Live from New Orleans: The Falcons will lose – but not today
Just another example of how the Saints afford us Atlantans no respect. (Photo by M. Bradley)
New Orleans – Father Peter P. Finney delivered the homily at the 8 a.m. Mass at St. Clement of Rome in Metairie, La., this morning, and here we note: Father Finney is the grandson of Peter Finney, the gentlemanly sports columnist of the New Orleans Times-Picayune, and Father Finney actually gave no homily at all. It’s a St. Clement tradition to do without one during its annual Oyster Festival, which is ongoing this weekend. (There was carnival paraphernalia all over the parking lot.)
Father Finney noted that today’s Oyster Festival session is set to commence at noon – “when the Saints kick off,” he said. Then he noted: “The Saints’ game will be shown on television.”
Our rather roundabout point being: Even when the Saints stink, they’re still the talk of the town. (Metairie is a suburb off Lake Pontchartrain, of which my hotel affords me a half-scenic view.)
I’m on record — if you have three minutes and 32 seconds, you can hear me say it to Bill Littlefield of NPR’s Only A Game — that the Falcons won’t go undefeated. (My quote: “I don’t think anybody really seriously believes the Falcons are going to go 16-0.”) But there’s CineSport proof of me picking the Falcons to reach the Super Bowl and, via the Internet and the print AJC, I’m also on record as predicting that they’ll sweep the Saints.
That belief probably won’t win me many friends among the Oyster Fest folks, but it is, for better or worse, how I feel. I don’t think a lousy defensive team can beat the Falcons, and the Saints are on course to be the lousiest defensive team ever. I believe the Falcons’ first loss will come two weeks hence, at Tampa three days after Thanksgiving. I do not believe it will happen today.
But I have, as we know, been wrong a time or two. Whatever occurs, I’ll be here to watch and comment, and I implore you to join me. And I thank you, as ever, in advance. (Oh, and if you missed it: Read the fine print on the seat card depicted above.)
By Mark Bradley
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1,785 comments Add your comment
bigdave
November 11th, 2012
1:57 pm
Should’ve run on 1st.
Michael M.
November 11th, 2012
1:57 pm
we got to get this 7
80sFalcon
November 11th, 2012
1:57 pm
Put his fat A$$ on the bus
Mark Bradley
November 11th, 2012
1:57 pm
Well, third and goal at the 2. Run? Nah.
playmeortrademe
November 11th, 2012
1:57 pm
one freakin yard. CMON
Ivan
November 11th, 2012
1:57 pm
Please. Stop. Running. Turner
telling it like it T I is
November 11th, 2012
1:57 pm
WOW watch the qb boot leg
Mark Bradley
November 11th, 2012
1:57 pm
Call timeout to think about it? Yep.
DawgNole
November 11th, 2012
1:57 pm
Sure wish TG had gotten in there. We’re already throwing on first and goal from the 1. Not a good sign. And Turner stuffed yet again on second and goal.
Tommy Nobis
November 11th, 2012
1:58 pm
Why do the announcers, the fans, me, my grandmother and THE DEFENSE know every-time Turner’s gonna get the hand-off?
The Falcons have been telegraphing their run game since 1966.
Geez…….2nd and goal …..just did it again
kerryb
November 11th, 2012
1:58 pm
I don’t have confidence they will score now.
80sFalcon
November 11th, 2012
1:58 pm
turner is good for a two yard loss on every goal line run!
DAWGFAN13
November 11th, 2012
1:58 pm
You cannot beat the Saints with field goals! You have to score at least 30 to beat them!
phil
November 11th, 2012
1:58 pm
FGs are not good….
ijonathan
November 11th, 2012
1:58 pm
is this 4 down territory?
Walker the Infant Falcon
November 11th, 2012
1:58 pm
Moose and Goose are morons…put in an injured JJ for a fade????
Mark Bradley
November 11th, 2012
1:59 pm
After further review … Gonzalez might be the Falcons’ MVP.
80sFalcon
November 11th, 2012
1:59 pm
100!!
DawgNole
November 11th, 2012
1:59 pm
TG!!! Yeah baby!
Mora less Petrino
November 11th, 2012
1:59 pm
#100! Way to go TG!
Michael M.
