Aaron Brooks cont.
http://www.sportingnews.com/nfl/new...antonio-new-orleans/9lx071d7iinh1skl0rf51gm5k
Perhaps no career suffered more collateral damage than Brooks'. The quarterback's apparent outward aloofness had drawn criticism from fans before, but once Brooks' frustration with the season bubbled over into
an interview with CBS and Westwood One radio personality Jim Gray, his career never recovered.
Brooks called out the NFL for its inaction. He called out owner Tom Benson. He complained of the conditions in San Antonio, at a time when many found it insensitive to complain about anything as Katrina's wake continued to affect New Orleans citizens. That was enough to give the football world red flags. But when he also questioned the city's readiness to reclaim the Saints, he also lost favor with fans.
"If it's not up to par," Brooks told Gray, "There's no need to go back, Jim."
The resulting Saints fan sentiment has endured, to the point that Brooks' induction into the Saints Hall of Fame
drew consternation and column inches , despite his standing on the Saints' all-time stat ledger. It's a legacy Brooks regrets, if not the words.
"I don't take back what I said," Brooks said 10 years later. "I just wish I could have said it in a different manner where people could really understand that I truly care.
"I don't think a lot of people know this: I really love New Orleans. I love the culture. I love the people ... But somebody had to come out on our behalf."
Beyond fanfare, Brooks' words might have maimed his football career. Respected New York Times columnist William C. Rhoden suggested as much two years later as Brooks remained on NFL's outside looking in, despite quarterback needs across the league. He says the interview gave the team an excuse to make him the prodigal son. They called an emergency meeting; Benson spoke to the team to clear the air. Haslett sat Brooks down and asked if the quarterback supported his coach. The answer didn't satisfy; Brooks would be benched for 33-year-old Todd Bouman.
"Those who speak out get smacked. They get reprimanded," Brooks said. "And if I had never said anything, they probably don't set me down."
It was an unceremonious end for Brooks, probably the Saints best quarterback since Archie Manning. Haslett hasn't had another head coaching gig in the NFL. And both quickly faded into franchise memory. Drew Brees became New Orleans' quarterback, with a killer combination of a cannon arm, a communal connection and an easy smile. Coach Sean Payton's gutsy wherewithal took them to new heights. Brooks and Haslett, who?
Brooks and Carney lament less the legacies lost that year as they do the opportunities lost. Long before the Saints brought New Orleans a Super Bowl, the players said, the Saints failed the fans of New Orleans in 2005.
"A lot of us wanted to be back there in New Orleans helping our friends and neighbors and being a part of the rebuilding and healing of the city," Carney said. "Which of course was tough to do from San Antonio."
Brooks feels any number of gestures could have served fans better and given them reason to support a team flirting with San Antonio, a team losing every Sunday, a team still wearing the symbol of its city but staying away from its borders. The Saints could have issued PSAs, he said, or built houses, sent ambassadors — anything to present a presence.
"We could have eased the tension," Brooks said. "Eased the pressure. Eased all that stuff from their minds and their hearts, because they loved the New Orleans Saints."
Instead, the Saints brass seemed content to spend the season at arm's length from New Orleans, doing little to dispel San Antonio intrigue and relocation rumors while the Superdome partly built on the foundation of public funds sat empty.
"We were a disgrace," said Brooks. "Even though it doesn't seem like we messed up, we messed up. Because our city was messed up. If our fans are unhappy, then our team is unhappy. If our team is unhappy, then the city is unhappy. Because New Orleans is the team. The city of New Orleans
is the football team."