The Book: 2003 Football

[CDeb]

Originally posted by Tuffguy
Brupbacher will be the overall MVP, and the Defensive of course, and I will say that Eric Rekieta will be the offensive MVP after fighting back to win the starting job in the fall and leading us to new orleans.

I tend to agree with your picks.

[1stTake]

If they can get him the ball Stamps will be the MVP. But to add something to the poll I nominate Bill Sampy on offense and on defense Justin Venable. Mark it down

[1stTake]

I'm starting to feel it. no wait. it was just gas. Hey get off my back without gas a fooball wouldn't be a football.

[CDeb]

And it just wouldn't be a proper football tailgate party without eating food that gives you gas!

[NewsCopy]

Team, city preparing for Black and Gold debut: It's the first time fans will get to see the 2003 edition of the Saints.

It's also the first time New Orleans will hold its annual Black and Gold scrimmage in Lafayette.

So, the preparations are already well under way.

"When the decision was made to move our training camp to our training facility in Metairie, we said that we would do everything we could to bring Saints football to our many fans in this state," said Saints executive vice president and general manager Mickey Loomis. "Lafayette is a tremendous community and the people there have been wonderful to work with in coordinating this scrimmage. Lafayette has great football fans, and we look forward to being there in early August."

In addition to the football scrimmage, the event will involve a full day of family-oriented activities, including youth clinics. These events will be held at the baseball stadium, M.L. "Tigue" Moore Field - which is adjacent to Cajun Field.

The day gets under way at 2 p.m., with music, trivia, food, drinks and giveaways at the Saints Experience. As part of the activities, fans will have the opportunity to get autographs and photos of the Saintsations, Saints alumni and Saints mascot Gumbo.

There will also be a Q&A with Saints executives and Saints alumni. Kids can participate in the Saints Gatorade Junior Training Camp in the quarterback passing drill, the sack-the-quarterback drill, the bungee run, and the run-to-daylight drill.

The scrimmage will begin at about 7 p.m.

"The players look forward to playing in that game," McAllister said. "A lot is put into that game because not only are starting jobs on the line, but jobs are on the line, so we take it very seriously."

The Saints announced a partnership with the University of Louisiana at Lafayette to play the game at Cajun Field in May. The game will rotate to different locations around the state of Louisiana in subsequent seasons.

In a local visit later that month, Saints executive vice president of administration Arnold D. Fielkow confirmed that Monroe is among those that the team has targeted for a future scrimmage - perhaps as early as next year.

Prices for the Black and Gold Scrimmage range from $10-20. Discounts will be offered to Saints season-ticket holders, students, military and groups over 20.

Tickets can be bought at the Saints Ticket Office in Metairie (877) 666-1700; the Superdome ticket office; through Ticketmaster at (800) 877-0898 or www.ticketmaster.com through the Saints' Web site at www.neworleanssaints.com and at the Cajundome at (337) 265-2100.

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[NewsCopy]

LOUISIANA La. — Serena Williams, take a seat.

Annika Sorenstam, head for the practice tee.

The 2nd annual Rickey Bustle Women’s Football Clinic grabs a local spotlight for women and sports today at Louisiana’s Angelle Hall and Cajun Field.

From 8:45 a.m. until 3 p.m., Bustle and his Ragin’ Cajun coaching staff promise to offer a different side of the game for women interested in football.

“We’ll show you everything you’ve ever wanted to know, from inside the locker room to out on the football field,” Bustle said.

Bustle’s engaging style helped make the first clinic a success, and with season tickets now on sale for the upcoming 2003 season his staff hopes to build distaff interest today.

Bustle said that well over 100 women have pre-registered, but expects that many more for walk-up registrations today. Registration begins at 8 a.m. at Angelle Hall on campus with coffee and donuts, and Bustle said that all are invited with no previous registration required. Fee for the clinic is $15 for each woman — no men allowed.

“We’ve had a lot of calls this week,” he said. “This is certainly not a money-making thing. We’re hoping to create interest and have fun. We want it to be informative and let everyone learn, but we’re going to have some fun in between.”

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[NewsCopy]

LOUISIANA La. — Now that she’s taken the Women’s Football Clinic, Nancy Johnson hopes she’ll be better able to find her son on Cajun Field.

“He plays offense, second team, tight end. I learned where his position falls most of the times, and I think it will help me follow him on the field,” she said.

