Saints pick Meach: Year of the receiver?

The New Orleans Saints drafted Robert Meachem, a game-breaking receiver from Tennessee, with their selection in the first round of Sunday's draft. Coach Sean Payton said it was an easy decision based on what players were available. "When the draft started in the first round, I don't know that we would have said receiver is the direction we were planning to head," Payton said. "It wasn't something we did because defenses were going to change against us next year. I felt like the selection of Meachem really had to do with us thinking, 'Man, this guy's still here.' And he's a guy that we didn't (just) like. We really liked him at receiver. Aside from JaMarcus Russell going to Oakland, and LaRon Landry going to Washington, LSU defender Chase Pittman was snagged by the Cleveland Browns in the 7th round.

Why JaMarcus Russell is better than Brady Quinn

When it came time to create a list of plays for Russell to run in front of dozens of NFL scouts and executives last month, celebrity QB coach Tom Martinez went with the taboo as their grand finale. Russell rolled right, and his receiver broke that way, too, before switching direction.

"JaMarcus threw it 70 yards and completed it," Martinez said. "It was unbelievable, unbelievable. You could hear this "Ahhhh" coming from all the NFL people."

People make a big fuss over what 'one-game-does-not-make-a-season" Sugar Bowl, where LSU promptly decimated a much bally-hooed Notre Dame squad. As they say on "Cold Pizza," JaMarcus Russell "got" to play againt Notre Dame, whereas Brady Quinn "had" to play against LSU. Hogwash. JaMarcus Russell is a specimen of a quarterback and will be waaaay more successful than Brady Quinn. Albeit, Russell is still a prospect, his upside is exponentially greater than Quinn's. If the Raiders don't take him, they'll pay for it in victories, and maybe Super Bowl berths.
But let's look at a few numbers, shall we?

It's true that Quinn had the better season statistical-wise. But JaMarcus threw the ball 30 times or more only 5 times (against the likes of Tennessee, Florida and Auburn). Quinn threw it that many times 11 times last season (his best game was against the likes of North Carolina, where he threw for 346). He eclipsed the 300-yard mark a few other times, notably against Purdue and Michigan State, not world beaters, folks. Russell threw for 332 yards against the vaunted Notre Dame defense, and RESTED FOR MUCH OF THE FOURTH QUARTER. Brady Quinn threw for 148, despite the fact that Notre Dame came out throwing in the second half to catch up on the scoreboard.

A look at the N.O. Hornets salaries for 2007

Now, for comparison, take a look at the salaries of the Miami Heat.

Let's see them rock these in Baton Rouge!

Japanese toymaker Tomy Company's "Transformers Sports Label Convoy" featuring Nike Free 7.0. The toy transforms from a pair of plastic half-scale Nike shoes into a toy robot called 'Convoy'. Now that's what I call "More than Meets the Eyeee"! Check out the story here.

Homegirl makes it rain on BET

Big ups to New Orleans native, Raquel Diaz, better known as "Rocsi" on the hit video countdown show BET's 106 & Park. The 24-year-old Latina was born in Tegucigalpa, Honduras and grew up in Big Easy. She grad-e-ated from West Jefferson High School (Whatup, dough!). Rocsi then earned her undergraduate degree at Nicholls State University. She then bounced into different deejay positions in the Texas and Boston, MA radio markets before landing at Chicago’s Power 92 WPWX-FM as the “Midday Mami” in 2004. After that, BET scooped her up and now, heck, she famous, along with some dude named "Terrance".

Lil' Wayne & Baby: The infamous kiss

“Before I had a child Wayne and all of ‘em was my children, ya heard me? Wayne to me is my son, my first born son. And that’s what it do for me. That’s my life, that’s my love, and that’s my thing. That’s my lil son, ya heard me, I love him to death. One hundred to whatever. Yanno haters, that’s just life. I don’t even trip off that. I go to the bank in the morning, I can go buy me whatever I feel like it. So I don’t set trip off that. Can’t nobody live my life but me…"

-Baby, Cash Money Millionaire

NOLA, will you come back?

Ahh, what it means to miss New Orleans. Seems like there's been nothing but bad news in 2007: With stories like:

citizens' army in New Orleans and all, but check out what a group of bloggers did when they went to the might Nola. Check out what They Found in Nola and let me know what you think.
And if you haven't seen yet, check out what really happened in New Orleans

The best Katrina story ever. Ever.

Armed thugs. Rising waters. Shook police officers. And a widespread aura of straight panic.
This katrina story is really the best Katrina story I've ever read. It may turn into a film.

We'll miss you, Eddie

Wow.
Can't believe Eddie Robinson died last night. Mr. Robinson was the greatest African American character in the 100-year history of college football. Me being from Southern University, you'd think we'd have bad blood about ole Eddie. But naw, that's not how it was. When it came to Eddie Robinson we all had an enthusiastic respect for the man, the legend. He taught at Grambling University for more than 60 years and he was the epitome of black class. When it came to finding out who was the best, and who was toughest team in the SWAC there was never a need for a measuring stick when it came to Mr. Robinson's boys. Didn't matter that he suffered three straight losing seasons to end his career before being gingerly pushed out at Grambling. His teams historically whipped everybody. Period.
Southern University had Jaguars that would get fierce every few years but Grambling had that reliable Tiger and boy could he bite. Even when our teams were basically a match in talent, the pendulum swung in Grambling's favor because of the gravity of their coach. The relationship between S.U. and Grambling was always amicable, but underneath we pretty much always knew who was the man: Eddie Robinson was the man. Southern was a new, glossy mall full of technological advances and In-the-Now mentalities, but Grambling was a dusty museum that had a real, live T-Rex. Eddie Robinson was that T-Rex and he chewed through every single SWAC football program. Period. He was the best. Plain and simple. We'll miss you Eddie.