Thanks, Houston. Can we have another?

As I mentioned somewhere below, it was a big Saturday for me. My last haircut was back in January, and I think it's safe to say the results this time around were at least that dramatic. The occasion was significant enough to spur massive rejoicing late into the night involving copious amounts of wine, lite beer, champagne, and... I seem to recall a mind eraser at some point.

Longtime readers can see where this is going. Sunday morning found me lying prone and useless on the couch, peering at the Saints game from beneath a pillow and finding the occasional strength to make my way to the bathroom for the obligatory dry heaving. It was a near exact repeat of the conditions under which I viewed the second game of the season against Tampa Bay. Perhaps no one should find it surprising that the results on the field panned out much the same way as well.

Saints-Texans: (You know all about the photos by now)

• I think I've figured it out. Jason David is a repetitive action sight gag; the sort of thing done exceptionally well on The Simpsons from time to time. Here is perhaps the most famous example.
  
  Sideshow Bob steps on Rakes
  
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  The first rake is an acceptable gag. It's a little screwball moment which, while not particularly witty, is what you might expect to see in a cartoon. The second keeps the viewer in this mode, but the third and fourth reveal the self-parody in play. The ensuing rakes bring the viewer through a subtle transition from exhaustion with the joke at about the sixth rake and then to a fascination with the hilarious awfulness of the elongated sequence at rake nine. (unfortunately, the above video actually cuts out a few rakes from the scene) There are six games left in the regular season. David has about two more rakes to step on before this thing gets really freaking hilarious.
  
  
  Jason David (not pictured) The Saints marquee free agent acquisition of... See? It's funny!



• Mario vs. Reggie: Williams: 3 tackles, 3 assists, 1 forced fumble, and numerous disruptions of plays and QB pressures.
  
  Bush: 15 carries 34 yards. One dropped pass, 2 fumbles. The first fumble came on the one yard line. The second fumble seemed to take on the personality of the player who birthed it as the ball negated a six yard gain by bouncing backwards for a one yard loss and then, of course, diving out of bounds.
  
  Bush also seemed less mentally prepared for this game than previous ones as he had repeated difficulty with knowing where to be on several plays. He appeared to run the wrong way on two running plays, once colliding with Brees while taking a handoff, and on one screen play Bush ran to middle of the field while the linemen and Brees clearly expected him to be in the left flat.
  
  Television cameras caught coach Soupy Oswald mildly scolding Bush on the sideline for running an incorrect route on a crucial 3rd down. But Soupy still coddles the infant Bush too much. Similarly boneheaded play by Devery Henderson early in the season merited a benching and a demotion. Bush would be well served by a dose of this himself. Reggie Bush is one of those celebrities who allow their undue media attention to inflate their sense of self-importance on the football field. During the radio broadcast of Sunday's game, Jim Henderson commented that Bush was "...beginning to take on some of the trappings of superstardom," adding, "But he isn't a superstar" I couldn't have said douchebag any more eloquently myself.
  
  
  Maybe the Rams really did hit him a bit too hard in the head
  
  Soupy should bench Bush for at least part of one game. It's a ballsy move... kind of like... oh let's say a marriage proposal made with only your conviction and a fake ring made out of tinfoil on hand to offer. Sure, it will draw criticism from certain quarters. But it's a major coup if you can pull it off.



• I don't want to harp too much on the weakness of the one-dimensional Saints' passing game again this week. But I will say that the two "doink" interceptions off of the hands of Eric Johnson were badly thrown (if still technically catchable) balls.
  
  
  Oh noes!!
  
  If anything, it demonstrates the reasoning behind the words of former Houston and New Orleans head football coach, O.A. "Bum" Phillips who once said, "When you throw the ball, three things can happen, and two of them are bad." Maybe this, of all weeks, would have been a good time to heed Bum's immortal warning and try to get a running game going.



• Quick aside: Please please please, let's hope that Les Miles goes to Michigan and teaches the kids up there to jump offsides, blow assignments, and stumble into victories based only on their overwhelming talent (and possibly their gold pants) just like he's doing at LSU. Seriously, if this is really the Number 1 team in the nation, then I weep for the state of the nation.



• Notable: Yes, this game was held in Houston, Texas.
  
  
  How 'bout them Katricians
  
  Nice, Texans fans. Real classy-like.

This was a frustrating game to watch. It sunk the Saints to two games under .500 while reconfirming all of the knocks against the team that fans have been hoping wouldn't turn out to be lasting truths.

The Saints themselves appeared to be more outwardly frustrated than at any point in the Sean Payton era. While still not technically eliminated, the Saints have the look of a team teetering on the brink of the abyss. They have been an exceptionally resilient bunch emotionally over the past season and a half. It's a trait they'll need to maintain if there is any hope left of salvaging the 2007 campaign. Perhaps they will maintain at least enough FAITH in themselves to pick up those 7 wins we had them pegged for at the beginning of the season. If they make it to 8 without Deuce McAllister, I'd even say they'd earned an award. And since they obviously won't get that Super Bowl ring so many on the idiotic side of the sports media thought they'd be after this year, let's see if we can get them something a little more homemade. I'm thinking Reynold's Wrap is always a nice way to go.