by that and you can read between the lines all you want and still couldn't figure that one out.

Pamphilon added that he has the tapes in "several locations". What is he a drug dealer on the side? He has safe houses for his audio tapes. I can understand that you'll probably go to court to get the league to force them out of your hands, but some of the things he's saying are kind of out there.

Kurt Warner says Gregg Williams deserves a second chance

The NFL is a league of second chances. Ask Pacman Jones and Michael Vick about the chances they've had to redeem themselves in the eyes of the league. Kurt Warner is also a forgiving man. That has to do more with his religious background. I know anyone that put a hit out on me would never be forgiven.

Warner believes former New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator, Gregg Williams, should be given a second chance to be on an NFL sideline. Warner was named specifically in the NFL investigation into the bounty program Williams was running while he was defensive coordinator of the New Orleans Saints.

 “All this talk about Gregg Williams receiving a “LIFETIME” ban from NFL,” Warner wrote on Twitter. “I disagree, we all deserve a 2nd chance!”


A fan responded to Warner’s tweet by pointing out that Williams already got a second chance when the NFL first warned the Saints that bounties would not be tolerated, and that Williams ignored the warning and continued the bounties. But Warner says the NFL should continue its long tradition of giving people the opportunity to redeem themselves.


“Guys that have gone 2 prison? Failed multiple drug test? Taped practices? All got 2nd chance!” Warner wrote.


Warner is the type to let bygones be bygones and just let it go. But Williams and the Saints had been warned before and he failed to heed the leagues warning. And with the recent video about putting specific San Francisco 49er players on the shelf, doesn't help his cause to get another chance.

FOX might look to hire Sean Payton

Even though New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton is suspended for this year, it won't stop others looking to employ him.

A report in the New York Times says that the FOX network is exploring the option of hiring Payton. Het a guy has to make a living right?  


Payton will lose at least $6 million in salary from the Saints and could seek work elsewhere, perhaps in television. On Friday, representatives for ESPN, NBC and CBS indicated that they had no plans to hire him. But Fox Sports, which carries N.F.C. games during the season, is open to the possibility. “Our feeling about Sean is that he’s bright, articulate and obviously contemporary,” said Lou D’Ermilio, Fox’s senior vice president for communications. “Any network with N.F.L. rights would have to consider it.”


The league responded in a statement: “He is suspended from the N.F.L. for the season. His involvement in any non-N.F.L. employment or business matters is not our decision.”


Even though I do think the Saints should've been punished, it was a bit harsh. But maybe if Payton or Gregg Williams would've told (commissioner) Roger Goodell the truth they might've got off with a lighter penalty. But who knows. They were only doing what most in their position probably would've done and that is cover their ass.

 

St. Paul Saints to have a bounty promotion

Minor league baseball teams are always cooking up some kind of comical gimmick and the St. Paul Saints are no stranger to it.

Their latest brainstorming session has resulted in the Saints coming up with a "bounties for big hits" promotion for their Sept. 1 game against the Wichita Wingnuts. It's clearly a shot at the New Orleans Saints and the "bountygate" scandal, but it's all in the name of charity so I do see some humor in it.


On Saturday, September 1, the one year anniversary of Minnesota’s youth concussion law going into effect, the St. Paul Saints will be gunning for the opposition and plan to PAY a TON of money for a worthy cause. For each bone crunching hit the Saints will collect a bounty and the bigger the hit, the larger the sum: a single is worth $100, a double $200, a triple $300 and a home run is worth $400. For every pitcher the Saints “knock-out” another $50 will be collected. Each time a Saints pitcher “punches out” an opposing hitter, $10 will be donated. At the end of the night all the money collected from the bounty system will be placed in a LOOMIS armored truck and taken to Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota and donated to their new concussion research program.


The first 1,500 fans entering the game that night will receive a football helmet piggy bank with the Saints logo on one side (the S will be in the shape of a $) and the Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota logo on the other. It should be a BREEZE for fans to fill it up with their own bounty and they can take the piggy bank to the Children’s (either the Minneapolis or St. Paul hospital locations) to donate the money to concussion research.


