Would you like to be dealt a blackjack hand by Drew Brees? Watch Reggie Bush spin the roulette wheel or have Jimmy Graham pass you the craps dice? Just visit the New Orleans Harrah’s on a Sunday during football season; casino employees are allowed to wear NFL jerseys, a policy 95 percent take advantage of. Starting on Saturday night and going through Sunday, the casino floor turns into the stands at the Superdome. All but one of the participating employees I saw last weekend chose a Saints jersey — there was a 3-Card Poker dealer wearing a Mike Wallace (Steelers) jersey. Most of them chose some variation of a Brees jersey — home, away, Pro Bowl, pink, Super Bowl patch, “Cool Brees.” The best I saw was a senior woman dealing blackjack with an Archie Manning jersey.
Continue reading New Orleans Loves the Saints →

The regular NFL referees were welcomed back this past weekend. “Just found out Ed Hochuli an the boys are back! Glad u all reached a deal,” tweeted San Francisco wide receiver Randy Moss, whose excitement—or, better yet, relief—was shared by NFL players and fans alike. But let’s not act like these guys are national heroes. We could have done without the chest-bumping or the Monday Night Football-style introductions. Soak it up, boys, because we will turn on you.

Year of the Bird

For the first time all season, the Falcons trailed on Sunday before pulling out a miraculous victory to stay undefeated. The Cardinals hadn’t lost until last night and are in first place in the NFC West. The Eagles and Ravens are both 3-1 and atop their respective divisions. Yes, 2012 is shaping up to be the Year of the Bird. It looks like my All-Avian preseason Super Bowl prediction is looking pretty good right now.
Continue reading Refs Return, Jets Struggle, and Legatron →