Tag Archives: fairweather saints fans

In the opening minutes of the Saints’ first preseason game in the dome, the vibe was electric. The crowd was like a hungry pack of wolves, prepared to feast on the flesh of the Houston Texans. But when it came time to sink their teeth into the enemy, the enemy wasn’t wearing a Texans jersey.

Just minutes into the game, Jason David found himself on the receiving end of a verbal flogging, courtesy of the home crowd. Had the boos from Saints fans been hundred dollar bills, David would be about 5 million dollars richer. Saints fans, known for their passion and knack for telling it like it is, let David have it after a 14-yard Texans completion in the first quarter. And from that point on, it just kept getting uglier.

In an interview with the Times Picayune, Jason David accepted the boos from the crowd, admitting that he likely would have booed himself for his performance. (I commend a man for knowing when he sucks and having the courage to point the finger squarely at his own chest.) But Saints quarterback Drew Brees wasn’t as understanding when it came to the crowd’s frustration.

“C’mon people. We haven’t even started playing games that count yet. It’s extremely unfair. We’re talking about the first quarter of our first preseason game at home. The bottom line is we all need to improve — offense, defense and special teams. We shouldn’t be hearing boos, especially at this time. We should be hearing encouragement.”

This isn’t the first time Drew has chided Saints fans over their barrage of boos. Back in November, when Olindo Mare lined up for what many expected to be another missed field goal in the dome, Who Dats hurled the heckles at the kicker. Drew made a frustrated gesture to the fans in an effort to quiet them down. And he had this to say after the game…

“That’s the dumbest thing ever. We’re in a dome, great kicking conditions, but when the fans are booing you it’s just echoing everywhere. I mean — people — support him. You want him to make it, right? Don’t boo. Cheer.”

Needless to say…Olindo missed the kick.

So the question remains…is Drew right? Are Saints fans being too hard on their team? Are they hurting player morale and possibly jeopardizing the production on the field? Or are these just grown men who make waaaaay too much money to complain about what the folks paying their salaries have to say? Suprisingly enough, I’m torn.
 Read more...