November 11th, 2012
1:59 pm
Ty …………Tony
Buckeye
November 11th, 2012
1:59 pm
Tony is total stud.
Sid
November 11th, 2012
1:59 pm
thank you for making my point…the GREAT Gonzales.
The Real Falcon
November 11th, 2012
1:59 pm
100 TD’s for Gonzo!
Walker the Infant Falcon
November 11th, 2012
1:59 pm
Mark I’m not so sure TG isn’t the MVP…..
atlfalconsfan0125
November 11th, 2012
1:59 pm
Atta boy Tony!
Ugh
November 11th, 2012
1:59 pm
Turner sucks. On track for another one of his trademark 17 carry, 24 yard performances against a quality opponent. Next week against Zona he’ll get 80-100 yards. Nothing like a guy who beats up on lousy teams and fails to show up when it matters.
Pigskin
November 11th, 2012
1:59 pm
Congrats TG on #100 !!!!!!
Mark Bradley
November 11th, 2012
1:59 pm
And the Falcons lead again. This is going to be a bumpy ride, folks.
phil
November 11th, 2012
1:59 pm
Congrats, Tony!!
How bout some D?
oldfart
November 11th, 2012
2:00 pm
This may end up like Tech & NC yesterday.
DeepDiver
November 11th, 2012
2:00 pm
Blog people calm down. Saints D is inept.
Any stops left in our D???
playmeortrademe
November 11th, 2012
2:00 pm
Man, I want the Falcons to win a title for TG. That guy deserves it.
ijonathan
November 11th, 2012
2:00 pm
Sid, dude, if you’re going to get on #88’s jock for MVP, at least spell his freaking name right.
Tommy Nobis
November 11th, 2012
2:00 pm
wow…………….88……………# 100
1200 catches
(at least they didn’t run Cannonball Butler up the middle.)
DAWGFAN13
November 11th, 2012
2:00 pm
So Gonzo is stepping up for Julio! Dam Julio looks fine to me I guess he is hurting pretty bad. He will be back in the second half! Can this defense look at least decent?
Michael M.
November 11th, 2012
2:00 pm
Jones needs to get back in this game………..even as a decoy, he can still be useful
"Chef" Tim Dix
November 11th, 2012
2:01 pm
Hey Arther, while you’re getting a wheelchair for Jones, how bout resigning Gonzo stat?
Mark Bradley
November 11th, 2012
2:01 pm
It’s only 17-14. But it feels like nobody has stopped anybody.
Probably because we’ve had one punt in seven series.
Buckeye
November 11th, 2012
2:01 pm
Asante will make amends for his 4 point lapse if judgement
kevkat
November 11th, 2012
2:01 pm
Mark Bradley
November 11th, 2012
1:59 pm
And the Falcons lead again. This is going to be a bumpy ride, folks.
Only if there defense don’t stop us at least once. It appears we have no answer their offense..for the moment
Ivan
November 11th, 2012
2:02 pm
Has the defense reported back from their first play yet?
kevkat
November 11th, 2012
2:02 pm
oops..their defense
ijonathan
November 11th, 2012
2:02 pm
Arena football mentality today boys.
Michael M.
November 11th, 2012
2:02 pm
Defense is fixing to step up on this next Caints Series………….looking for another pick !
DawgNole
November 11th, 2012
2:03 pm
Ugh
November 11th, 2012
1:59 pm
Turner sucks. On track for another one of his trademark 17 carry, 24 yard performances against a quality opponent.
_____________________
Saints may win today; they usually do against the Falcons. But they’re hardly a “quality opponent.”
Eric C.
November 11th, 2012
2:03 pm
Fox showed the stat earlier, Saints are 12-0 in November 2009…they are tough this time of the year even in a bad season
Sid
November 11th, 2012
2:04 pm
ijonathan…..scram
DAWGFAN13
November 11th, 2012
2:04 pm
Ugh, Turner is what he is! He is not that GREAT back anymore! They have to call the right kind of runs for him, and its not stsretch play runs! He seems to run power draw plays very well and he runs very well when we pull the offense lineman. The guy is running hard, but he is not that good anymore so lay off him
Buckeye
November 11th, 2012
2:04 pm
Finally – tackling LOW