Who Dat?

Whats Wrong with the Saints!?

The New Orleans Saints opened this 2012 NFL season with two losses to beatable opponents.

This leaves Who Dat Nation screaming "Who dat!!?"

This time not speaking from the phrases roots in support of the Saints "Who dat talking about beating them Saints."

Now the Saints fans are wondering "Who dat at quarterback throwing two interceptions per game," or "Who dat leaving gaping holes in the secondary."

In their season opener they were torched by rookie quarterback, Robert Griffin III. Then in week two Cam Newton and the Panthers beat them in Carolina. Both QBs struggled in the follow   

This is the first time since 2007 that the Saints opened with two losses. On a positive note the saints will host the Kansas City Chiefs this weekend, and if the Saints have been bad the Chiefs have been abysmal.

The main problems for the Saints are on the defensive side of the ball. They have not been able to contain the fast-paced offenses they have faced. They have given up 75 points in 2 games to offenses led by quarterbacks with about 17 games of experience combined.

Some want to directly relate this to the Saints turmoiled off-season, but they are just being out-preformed. This is still a playoff capable team and they need to stop using the past as an excuse but use it as motivation.

The players won the legal battle and are able to play, and they still have their most important piece in Drew Brees. Though Brees has struggled so far, I expect him to figure things out without Sean Payton this season. The defense may continue to struggle without Payton's witty mid-game adjustments, but once the offense gets rolling the Saints shouldn't have much to worry about.

The Saints haven't hit rock bottom yet, but they may want to pick it up if they plan on contending this season.

Brooklyn Nets New Arena

Brooklyn Nets brand new Arena: Barclays Center. (Photo via www.nba.com/nets)

Barclays Center looking nice

Photos from the Brooklyn Nets new arena, Barclays Center, are looking good. The new look Nets did not just make a huge transformation off the court, but they also changed their identity on the court.

The Nets weren't able to acquire their main target, Dwight Howard, but they added a scorer in Joe Johnson to the backcourt with Deron Williams. Couple that with the trade deadline deal for Gerald Wallace last year and their back court looks nice.

Brooklyn was also able to keep the young center Brook Lopez. He has developed well over the years, but will he be enough to make the Nets a relevant playoff contender this year? That is a question that won't be answered until we see how coach, Avery Johnson manages the team. 

One thing for sure is I'm a huge fan of the new logo and arena. It looks fitting for the city and the team. Its simple yet classy. Let me know how you feel about Barclay Center and the Brooklyn Nets chances this year.

The Nike Takeover

Nike is at it again

We have witnessed Nike takeover College football, and recently the NFL. They have always been prominent in soccer along with adidas, but this new uniform design for USA soccer is top of the line. I love the new sleek American flag look. At first glance they look like a rugby team, but it adds flavor and appeal and makes them stand out. 

Comment below your thoughts on the change.

Third Time Not the Charm

Freshman, Michael Lyle and Brian Hicks

Hampton University Pirates fall short to ODU, again.

The Hampton University football team lost 45-7 to Old Dominion University in its home opener at Armstrong Stadium this past Saturday.

In a sell-out game with over 17,000 pairs of eager eyes hovering, Old Dominion’s passing attack led by standout quarterback, Taylor Heinicke proved to be too much for the Hampton Pirates.

ODU struck early and often, and by the midway point, they were in complete control leading 28-7. After a great halftime performance by the Blue Thunder, many Hampton students who were engulfed with energy and excitement in the beginning were discontent with the teams play and were pouring out of the stadium.  

“The beginning of the game was live, but it wasn’t too fun watching the other team score,” said HU senior, Jennifer Jackson. Nevertheless, the match went on and nothing seemed to change.

This year HU looked to finally actualize a possible rivalry between themselves and ODU by commanding a win in their 2012 home opener. An enthusiastic campus lined up to witness sophomore quarterback, Travis Champion lead the Hampton to a possible victory. There were six students parading in blue body suits as chants rang throughout the stadium. 

The game ended early due to lightning with ODU on top. The two teams had only played twice since ODU reignited their football program in 2009 after 69 years of absence. 

Though ODU’s team had the best two-year start in FCS history, Hampton played them fairly tough in their first two meetings. In 2010 ODU won 28-14, and in 2011 ODU won in shootout form 45-42. The third time proved to not be the charm for the Hampton Pirates, but students are still hopeful for better performances in the near future. 

“I wasn’t too happy with the outcome, but hopefully students keep coming out to the games. The more we show up and show love to the team, the better they play out on the field.” Sophomore hip hop artist, Jamaal Grant said. “As an entertainer I know how crowd energy can translate into a better performance.” 

Starting Rookie QB Breakdown

Andrew Luck 
Projected stats: 15 Tds, 14 Ints.Projected record: 3-13

Andrew Luck is being placed into a tough spot in Indianapolis.
Reggie Wayne is the only threat in a sea of mediocre talent.  Competing in the worst division in the AFC could help, but the Colts still look to be the bottom feeders of the AFC South. He has a very questionable offensive line. Luck's career looks promising but I don't expect him to have a standout rookie season. The only thing that could make his situation worse is if he had high expectations and was replacing a Superbowl winning, four-time MVP, future hall-of-fame quarterback. Good he's only replacing some guy named Peyton Manning.

Robert Griffin III
Projected stats: 17 Tds 11 Ints. Projected record: 6-10

RG3's first season with the Redskins will be compared to Cam Newton's astounding rookie season last year. The record setting standard Newton set for dual threat quarterbacks is downright unfair. Playing in the most competitive division is another boulder in his path. Other than that Griffin looks to be in a decent position. A solid defense should take some pressure off his back. The Redskins are also equipped with a solid running back in Roy Helu Jr. These factors should propel him to a solid rookie season. Mike Shanahan's creative and flexible offense will afford Griffin the opportunity to get out of the pocket and make the highlight plays we love to see. Watching RG3 nation in Washington will be enticing, but I don't expect to see a playoff berth any time soon.

Ryan Tannehill
Projected stats: 9 Tds 16 Ints. Projected record: 5-11

I am a bit worried about Ryan Tannehill being thrown to the wolves in the AFC East. Miami has a solid team around Tannehill, but he is not polished as a quarterback to be a winner yet in the NFL. Another strike against him is the division he is in. The defenses in the AFC East are built to stop the pass and force turnovers. Tannehill's strong arm and great athleticism will make a few plays for the Dolphins. It also doesn't hurt to have Reggie Bush in your backfield.

 Russell Wilson
Projected stats: 17 Tds 12 Ints Projected record: 6-10

Russell Wilson is a surprise starting rookie quarterback. He shined in the pre-season and took over the starting spot for Seattle. I love the athleticism Wilson brings to the table, and though people are frightened by his size, he seems to have the skills to make it. His decent accuracy should help the Seahawks win a few games in a struggling division. One key for Wilson this year should be to continue to turn around and hand the ball off to Marshawn Lynch in the backfield. You can never go wrong giving the ball to a man with such a nickname as "beast mode." I mean how could you lose while sporting neon green.

Brandon Weeden
Projected stats:8 Tds 12 Ints.Projected record:4-12

Weeden failed to score a single touchdown in the preseason, and the season is not looking too promising. You would think a 28-year old rookie quarterback would be the most NFL-ready, but he honestly is not prepared to win in a division with the Steelers and Ravens. Another strike against Weeden is the lack of weapons around him. The biggest threat on that side of the ball in Cleveland is rookie running back, Trent Richardson. He provides the Browns with a workhorse back they thought they had in Peyton Hillis. All in all, Brandon Weeden and the Browns are going to have a rebuilding year. Classic Cleveland ball team.