Johnson was one of about 80 women who took the clinic at Cajun Field on Saturday, which Rickey Bustle, Louisiana head football coach, started last year.

The day began with lectures from coaches at Angelle Hall on the Louisiana campus, followed by tours of the Cajuns’ locker room, weight room and training rooms, as well as Cajun Field.

The final part of the day-long event had the women running onto the field in groups while the loudspeaker proclaimed them to be different teams of the NFL. On the field, some women suited up in pads, jerseys and helmets; some tried kicking field goals; and others threw the football through a target.

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Beverly Corbell
bcorbell@theadvertiser.com

[Turner]

I'll say 2 years.

[WebWatchDog]

Originally posted by CajunsFan11
How long til the Cajuns make it to the big one in the Big Easy?

Why not! Lets go this year.

[CajunCharlie]

I am for that! If our offensive line can produce I believe we have a shot!!!!!

[NewsCopy]

Rickey Bustle focused on steady upgrade for Cajuns in 2003.

NEW ORLEANS — Rickey Bustle doesn’t throw around a lot of statistics.

He knows they’re there, but he’s a bottom line kind of football coach.

“The statistic that concerns me most is 3-and-9,” Bustle said Tuesday at Sun Belt Conference media day activities.

UL hasn’t had a winning season since 1995, and Bustle isn’t sure if his second year will provide that kind of positive reinforcement to players and fans who have gotten behind his enthusiasm.

He is certain, though, that the Cajuns will be improved in 2003.

“There’s no question we’re better,” Bustle said. “Now, does that mean over .500? Just under .500? I don’t know where that measuring stick is.”

By any measure, this fall is more settled than 2002.

“When we let the seniors go after our last game, I was looking at 46 kids on scholarship in the room,” Bustle said. “That’s not a lot of people.

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Bruce Brown
bbrown@theadvertiser.com

[NewsCopy]

CAJUN CLIPPINGS — Defensive end Justin Venable is back after a medical redshirt in 2002. “Justin has played here about four or five years already, and somehow he got another three years,” Bustle said. “Don’t ask me how that happened. He might have his PhD before he’s through playing.” ... Bustle said it is in freshman quarterback Devin Williams’ best interest to redshirt in 2003 while he absorbs the offense.

[NewsCopy]

Bustle hopes second year pays dividends for ULL

NEW ORLEANS -- Rickey Bustle has a one-year head start on Charlie Weatherbie, but both face the same challenge.

Bustle is in his second year as coach at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and Weatherbie is in his first at UL-Monroe. Both are trying to improve on records of 3-9 overall and 2-4 in Sun Belt Conference play last season.

"There's no question we're a better football team," Bustle said at the Sun Belt Media Day Tuesday afternoon. "Are we good enough to be .500 or better? I don't know what the measuring stick is.

"The biggest difference from last year is the players understand what the coaches' expectations of them are," Bustle said. "Whenever you're a first-year head coach the players are going to question everything that you do. They might not come out and say it, but they're going to wonder if you know what you're doing. We kept coaching the same way and our personalities didn't change."

Bustle said the Ragin' Cajuns' improvement from being the most penalized team in the Sun Belt two years ago to the least penalized last year shows improved discipline and that the players are "buying into what we're doing."

When Bustle said good-bye to his seniors after last season he was left with just 46 scholarship players.

"After our last meeting," Bustle recalled, "I told them we're getting ready to make our biggest commitment to this program. If you think you've worked hard and committed yourself, you haven't seen anything yet.

"We have a decent nucleus," Bustle said. "We had a heck of a recruiting class (including 12 junior-college players, half of which enrolled in time to participate in spring practice). We have to find out where our junior-college players fit in. We've got to find our chemistry with so many new faces."

UL has made great strides in adding quality depth and generating competition for playing time, Bustle said.

"We were a better team in the spring than we were last fall," Bustle said. "It was fun in the spring from the standpoint of the players knowing where to go to lineup. Last year we had to teach everything. I'm excited about what's getting ready to happen with this football team."

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By LES EAST
Special to The Advocate

[1stTake]

Going over my calendar I notice we have a Thursday game. Has UL ever had a Thursday game before?

[RedBug58]

We've never played on Thursday, but under coach Baldwin we've had some games where we didn't show up until the following Thursday.....