ONE MORE, AND THAT'S CALLED A WINNING STREAK

For the second Monday night game of the year, we decided to up the ante for the Saints party. We jumped it from 35 pieces of chicken to 45 (Though Marcus called it 35 pieces and 10 wings, since wings don't count as real pieces). And we had fewer people working than the first time. Me, I ate eight pieces, including the two I took home for a 3 a.m. snack.

Besides the chicken, we had an apple pie, a batch of world famous Marion brownies, drinks coming out the ying-yang (I must have drank me about a whole 2-liter of Dr. Pepper.) and a full tray of macaroni courtesy of D's sister (I think). That was some good. I think it was enough to feed an entire wedding reception.

The only thing we were missing was chips. Nobody took that assignment. We sure could have used them, though. Jelly and I were craving something to munch on the whole party, I mean work shift. It's just not a football celebration without chips, dammit. We tried to convince Gamby to run out and get some, but that only led to Jelly declaring herself "the queen of everything." Not sure how that's related to chips, but you never know what might be said around these parts.

Notes on the game.

1) I've been calling the Green Bay game the most important of the season for like six weeks or so. Hopefully, that proves to be true and becomes known as the game when the Saints found their identity and took off on a run at a playoff spot. I still think 10-6 won't be good enough to get in the playoffs, and winning at Chicago seems improbable for this team.

The optimist that I am, though, here's what I'm dreaming about. The Falcons play at San Diego, and the Panthers are at Green Bay. Let's say the Chargers and Packers finally play like who we thought they were this week. And the Saints continue their momentum and upend the Bucs like they've already done this season. Suddenly, the division records are 8-4, 8-4, 7-5, 7-5 with four games to play. Hmm.

Imagine getting back just one of those blown losses from earlier in the season. I'm not greedy. Just one.

2) Saints record when I do the drive chart: 2-0.
Saints record when Lopes does the drive chart: 4-5
Saints record when they punt on first possession: 4-2
Saints record when they score on first possession: 2-1
Saints record when they have a turnover on first possession: 0-2

3) If I wouldn't have been at work, I think I might have cried for Deuce's touchdown. Emotional moment, indeed. Probably for the last time: DEUUUCCEEEEEEEEEEE!

4) On the Packers' first possession, Randall Gay broke up a pass on third down.
Someone: Who was that?
Me: That was Gay.

So, from now on, every time he does something, anything (good or bad), I'm saying: "That was gay."

5) I might be in the minority here, but I liked that play call of the wide receiver pass. So what if the Saints had scored on six consecutive possessions. It's not like Lance (uh, he's a keeper) had to throw the ball after seeing the safety waiting there. OK, I'm kidding. It was a horrible play to call while up 17 points and driving. I just liked it because it prevented Brees from throwing for more yards. He's really starting to get me worried about this yardage record.

But like I keep telling everyone, it just takes one bad game to fall off the pace. It's a weird cheering situation. I want the Saints to win out. To do that, they have to throw a lot. But I don't want Brees to get the record. My heart is more confused than the time I had to decide between red and blue as my favorite color.

6) JRap pulled a JRap No. 2 on Monday night. Kevin asked him if he could name every time the Saints had scored 50 points in a season right after Pierre Thomas (uh, he's a keeper as well) scored his second touchdown. JRap thought for a minute and came up with once in 69 and once in 76. Kevin looked it up. JRap was correct once again. And that my friends, blew my mind.

Not to be outdone, I pulled a JRap No. 3 on JRap. He asked me who the Saints punter was to start the season. I said: "Oh, you don't remember? It was Steve Weatherford."

7) Where did I read that Jason David wasn't as bad this year and had actually improved, having rarely gotten beat this season? Oh yeah. On that Gene Pool Web site. Yeah, he got beat for a touchdown in the second quarter and another time where Rodgers made a bad throw. But Greg Jennings ain't too shabby and is much taller than David. Not the greatest matchup.

Jason David's first interception was the key play (if you had to pick only one) in the victory. He set up Deuce's record-setting score that gave the Saints a comfortable 17-point cushion. He almost had a Jarrett Lee. And to warm your heart even more, he was running down the sideline toward the end zone corner where his family sits in the seventh row.

Credit goes to Jelly for calling earlier in the night that Jason David would have a Jarrett Lee. Granted, she wasn't exactly correct because he got nailed 3 yards short. But come on. Jason David? I think she might have been joking.

THE TINA CURSING CORNER

I walk near my mom, who is now sick courtesy of me, as we get ready to watch 24: Redemption (which was off the hook, by the way). "Stay the fuck away from me."

Mom is confused by Jon Voight's character on the new 24 storyline. "So, he's just providing fucking weapons to the bad guys to steal children?" I tell mom that Tony Almeida will be his boss in season 7 in January. "What the fuck is wrong with him?"

We browse through the American Music Awards (Kimmel was pretty funny.) "What the fuck is the American Music Awards?" (Yeah, don't we have enough award shows?) They show the Jonas Brothers. "It's like they are the fucking Beatles. They're fucking everywhere."

I ask mom how her diet is coming along. "Twenty fucking pounds in two months."

I ask mom how her tooth is feeling. "I might have to see the dentist today. He'll call me in at 5. I'll probably have to fight fucking traffic."

I go to bed. As I'm trying to fall asleep, mom finishes watching the award show. Kanye West wins best rapper. "Oh, fuck me. ... I hate that motherfucker."

I try to record something on the DVR and discover yet another problem in this almighty system. In recording options, it doesn't allow you to start recording something "x" number of minutes into the show. You can record "x" number of minutes early and extend the recording by "x" number of minutes, though. Why can't I start recording something in the middle of the show if I want to or need to? I tell mom this. "Well, that's a fucking flaw."

DID YOU KNOW?

Did you know that the T-P sports department knows information about the Saints game? You sort of figured that, didn't you? Well, I got to tell you that not everyone is aware of that.

1) Jelly gets a call at 5 something Monday afternoon. She hangs up.
"Well, that lady just asked, 'Do you have any information on the Saints game tonight?' I felt like saying, 'Why yes I do.' She wanted to know what station the Saints were on."

2) The phone rings at 2:16 a.m. Tuesday morning as I'm writing this up. Out of curiosity, I answer.
Caller: How you doing? Can you tell me who won the Saints game?
Me: Yes.
(Ten-second pause.)
Me: The Saints won 51-29.
Me: OK. Thank you.

PARTING SHOT

"This looks like quite the party."
- the big boss upon arriving back from the game and taking a look at the spread

THE DAILY TOP LIST
This 2,000 word story we ran about Mike Tirico the other day got me to thinking about sports announcers and analysts. My top five sports talking heads.

5) Jeff Van Gundy
Tells it like it is. He's not afraid to tell us his outrageous but intriguing opinions.

4) Dan Shulman
I like him in basketball and baseball. Plus, he's a saint for not punching Dick Vitale in the mouth every five seconds.

3) TNT NBA crew
Ernie, Kenny and Charles are awesome. They give you good information and even more entertainment.

2) Woody Paige
Once you accept that he's a goofball, he becomes endearing instead of annoying. And his chalkboard always says something entertaining. Sometimes, I turn on Around the Horn just to see what he wrote on the board.

1) Gus Johnson
The best play-by-play announcer going today. He adds the perfect level of excitement to every thing he broadcasts. Now if they would only let him do the main NCAA tournament game every week and the Final Four.

Even if what he's broadcasting isn't exciting, he somehow can make you get excited about it. Probably could even do it for paint drying or Minkus taking like 30 minutes to eat one piece of pizza.