This video will get you ready for the first pre-season game tomorrow!!

Thank Goodness Football season is back!!

FOXBOROUGH — Mention the New Orleans Saints and some may think about last season’s Super Bowl championship, the franchise’s first. Around the Patriots, the Saints spark a few unpleasant memories from last season.

The November meeting in New Orleans between the Patriots and Saints was supposed to be a measuring stick for the Saints, who were fighting to stretch their perfect season to 11 games. Drew Brees seamlessly threaded his way through the Patriots secondary with 371 passing yards and five touchdowns in the Saints’ 38-17 win.

New Orleans Saints in Washington D.C. to get their props for being World Champs!! Obama is now part of the Who Dat Nation!

MONDAY’S CALENDAR

Special events

“Madden Gras” Release Party Harrah’s Fulton Square. EA Sports marks the release of “Madden NFL ’11, ” the new edition of the video game (with New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees on the cover), with a party, 11 a.m.-7. The free event includes special appearances by former NFL players, including Archie Manning, Terry Bradshaw and Joe Horn, a video game tent, a football toss, a face-painting and temporary tattoo station, vendors, and music by the Rebirth Brass Band, Bucktown All-Stars, Rockin’ Dopsie Jr. and The Radiators. At 7, there will be a parade with special throws, heading from Decatur Street down Bourbon Street to Jackson Square, where there will be music by Galactic and Cowboy Mouth, starting about 9:15. The game goes on sale at midnight. Visit www.harrahsneworleans.com.

Read more of the events planned.

Mike Scott, TP

My middle child, Ben, turned 10 years old on Sunday. That means that every year for exactly half of his life, as the scorching heat of July gives way to the face-melting heat of August, we’ve immersed ourselves in our own version of Saints training camp

There are no wind sprints here, no five-on-five drills. Only occasionally is there rookie hazing. In our version of training camp, we stretch our thumbs and dive into the latest available version of the “Madden NFL” video game and, in an optimistic show of genetic Who Dattitude, we take the New Orleans Saints to the Super Bowl.

Read more here.

from the TP

David F. Dixon, the driving force behind the concept and construction of the Louisiana Superdome and the father of professional football in New Orleans, died this morning, his son David Frank Dixon Jr. said.

Working with Kansas City Chiefs owner Lamar Hunt, Mr. Dixon also founded World Championship Tennis, the linchpin of the open tennis format which ignited the high popularity of the sport. He also founded the United States Football League, which has since gone out of business.

Read the rest of the story here.

By Jeff Duncan

It was 40 minutes after the New Orleans Saints’ Black and Gold scrimmage. The crowd had long since retreated to the comfort of their air-conditioned cars. Inside, Saints players were sprawled across the locker room, giddily anticipating their first time off since the start of training camp eight days ago.

Michael DeMocker/The Times-PicayuneNew Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees put in extra work at Saturday’s Black and Gold scrimmage.

But Drew Brees hadn’t had enough.

While the media congregated around linebacker Jon Vilma, Brees quietly ran wind sprints across the practice field by himself.

Read the rest of the story here.

Nakia Hogan, The Times-Picayune

For all the success the New Orleans Saints offense had last season in ranking as the NFL’s best on their way to winning the Super Bowl, quarterback Drew Brees and company left a lot to be desired during a 76-play Black and Gold Scrimmage at the team’s Metairie headquarters.

Michael DeMocker/The Times-PicayuneNew Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees completed six passes at the Black and Gold scrimmage on Saturday.

On a baking Saturday afternoon, the defense dominated the scrimmage, allowing just one touchdown as Brees directed the No. 1 offense on a seven play, 80-yard touchdown drive against the second-team defense. The scrimmage did not have any live tackling.

Read the rest of the story here.