Two Minutes Of Hate: New Orleans Saints

Do you guys remember after Hurricane Katrina when the Saints returned to the Superdome and almost everyone in the United States was rooting for them? It was such a great story and it was almost impossible not to be happy for any success they had and any joy they brought to the people of New Orleans.

Wow. That was a long time ago because at this point I'm not sure I could name five* teams less likeable than the New Orleans Saints and I'm even more certain that I couldn't name five more annoying fan bases. I liked them better when they used to wear paper bags over their heads**.

Gregg Williams is gone, but Sean Payton is still there (or at least he would be if he hadn't been suspended by the league). The Bounty Scandal*** was a disgrace and the fact that they've fought their punishment at all just goes to show what a lousy group of people the New Orleans organization is made up of from Tom Benson on down.

Holy crap, you guys, Tom Benson might be the most unlikeable owner in the NFL right now (RIP Al Davis). Between that stupid dance he does (did? I don't know if he stopped) with the umbrella after home victories and the way he tried to move the team to San Antonio after Hurricane Katrina, he's one of the worst people to ever be associated with the NFL****.

That said, having experienced the Saints fan base these last few years, a not insubstantial part of me wishes Benson had succeeded in moving the team. I like to imagine Drew Brees would get less love for that clown-like Ray Lewis impression he does before games if he wasn't backlit by the halo the media gave him for being some shining beacon of hope for the poor people of New Orleans (or whatever the hell that meme ended up looking like because I've been trying to ignore it).

Speaking of Drew Brees, can we please stop talking about him in San Diego*****? He's played over 60% of his career as a Saint and it's not like he was a local before the Chargers drafted him. The fact that he will forever be stained with his association with Scott & BR also cannot be ignored. Seriously, the nicest thing I can say about Brees is that you can type his whole name with just your left hand. So yeah, that's good for him on that. Otherwise, screw him.

As is often the case, my hate for the Saints and their fans isn't entirely their fault (though most of it is) it's also the fawning media coverage from ESPN and other less terrible networks. That said, I'm pretty sure the Saints and their fans revel in that, so screw them, too.

*There are the Steelers, Raiders, Chiefs, Broncos and the Patriots competing for our disdain with the Saints, but it's a tough call.

** I'm hoping that if they keep playing the way they have been to start this season that it makes a comeback because I am really tired of looking at their stupid faces.

***I seriously hate adding "gate" to the end of things to denote scandals more than I hate the Saints or just about anything else for that matter.

****There's very little chance this is actually true because honestly there have been some downright evil people involved with the NFL.

*****Anyone else notice how these always come back to how much Charger fans suck? You know why? Because you guys suck. No, really.