Here are my personal opinions:
I think this is pretty obvious, but I guess it still needs to be said: Jake gets the most love out of all the former Cajuns because he is a quarterback, DUH! QB is the game's glamour position and NFL starting QB's are probably the highest-profile athletes in the United States. There are only 32 of them out of the 6.6 billion people on the planet. They are under a microscope so their successes and failures are magnified. Having Jake be successful means that he (and by extension UL) get a longer stay in that intense spotlight. That's why people want to see Jake do well even moreso than other Cajun NFLers. A lot more people know where Joe Montana, John Elway, Brett Favre, Dan Marino and Terry Bradshaw went to school than they do Jerry Rice, Steve Largent, Marvin Harrison and Cris Carter.
Personally, I still like the Saints. But my love of UL tops all my other sports loyalties. So for me, it is a question of what is better for UL. Is it better for UL for Jake to win or for the Saints to win? I believe it's better for UL if Jake is successful in the NFL as he can possibly be. If you don't believe that, I've got two words for you: Terry Bradshaw.
If you don't see it that way, that's fine with me. I'm not telling anyone that if they don't turn their back on the Saints then they don't love UL. I'm just explaining my rationale for why the Saints are secondary to Jake for me. I'm not a Panthers fan. I'm a UL fan and a Jake fan. When Jake is no longer the quarterback in Charlotte, then the Panthers will simply be another team that I want the Saints to beat.
But not now.
Ditteaux me on that remark. I'm for Jake when he steps on the field. For me, it ain't about the Panthers, Saints or anybody else. I was a Yankee fan when Ron Guidry pitched and for me that is like being a heretic. I would have preferred he pitch for the Dodgers but it really didn't matter where he pitched for me to pull for him.
I certainly hope the Saints finally do win a Super Bowl but I quit being "emotionally involved" a long time ago. Now, I watch them until they start having supper with up and then I go rake leaves or polish the plumbing or file the dog's nails- anything other than sitting in front of the TV watching the Saints.
Naw, Brooks had no longevity in the league.
Everret reminded me of Archie Manning, a great talent, on a team full of no talent... both in LA and in NO...
Brees has a slight edge statistically over Everret, not in total numbers as Brees is in his 8th season, Everret played 11.
Both Brees and Delhomme are great qbs for their team, and both teams are screwed if either gets hurt.
I worked for the Saints and I saw a lot of Jim Everret, and those teams put up some nice passing numbers, but like now their running game and their defense was inconsistant.
I'm with CDeb and you on this one... my primary fanship is with the Cajuns. If a player from UL ends up with a professional organization, they have just purchased a portion of my fanship. I am a Saints fan because it started when I was a kid and it is a Louisiana production. They increased my interest when they brought Jake in and proportionally disinterested me when they let him go. It worked out for the better, so I've lost some of my grudge.
I also like college sports a lot more than professional sports. I think it's the money and selfishness that bothers me in professional sports these days.
Jake and Drew are both excellent QBs. But, Jake is part of the family.
My only interest in the Panthers is Jake being there. Question: Would Cajun Carolina fans still be Carolina fans if Jake left Carolina... and what if Tyrell Fenroy became the starting back for the Saints... would that change their loyalty?
When Brian Mitchell went from Washington to Philadelphia and Brandon Stokley made his various moves, my viewing interests in those franchises went with them.
PS Turbine apparantly auto-edited my message above in case anyone was reading. I did not post anything about "having supper with" the Saints. LOL!!!
METAIRIE - Saints quarterback Drew Brees can't help but be a fan of his counterpart with the Carolina Panthers, Jake Delhomme.
For 14 weeks out of the season, that is.
"I'm happy for him," Brees said of the former Teurlings Catholic and UL standout from Breaux Bridge. "Certainly he's a guy that I root for, except for the fact that he's in our division and we're battling it out.
"I've had the chance to meet him a couple of times and I love his attitude. I love his personality. He's a great competitor."
The 6-foot-2, 215-pounder has bounced back from major elbow surgery last season and picked up right where he left off.
The rest of the story
Brady Aymond • baymond@theadvertiser.com • October 16, 2008
Great article!
Classy comments from Brees and Deuce. You can tell they have a lot of admiration for what Jake has done.
Nothing could be finer than to be in Carolina for quarterback Jake Delhomme. Before we look at Jake's amazing game against the Saints, let's look back at Jake's beginning.
His start didn't begin in Carolina but started deep in Cajun country. Jake was born in Lafayette, LA on Jan. 10, 1975, and he loved football even when he was 11 years old.
He attended Teurlings Catholic HS in Lafayette, LA. Delhomme and Peyton Manning attended high school in Louisiana at the same time, although their teams never faced each other. He later married a hometown girl who was his seventh-grade girlfriend.
He went to college 10 minutes from his childhood home to become a Ragin Cajun with the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and ended his college career as the all-time Louisiana college passing leader with 9,216 yards on 655 of 1,246 passing, 64 touchdowns, and 57 interceptions.
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