Since this is in the Twin Cities, the locals will have a good time with this one, since it might've been some of the Saints' (New Orleans) dirty play that made Brett Favre a bit gimpy and possibly ruined their shot a t a Super Bowl.

Lions Fan Made Bomb Threat During Playoff Game

The Detroit Lions needed some help in their playoff loss to the New Orleans Saints. Defensive help that is and not help from any crazy fans, like the one who thought it was a smart idea to phone in a bomb threat to the Superdome during the game.


The fan, 34-year-old Shawn Payton of Jackson, Michigan, called the Superdome during the game and asked the receptionist to pass along a threat to his namesake, Saints coach Sean Payton.


“I will blow up your building,” Shawn Payton said in his first call, according to an FBI affidavit filed in federal court Wednesday and obtained by the New Orleans Times-Picayune.


He felt that wasn't enough so he called in a second time to make sure the proper authorities got his message.

“Hi, I want you to relay a message to the sideline. If your stupid Southern team keeps winning, there will be reper…severe consequences. OK?” Shawn Payton said in the second call, which law enforcement personnel recorded after being alerted to the first call. 


Well Mr. Payton, you should realize that in the big picture, football is a game and a game only. It's played by kids and adults are lucky to get paid for it. So there is no reason for you to go off the deep end and make threats.

After the ridiculous stunt he pulled Payton is afraid of the future that awaits him.

“I’m scared,” he said. “I hope they realize that I didn’t mean it and that I’m taking steps to get counseling. . . . I don’t drink, and I don’t do drugs. From time to time, I do get frustrated and go off without meaning it. . . . I let some words fly out of my mouth, and I sincerely apologize. I will never ever, ever, ever do anything like that again.”


Sounds like some one is scared of going to the pokey. This is what happens keeping it real goes wrong.  

Evans Thinks Suh Is A Dirty Player

And the claims that Ndamukong Suh is a ‘dirty’ player continue to emerge as we are now on the eve of the Lions first playoff game since the 1999 season.

The latest claim has come from New Orleans Saints; Pro Bowl guard Jahri Evans who says Suh is a dirty player after the whistle.

“I think some things he does is dirty, after the whistle,” Evans told The Times-Picayune. “He needs to put a cap on that, but he’s a phenomenal player.”

Now this seems pretty consistent with a lot of the other claims that have surfaced during the season. It’s also hard for Lions fans to refute any claim that Suh is a dirty player based off what happened Thanksgiving weekend when Suh stomped on Packers guard Evan Dietrich-Smith.

The trouble though with Evans’ comments is he has never been matched with Suh… ever. So it may be safe to assume that Evans is jumping on a bandwagon rather than finding out for himself. Suh missed the matchup with the Saints earlier this season because of a two game suspension for the aforementioned stomp against the Packers.

This adds an interesting subplot to this game as there were stories coming out of New Orleans that if Suh starts taking any cheap shots at quarterback Drew Brees that they won't back down from him. It looks like Suh will have a target on his back Saturday night.  

Saints Put Ingram On Injured Reserve

New Orleans Saints rookie running back Mark Ingram had a so-so rookie season. Not spectacular, but not all that bad either. Considering the interchangable parts the Saints have on offense I'd say he did pretty good.

Too bad for Ingram, since he won't be seeing any action in his first go round in the NFL playoffs, as he's been put on injured reserve by the team.

Ingram missed the last four regular season games because of a sprained toe and the injury got worse during practice last week. Ingram's absence shouldn't be missed all that much since Chris Ivory is just coming back.

Ingram carried 122 times for 474 yards and five touchdowns this season. His longest run was a 35-yard touchdown against the New York Giants on Nov. 28.


     

Arnoux Reclaims Stolen Ring

During Memorial Day weekend New Orleans Saints linebacker Stanley Arnoux lost his Super Bowl ring in Miami in what had to be one of the dumbest things ever done, since he he left it in the console of his car. It wasn't really lost, it was stolen. The story now has a happy ending. 

