I knew when the story was made official by on NOLA.com the New Orleans Saints wouldn’t be returning to The Greenbrier in West Virginia there was a collective sigh of relief from fans of the team across world, especially from the local community.
The collective sigh of relief was merely a combined effort of different voices within the Who Dat Nation as to why they were glad to see the team move on from greener pastures to…well other somewhat greener pastures possibly.
As a matter of fact it’s those greener pastures that lead to a sour note for a portion of fans the past three years the Saints held their training camp there in the rolling hills of a plush country club.
Head Coach Sean Payton fell in love with the resort and in turn The Greenbrier fell in love with the Saints so much that went all out and constructed several practice fields , a weight room, offices, training room, and more to accommodate the players and staff.
Payton so loved the whole concept that the first year he wanted to make the resort a “permanent” home and the team promptly signed a three-year contract.
But three 7-9 seasons later you kinda figured something was going to give, much like you knew there was going to be changes on the coaching staff but just not exactly sure which kind.
Just back in July of 2016, WDSU’s Fletcher Mackel reported that the previous summer when asked if the Saints would sign an extension for the resort beyond the current contract Payton said:
“I think you’ll see that real soon. This place just works for us”
Fletcher made a spot on prediction at the time saying he felt the “experiment will be ending soon” and also forecast a return to Metairie for training camp.
All in all, this is probably for the best, both for the Saints and the local fanbase in regards to a few things.
If you think I’m going to say because the lavish resort made the team soft and weak then you’re dead wrong although I know that’s the common theory for a nice sized portion of fans.
Coincidently right after the NOLA.com article popped up I promptly received an email from a friend who hoped the Saints not returning to The Greenbrier would help them not be a bunch of….well I’ll let you fill the rest in.
I’ve never been a part of that theory though because I just don’t think when the players checked in they turned over their man card for their room key.
The champions of the “Soft Saints” idea are one’s I know that mentioned the team needed to get back to the grueling heat and humidity of Louisiana to “toughen them back up”.
Present this to anybody in the area of sports medicine and they’ll likely laugh you out of the building because constant punishment to the body such as sweltering conditions lead to dehydration, cramping, and heat exhaustion just to name a few.
Toughness though will not be on that list of virtues by any means.
It’s like saying running headfirst into a brick wall repeatedly will serve to strengthen your skull.
Players past and present have even addressed the matter that drilling in the breath-snatching, wet blanket conditions found here lead to injuries as well as players simply going through the motions halfway through practice due to the combination of physical and mental exhaustion.
In other words, the practices end up being unproductive or worse, counterproductive.
All that being said, I DO think that a return to Metairie, as Fletcher Mackel predicted, would be a good idea in the sense that it’s time for the team to reconnect with what made it into what once was a brief but successful playoff and championship contender.
The Saints connected with so many fans locally and even abroad due to their underdog, blue-collar, “we make the rules” status that kind of embodies what many see in New Orleans.
It’s why the blocked kick by Steve Gleason against the Atlanta Falcons meant so much more than an incredible play against a hated rival.
It said not just to the NFL, but the entire country: “Hey remember us? The team and the city a lot of you had written off? Yeah, we’re still here.”
Just as there is a portion of fans who believe mountain air will make you weak, there are also some with the sincere notion that their “down home” team needs to do just that and be amongst the community that feels they have a personal and real bond with.
The team Payton assembled to eventually win their first championship was comprised of practice squad players, a damaged goods quarterback, and free agent castaways who nobody else wanted, with the notion of the Saints ever reaching a Super Bowl much less winning one was a joke.
THAT is what seemed to be lost at The Greenbrier…
Not their toughness or testosterone but the gritty, band of brothers attitude that served to bring them together as a true family during good and bad times, but always rose to the challenge.
There was a troubling whiff in the air during the past three years that the team thought they had made it and were full of bravado thinking that it was a given for them to win effortlessly and to appear in the postseason only required them to show up.
Three 7-9 seasons can’t be blamed on The Greenbrier, but more on the organization itself in losing what got it there in the first place.
Yes don’t point to golf courses, cryogenic recovery chambers, or pink flowered wallpaper in dorm rooms as the culprit.
Instead look to the front office, coaching staff, and players who were either out for themselves or just simply checked out.
Metairie may not be the only possible destination considered for the Saints 2017 training camp, but hopefully wherever it is they find what will bring them back to what they began just over a decade ago.
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