Saints To Play “Home” Game In London

(This post may not be suitable for people who don’t usually read sober posts)

The Saints will play the San Diego Chargers in the NFL’s second ever international regular season contest in 2008. It will be a Saints home game meaning the team will have seven true home games in 2008. Maybe the post-Katrina like damper on home games will mean something. Not that I’ve given an ounce of thought to the Saints, or have taken any millimeter of my 100% undivided attention off the Hornets. As it is, it’s seriously paining me to write this post. I’m thinking worse of myself right now. It needs to be done though, so I’m just typing in an absent minded way thinking of the Hornets.

Anyway, season ticket holders will have seven regular season………uh….okay games to go to.

I can’t wait……………….until even more people jump on the Hornets bandwagon starting next January, if they have an I.Q. of at least 50.

Yeah, this is starting to have nothing to do with the game being played in London. I guess no matter how hard you try, you can’t possibly make an interesting post on the Saints anymore……..wait, did I say anymore? I’M GETTING DUMBER!!!!!!!!!

Meanwhile, some side notes to fill up the space:

The Boston Globe has already published the 19-0 Pats perfect season book. Before you break your computer monitor, if you’re even still reading this and not gone or off to make a comment, the Giants have also published a book naming them the Champions. We’ll settle this this weekend.

For Pats Haters:

The best decision Tom Coughlin made this year was to play the Week 17 matchup with the Patriots with his starters in for the entire game. Granted, his team lost 38-35, but it set the stage for this Super Bowl. Not only did the game create momentum for the Giants heading into the playoffs, but it was money in the bank for their Super Bowl preparation.

The Giants believe they can win this game. I have talked with enough players to believe there is a quiet confidence brewing among the New York players, who like their chances. Members of the Baltimore Ravens and Philadelphia Eagles — teams that came close to beating New England this season — like the Giants’ chances, too.

The Giants remind me of the Patriots team that entered Super Bowl XXXVI against St. Louis as huge underdogs with nothing to lose, a New England team that shocked the Rams, 20-17.

For Giants Haters: (can’t imagine who, except Pats fans)

Use your brain.

PS: You can do it, c’mon sound it out: H—O—R—N—E—T—S.

Nine Is Fine, Hornets Blow Out Nuggets

Take a look at the top sections of the arena. Look different? Filled with people as the Hornets get 15,601 in the arena. Half the reason, of course, was a paid visit from Allen Iverson, but nevertheless, excitement is building. After their 117-93 decision with Denver, the Hornets streak is at nine, their longest since 1999 in Charlotte. Two more, and they’ll have their longest in franchise history. Top in the power rankings, their division, and their conference, the 32-12 Hornets are nothing but fantastic and are legitimate title contenders.

The Hornets are one game ahead of Dallas in the West and a half game ahead of Phoenix. Why is this important? Byron Scott will get to coach the West All-Stars this year if the Hornets have the best West record at the end of Feb. 3rd. Phoenix doesn’t matter. Mike D’Antoni coached the All-Stars last year and a coach can’t be the coach for the big event two years in a row. The Hornets must stay ahead of Dallas to give Byron Scott the nod.

Field Goals				Rebounds
	pos	min	fgm-a	3pm-a	ftm-a	+/-	off	def	tot	ast	pf	st	to	bs	ba	pts
C.Paul	G	38:11	7-20	1-2	8-8	+23	3	6	9	17	1	2	3	1	2	23
M.Peterson	G	18:22	1-3	1-3	2-2	-3	0	0	0	1	5	0	3	0	0	5
D.West	F	29:47	5-10	0-0	3-4	+6	2	7	9	0	3	0	0	0	0	13
P.Stojakovic	F	29:21	6-12	4-8	3-3	+15	0	2	2	1	3	2	4	0	0	19
T.Chandler	C	30:40	4-5	0-0	2-2	+21	8	8	16	3	1	0	0	1	0	10
J.Pargo		29:38	6-13	1-4	0-0	+27	1	1	2	7	5	1	3	0	0	13

NEW ORLEANS, Jan. 28 (AP) — Chris Paul had 23 points, 17 assists, and nine rebounds, and the New Orleans Hornets ran away with their ninth straight win, 117-93 over the Denver Nuggets on Monday night.

A jubilant crowd broke into repeated chants of “M-V-P” in recognition of a masterful performance by the Hornets’ guard, who is New Orleans’ best shot at making the All-Star game here next month as a reserve.

Even in a game featuring recently elected All-Star starter Allen Iverson, Paul was the best player on the floor in this contest. Iverson also scored 23, but had only three assists and got little help other than from Kenyon Martin, who scored 18.
The second-best center in the game was Hornets reserve Melvin Ely, who had 16 points and nine rebounds in only 23 minutes.

Peja Stojakovic hit four 3-pointers and finished with 19 points for New Orleans, and Jannero Pargo and David West each scored 13 points.

New Orleans built a 20-point lead in the first half and maintained that margin through most of the second half.

Iverson’s driving layups on consecutive possessions gave Denver a glimmer of hope, cutting the score to 91-76 early in the fourth quarter.

But with Paul running the offense, the Hornets quickly sealed it with a 12-0 run that started when Paul set up Ely for a score inside and finished when Paul tossed an alley-oop lob on rookie Julian Wright’s dunk.

New Orleans ended up shooting 51 percent for the game and outrebounded Denver 52-33.

A 12-0 run in the first quarter that included a pair of short floaters by Paul and back-to-back 3s by Stojakovic and Pargo gave New Orleans its first double-digit lead at 31-19, and the Hornets continued to pull away.