The thief has been caught and Arnoux has his ring back. A South Florida hotel worker is a suspect in the case.


On Memorial Day, a customer reportedly walked into Kendale Jewelry, a pawn shop on Southwest 72nd Street and 152nd Avenue in Southwest Miami-Dade, with the championship ring. "It was a very distinctive ring. I was actually very surprised that he was selling the ring instead of pawning it," said Alberto Iturrey of Kendale Jewelry.


The ring was from the 2008 NFL season, when the New Orleans Saints defeated the Indianapolis Colts and won the Super Bowl championship title. Arnoux's ring is valued at over $30,000. However, Iturrey only offered $1,200 to the customer who brought the ring to the pawn shop, since the ring's gold was worth that amount. Iturrey said, "A couple days later, he came back to the store and he asked what we were going to do with the ring. I found that odd. I found that very odd."


Iturrey called police and investigators determined Gil Ulloa, a valet manger at the Fontainebleau Hotel on Miami Beach, stole the Super Bowl ring. During Memorial Day weekend, Arnoux attended a party at the Fontainebleau. Miami-Dade Police Detective Javier Baez said, "He ransacked the vehicle, opened up the glove box, stole $200 as well as the Super Bowl ring."

Iturrey said he had to contact Arnoux via Twitter to give him his ring back.


"His eyes watered when I gave him back the ring," said Iturrey. "He told me, his exact words were, "'Man, I feel like I am receiving it again for the first time.'"

Ulloa has been charged with grand theft and dealing in stolen property. He has been released on $20,000 bond.

It's kind of heartwarming that Arnoux was able to get his ring back. Super Bowl rings are hard to come by and I bet he'll keep his in a safe deposit box for now on. A dumb mistake compounded by a dumb crime makes a happy ending. In a strange way two wrongs do make a right. 

Saints Player Has Super Bowl Ring Stolen

Super Bowl rings are hard to come by. Some of the greatest players in NFL history have played for years only to come up short in the championship category. Don't believe me ask Dan Marino, Dan Fouts, or Earl Campbell how they really feel about not having won the big one. Or ask former Ram Chidi Ahanotu how he feels about having to pay part of his divorce settlement with his. So they are a pretty big deal.

It must've not been a big deal to New Orleans Saints linebacker Stanley Arnoux. Arnoux lost his Super Bowl ring in Miami during Memorial Day weekend. How he lost it is what has people guessing.

Arnoux attended and valet parked both his car and the $30,000 Tiffany ring at what reportedly was a wild hip-hop party at the Fontainebleau Hotel, an iconic beachfront property on South Beach. But the hotel's fame -- Drake and Lil Wayne have also been guests recently -- apparently confers no immunity from bandits, because Arnoux told police the ring was no longer with the car when he departed around 7 a.m. on June 1.

Arnoux left the ring in the center console of the car. What the hell was he thinking? You don't leave a Super Bowl ring in the center console of your car under no circumstance. You leave it at home or in a safe deposit box. Not carrying it around in for show, especially at a rap gathering. Nothing against rap, it's my favorite music, but I wouldn't be worrying about 'ballin out' with my Super Bowl ring.

Hopefully he finds it and all ends well. If not he better hope he can earn another. Good luck on finding the ring Stanley and consider this a lesson learned.     




   

Drew Brees Defends Sean Payton's Move To Dallas

When New Orleans Saints Sean Payton decided to uproot his family and move to Dallas, all kinds of bells and whistles went off in New Orleans. The move was signed off by Saints owner Tom Benson and General Manager Mickey Loomis.

The rumors that came out of it were that the Dallas Cowboys were looking at Payton to fill their general manager post. Another was that Payton was having family troubles. Saints quarterback Drew Brees says it's none of that and everyone is making a big deal out of nothing. Where there's smoke there's fire but I don't think Payton is going anywhere right now either. 

