always is an exciting time.
Over the years, I've been to Saints camps in four different states and three different time zones. My first camp was in Thibodaux, where the heat never relented and the bug zappers worked overtime during the three summers the Saints trained there from 2000-02.
From there, the Saints hopscotched to Metairie (2003-05); Jackson, Mississippi (2006-08); Oxnard, California (for one blessed week in 2009); back to Metairie (2009-13); White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia (2014-16); and back to Metairie again (2017-23).
Irvine, California, where the Saints will open camp Wednesday at the University of Cal-Irvine, will be the sixth different camp site that I've covered in my 25-year tenure in New Orleans.
To honor the opening of camp this week, here's the first installment of my ,聽celebrating a quarter-century of work on the Saints beat.
My guess is you haven't read many of these stories before.
Favorite training camp memories
No. 5: A rock star arrival (2006)
There was a time when rookies held out of camp as a negotiating ploy. Reggie Bush was one of them. Bush, perhaps the most decorated draft pick in club history, missed the first four days of the 2006 training camp before he finally reached a deal, and his arrival at training camp at Millsaps College was highly anticipated. When he arrived at Jackson-Evers International Airport in Jackson, Mississippi, a crowd was waiting. Wearing a New York Yankees cap, a plain white T-shirt and shorts, the Southern Cal superstar had to navigate an army of reporters, photographers and fans to reach an awaiting SUV outside. 鈥淛ohn, Paul, George, Ringo and Elvis showed up Monday night at Millsaps College鈥 is how Times-Picayune columnist John DeShazier described the scene in the next day鈥檚 newspaper.
No. 4: Haslett takes a dive (2001)
Jim Haslett made a strategic error when he sat down for his daily post-practice news conference in the media center at John L. Guidry Stadium in Thibodaux. He leaned too far back in his chair and flipped heels over head off the back of the riser and into the Saints backdrop. Haslett quickly popped to his feet and deadpanned to a reporter in the front row, 鈥淭hat would have killed you.鈥 TV cameras caught the entire episode. Team officials later asked the media to refrain from publicizing the incident out of respect to the chagrined Haslett, to which the media acquiesced.
No. 3: A legendary kill shot (2006)
During Sean Payton鈥檚 first season in New Orleans, he set up a team-building exercise at a northshore paintball park. The idea was to build camaraderie by having players and coaches compete on teams against each other. The crafty Payton scored a prime spot in a fort in the woods and was pinging players at will from his sniper position, but he eventually got a little sloppy. 鈥淚 leaned a little too far to the left and 鈥 bam! 鈥 got shot through the window,鈥 Payton said. 鈥淎nd I hear (Steve Gleason) yell, 鈥業 got him!鈥 Rambo was hiding in the bushes.鈥 Later that season, Gleason displayed similar discipline and timing on his historic blocked punt against the Atlanta Falcons.
No. 2: The Battle of Thibodaux (2002)
On-field fights are a regular occurrence during training camp. But in 2002, the most talked-about skirmish occurred off the field at a popular local watering hole called Bubba鈥檚. Jim Henderson, the Saints longtime play-by-play announcer, and Hokie Gajan, the radio team鈥檚 color analyst, were involved in a small bar fight with some unruly locals who got out of line with them. The incident was the talk of camp the next day. Even Haslett asked about it during his daily press briefing. Upon learning of the incident, former UNO and New Orleans Pelicans coach Tim Floyd 鈥 a longtime friend of the duo 鈥 prank-called Gajan and pretended to be the LaFourche Parish district attorney and ordered him to attend anger-management classes.
No. 1: A slide to infamy (2007)
A team-building field trip to a local water park didn't go quite as the Saints planned. At some point during the three-hour excursion, a few crafty players discovered the trick to gaining speed on the 50-foot Typhoon slide was to slide behind a large lineman, who would reduce the water and friction on the slide. The trick worked a little too well, though, as linebacker Scott Fujita skipped across the landing pool and crashed into a wall on the opposite side, bruising his right heel. Reserve tight end Billy Miller also gashed his forehead in a separate incident. 鈥淚t got a little competitive,鈥 Payton quipped to reporters the next day. Miller missed a couple of practices. Fujita was sidelined for two preseason games.
Coming Soon
July 30: Biggest confrontations
Aug. 6: Best quotes
Aug. 13: Favorite stories
Aug. 20: Best scoops
Aug. 27: Favorite headlines