New Orleans Saints: My Team, My Way!

Yes, there were times, I'm sure you knew,
When I bit off more than I could chew,
But through it all, when there was doubt,
I ate it up and spit it out.
I faced it all and I stood tall
And did it my way.

Back in 1978 I had the honor of meeting Muhammad Ali. This moment changed my life, although at the time I did not know it would have such a profound effect. Now I’m going to break the Golden rule of women, and let the age thing out of the bag.

I was eight years old, how could I have realized just how this event would affect my life in so many ways?

If you put in the time, it will be worth it no matter what the outcome. But whatever you do, NEVER give up. Know yourself, but know you opponent better.

Strength and tenacity while maintaining a sense of family and self, got it!

I remember the Super Bowl XII, dad worked that event too!

I had the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader poster hanging in my room for many years.

Fast forward a few years and it was time for my shot at the NFL. I had done the time, 15 years of dance training and competitions. Throw in another year at the college level, that and a dare while at work, and I was ready to tryout to be a Saintsation.

This was my favorite part, my dad and my brother never made it to the NFL, but I did. It took a few years, but yes we all laughed at that one.

Back to the articles and the whole writing thing, not my strongest asset, but the one I would try to capitalize on.

I went with what I knew. Drew and the offense last year-great effort. Where were the issues? The running game, especially short yardage and between the tackles.

Now let's try to underplay that one. Highlight the positives: hey that's a great title, Drew Brees And The Saints: Accent The Positive and Eliminate The Negative.

The first one took the longest, but after that it started to spill out quite easily. Next came my Morten Andersen piece. What was left out, I worked for Morten in 1992 as a bartender at his restaurant, Champions Bar and Grill. At this point, scribe turned up under my name.

I guess I was doing something right. By now I had covered the offense and a history of why I wanted to cover my Saints.

Be diverse, go to the defense and then do the mock interview. Next would be the prediction for the year. I didn't want to be boring so I went with my other passion, food! A gumbo analogy, touche'!

That's when it happened, all of a sudden I couldn't stop. I had become addicted.

Meanwhile, I had befriended a few people on this here site. They were and are very supportive. One even pushed me a bit to expand on my Behind the Scenes Cheerleader point of view. Thanks Leroy, you were right! I look forward to continuing it.

I took a bit of a hiatus while my other team, the LSU Tigers were doing their thing in Omaha.

Once again, personal experiences and family ties had me hooked on the game, being a "newbie", I wanted to spread my wings and give baseball a go.

Some of my highest reads up until the fourth of July.

I was just finishing a call shift from the night before.

For those who do not know, my job that pays the bills is ultrasound tech. Yes, I look at babies in mommies tummies, but I also get called out for emergencies such as blood clots or torsion of testicles. And everything in between. My life is far from boring.

It was mid day or so when I checked my facebook page and I saw it, Steve McNair, murdered. What? No way!

I researched very quickly,my police family background kicked in and I knew there was more to this. I made a choice, I did not want to burn my NFL bridges that I had cultivated over the past 20 plus years. I went for the quick read with only the basic facts.

That and my husband and I were leaving to go out of town for the weekend.

So I didn't get the "job" with CBS, but I am nowhere near done. The experience far outweighed the outcome.

I am still navigating my way through this site, and loving every minute. Well, most of them. If anyone can tell me a secret on how to shut off the parent brain, I will be grateful. I can't seem to get an article out at a normal hour, due to interruptions.

But I will never trade it.

As for being a finalist, this is not my first time with that title, and I'm sure not my last.

I am a proud member of the over 30 group who is still out there making it happen. I can't wait for the next chapter. Maybe I'll show up two hours before game time and interview that "ringer" for CBS. Its always a good thing to make the contact. But that's my way.

I've loved, I've laughed and cried,
I've had my fill - my share of losing.
But now, as tears subside,
I find it all so amusing.

To think I did all that,
And may I say, not in a shy way -
Oh no. Oh no, not me.
I did it my way.

For what is a man? What has he got?
If not himself - Then he has naught.
To say the things he truly feels
And not the words of one who kneels.
The record shows I took the blows
And did it my way.