"It's a non-issue,'' Brees said. "I think everyone wants to immediately jump to conclusions and all of them are so untrue. The first of which is his family and him are having problems. No, that's not the case at all. The other one is he's taking a job with the Dallas Cowboys. No, not true either. People want to immediately jump to conclusions as to why he's bought a home in Dallas but most players and coaches in the league have a home base, a place where they're either from or where they spent a lot of time before so they have a solid foundation. There's not a guy who's more committed to his team and the city of New Orleans than Sean Payton. I think he's proven that.''



If the Saints struggle early you know the Dallas move will be the focal point behind it. Everyone will say that Payton has an eye on a different job, so the Saints players will feel sold out or why do they want to play for someone who doesn't want to be here. This will be something to keep an eye provided there is an NFL season.

The Seahawks Showed The Experts

This wasn't supposed to happen. There was no way the Seattle Seahawks were supposed to be able to come within two scores of the defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints. You can put that all to rest. The Seahawks pulled the shocker of the playoffs (so far) beating the Saints 41-36.

Everyone complained and lampooned the Seahawks for winning the NFC West with a losing record. I said in a previous post, that you can hate them all you want but they won their division fair and square. They did what they had to do to get a home playoff game. They took care of business and it paid off for them. Now it's off to the divisional round to play Green Bay or Chicago. They could possibly get another home game out of this.

The NFL playoff system might not be the perfect setup, but it gives evryone a fair chance within the system. I don't necessarily agree with a team with a losing record getting a home game, but it is what it is. Like I said, they won the division which gets you a home game. That's all you have to do. Take care of business in the division and get rewarded for it. Unless you're the Raiders.      

Where Do The Saints Find These Guys?

I know every year in the NFL Draft there are guys that slip through the cracks, had an inoppurtune injury, transfer to a smaller school, or just maybe didn't fit the coaches' scheme. Some make it, some don't. Which brings me to this. How do the New Orleans Saints find these guys and why do they excel?

First it was Marques Colston. Then Lance Moore. Jermon Bushrod. Now here comes Tiffin University's finest Chris Ivory. I guess he started his college career at Washington State, then transferred to Tiffin. You would think he would become an afterthought to NFL scouts. Now I'm not trying to put him or any other small school stars down. It's just that my Detroit Lions can never find these kind of guys. I don't know what it is, but they wind up in New Orleans and some kind of magic happens. Maybe it's the voodoo down there.

I wish him a long career and hope he's not a flash in the pan. It just shows what good scouting and hard work will do.

Saints were super,but you can't pin the loss on Manning

The New Orleans Saints are the Super Bowl Champions.It was hard fought and well deserved.Down early 10-0 the Saints never wavered from their gameplan.Play keepaway from Peyton Manning.It was clear which team was the agressor and which team played on their heels the entire night.Even though Drew Brees threw the ball around,they were short, precise passes that chewed up much of the clock.The defense stepped up big time and showed that they are capable of shutting down a top notch offfense.The Colts had their chances to make this outcome different.I won't blame coaching,but there was no way that Matt Stover should've been attempting a 51 yard field goal.They should have tried to shorten the distance instead of going for it all with the incomplete pass to Austin Collie.The Colts didn't get her playing it safe,but sometimes you have to.If anything maybe they should've tried to pin the Saints deep in their own end.Another thing I noticed was that it seemed like Reggie Wayne was shortarming passes all game.That eventually came back to haunt them,when he cut his route short on Tracy Porter's game clinching pick 6.I wasn't in the huddle so I don't know what play was called,but it looked like he sat on his break,while Porter jumped the route.I know,Manning was the one who threw the ball.Being a watcher of bad football for years(I'm a Lions fan),I know when receivers run bad routes.That's why I say you can't blame Manning for the loss.He didn't have his greatest game,and I know the quarterback is supposed to be your leader,but he can't go out and defend passes and tackle the opposing running back either.Overall,it was a good game and the Saints defense showed me alot.With a lot of key players in their last year of their contract,they might not have this oppurtunity again.The players and fans should enjoy this,as they've been through hard times and lean years in the Big Easy.The Colts had a great season and have nothing to be ashamed of.They will be back and hopefully Manning can shake the choker label and get another ring.