Saints Fans Will Sit on Hands: Brad Childress Guarantees It

Brad Childress must think he's Broadway Joe Namath with all those bold guarantees he's making these days.

"The fans that I talked about here (in Minnesota), we go right down into that same environment down in New Orleans," Childress told reporters following the Vikings 34-3 thrashing of the Dallas Cowboys. "And we've already talked about having a plan for that. And, you know, obviously the best plan is to make them sit on their hands down there."

Those are some mighty big words for a guy who looks like your high school Civics teacher, Mr. Wildgen.

It's just enough to tick off one of those Bourbon Street witch doctors, prompting him  to cast one of those voodoo spells on the bald, bespectacled head coach.

Remember all sorts of bizarre things are capable of happening in a city where Bob Dylan said, "There's a surprise behind every corner and all the ghosts race toward the light."

Childress' declaration brought back memories of that day in January 1969 when Joe Namath fired back at a heckler in the Miami Touchdown Club audience, "We're going to win Sunday I guarantee you." 

Saints fullback Heath Evans told WWL Radio on Tuesday night that he takes no offense but he doubts Childress will have success delivering on his promise. 

Asked if there is anything the Vikings can do to take the raucous Superdome crowd out of the game, Evans said, "Not until about midway through the fourth quarter if they were up by 40 points. That's one of the greatest things about playing here in New Orleans and this fan base, and this city, and really the bond between the team and the city and the fans."

"We've been down and out a few years or a few times this year and that crowd has just rallied our troops so to speak," said Evans.

"Obviously Brad (Childress) is probably trying to come up with a plan where, 'hey, we know this crowd can be an issue. We know it has been issue. We've got to find a way to score points fast. We've got to find a way to get a lead fast."

"Try to get them to quiet down so good ole' Brett Favre can do what he does. It's going to be our (the Saints) challenge to try and stop that and for us to score fast and get turnovers on their part and we really get our crowd riled up and let's just have some fun on Sunday afternoon," said Evans, who will not play due to a season-ending injury suffered weeks ago.

While Minnesota has thrived in the friendly confines of the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, the Vikings have met with mixed success on the road this season, especially late in the year.

Writes Dave Campbell on www.vikings.com :

"The Louisiana Superdome will provide the same controlled climate and fast surface, without the mass of pro-purple fans. Instead of using the noise to their advantage, the Vikings will have to fend it off and stay focused on the snap counts to avoid being rattled."

"For a team whose stars are mostly veterans, including the venerable 40-year-old quarterback, poise should not be a problem. Last month, though, the Vikings lost all three of their road games - all nationally televised at night with the spotlight on bright."

"For the season, their 4-4 record away from Mall of America Field, as the Metrodome is now officially prefaced, was the worst of the six NFC playoff teams."

"I think that there are too many great stories to talk about struggles on the road, really quite frankly,'' Coach Childress said, trying unsuccessfully to change the subject at his Monday afternoon news conference.

Childress is no stranger to controversy.

In December, he drew the ire of the national media for attempting to pull Favre with the team ahead, 7-6, over the Carolina Panthers entering the fourth quarter. Favre refused it what evolved into an animated public spat on the team's sideline.

Childress says his QB was getting roughed up and he was just trying to protect him from injury.

However the Associated Press reported, "In reading between their lines, though, it appears Childress and Favre have some natural differences of interpretation on the level of latitude the quarterback should have at the line of scrimmage to orchestrate the offense."

Be that as it may, Childress obviously doesn't feel his differences with Favre will prevent the Vikings from making Saints fans sit on their hands on Sunday afternoon in the Superdome.