The first time I covered a Saints game was Christmas Eve 1999. I took the job mainly because no one else wanted to do it.
Watching the Saints, stuck at 2-12, take on the overwhelming favorites, the Dallas Cowboys, in a half-empty Superdome was hardly a pleasant task.
But lo and behold, the Saints beat the Dallas Cowboys 31-24, thanks to the efforts of former undrafted free agent quarterback Jake Delhomme, making his first NFL start.
Two weeks later, the Saints fired head coach Mike Ditka and I found myself busy on the coverage team.
Since then, it has been a long journey of 25 years, a whirlwind and rollercoaster ride at the same time.
I’ve seen a lot of stuff over the years – the wild stuff, the wacky stuff, the strange stuff, the wonderful stuff.
Coaches, players and staff have come and gone, but one thing has remained constant: you, our readers, who have been there to watch every twist, turn and touchdown.
When I joined the Times-Picayune news team in 1999, I had no idea the Saints had such passionate fans. Sure, the Packers, the Steelers, the Chiefs. But the Saints? I’d never heard of Who Dat Nation.
But it didn’t take long for me to realize just how important the Saints are to the people in our community.
I know covering the Saints is the best training ground for any aspiring journalist – everything you write resonates with readers and, depending on the news of the day, you may be asked to write about medicine, law or business in addition to covering football.
And it’s certainly not for the faint of heart.
Over the years, I’ve received trolling and name-calling from people who disagree with my opinions in my columns, and it’s not just fans. Jim Haslett threatened to fire me. Sean Payton likened me to a reporter for the National Enquirer. Michael Thomas basically called me a poor whore, which is a kind word compared to some of the things I get on social media.
But the good far outweighs the bad, and I’ve had the privilege of having a front row seat to the most successful era in franchise history, a golden age of Saints football.
To celebrate 25 years as a reporter and columnist, I’ve put together a list series to celebrate the highlights, the misses and everything in between from a quarter century of covering the Saints. I’ll be recognizing my favorite plays, players and games from the past quarter century, but I’ll also be sharing some behind-the-scenes stories, memories and insider perspectives on coverage that didn’t make it into print.
The first installment of our “25 for 25” series will be released on Tuesday, July 23. Just in time for the first day of training camp, we’ll be sharing our favorite training camp memories from the past 25 years. The series will be released every Tuesday for the next 25 weeks through the 2024 football season.
I hope you enjoy your trip down memory lane.
Next week’s plan: Memories from training camp (July 23)
