How Bout Dem Saints!

Just two years ago in February 2010, the New Orleans Saints became the NFL's best-in-class thoroughbred as a resilient franchise overcoming crisis, and winning a Superbowl in a previously ravaged city. The team seemed like they could do no wrong, they were model citizens and it appeared everybody loved them. Unfortunately, those days are long gone.  

That Was Then, And This Is Now 

The Saints' organization looks just as scummy as some of the city's projects before Hurricane Katrina flushed them out. A bounty program scandal shocked fans and the media nationwide, as everyone learned the team gave rewards and incentives for seriously injuring opposing team's players or knocking them out of games. An investigation by the NFL found the Saints had this program in place from 2009-2011. The main culprit who spearheaded the bounty system was usual suspect Defensive Coordinator Greg Williams. Former coaches and players have said coach Williams was responsible for running similar systems with other NFL teams as far back as 1997. 

Punishment from the NFL for this bounty program came down fierce suspending three coaches, four players (current & former), and the general manager. Player suspensions ranged from three games to the entire 2012-2013 season. The general manager and assistant coach Vitt were suspended for six games. Head Coach Sean Payton was suspended without pay for the entire upcoming season. And even though coach Williams left for the St. Louis Rams he was immediately suspended indefinitely. The New Orleans Saints also had second round picks for the 2012 & 2013 NFL Drafts snatched away, to go along with a half million dollar fine. 

Now the standalone positive the franchise has is their Superbowl MVP Quarterback Drew Brees. He's brought the team to respectability by winning the Superbowl and breaking records as an elite NFL Quarterback. The quarterback has been bravely standing up for the Saints during the whole scandal and continuously being a strong team leader on and off the field. However, his positive outlook is beginning to subtract very quickly because the team isn't showing him that same love. Brees was a free agent and has been in unsuccessful contract talks with the Saints since late in the 2011-2012 season. 

Currently the Saints don't want to give him a top dollar long-term contract extension that the likes of Tom Brady and Peyton Manning have received. Although, the Saints have been kind enough to give Drew Brees an annoying franchise tag, instead of a long-term contract of elite value that he deserves. It's hard to know or not if the Saints owner is completely oblivious to the operations of his team, or if he is part of the problem. 

Conclusion

The New Orleans Saints management needs an executive makeover and they need to show some dignity. Without Brees this franchise is going back to the days when Aaron Brooks was the quarterback (irrelevant). It's likely Drew will have a contract sooner than later that pays what he's worth, but if not, this contract issue along with the bounty scandal will continue to show an image that many people already felt about the Saints before their recent success; they are just a low-life NFL franchise that wallows in mediocrity and just so happen to reside in New Orleans. Who Dat!