With the NFL season still 4 months away, the New Orleans Saints have broken all their season ticket sales records for the 2006-07 season. But is there a reason for the city to be so optimistic? We think so. First of all, they have a new head coach, Sean Payton, who is coming to them from Dallas where he learned all the head coaching tricks and techniques from Bill Parcells. Let’s not forget, Payton was the offensive coordinator for the NY Giants and helped lead them to a Super Bowl.

Second, they went out and got a GOOD QB. Now, how soon Drew Brees recovers from his shoulder injury could impact the season, especially if its weeks and weeks that he misses. Brees has had a stellar couple of years recently, and fully intends to continue that trend in the Big Easy.

Finally, Reggie Bush. Need I say more? Arguably the most “electrifying” player in the 2006 draft (I’m still betting on Super Mario making a big splash) is coming to town to try and help rebuild a franchise and perhaps a city. He has skills, S-K-I-L-L-S, and personality. Bush brings excitement and a winning attitude, something he probably picked up during his days with the Trojans.

With more than a few dark days in recent history, both on the field and off, the Saints actually have a reason to think tomorrow may be better than yesterday. Same goes for the city itself.

• Former McDonald’s All American Eric Boateng is transferring from Duke to Arizona State. This is a huge first get for Herb Sendek, who also transferred from the ACC (NC State) to Arizona State a little over a month ago.
• Hey Rasheed, did you mean TONIGHT’s game when you guaranteed a win over the Cleveland Cavaliers? Nah, I didn’t think so.
• Former Virginia Tech QB and general troublemaker/finder Marcus Vick has signed a contract with the Miami Dolphins. What the heck would make the Dolphins, already burned by Ricky Williams, take another chance on someone like this? I know everyone deserves a second chance, but with Vick, we’re on, like…….6 or 7!
• Doug Flutie, 21 year veteran of professional football, is calling it quits. This is probably the first time in Flutie’s career that he actually has decided to quit. The ultimate warrior, he often overachieved and outperformed all the expectations people put on an undersized QB. He was never a superstar, or earned mega-money, but he holds a special place in all football fans hearts. Congrats on finishing one career, and starting another. Flute: An all around good guy.
• Reggie Bush may be having an MRI on his hamstring and hasn’t been active yet in camps, but he has his mind set on being in camp on time and has told his agent specifically, NO HOLDOUTS. And I for one would like to add, AMEN!

Paul Attner wrote an article for the Sporting News today that gets into the details and the path that eventually led the Houston Texans to draft Mario Williams instead of the fan favorite Reggie Bush. Quite an interesting read.

Around 5:30 Friday afternoon, Dogra asks Williams, “How would you like to be the first choice?” They celebrate by drinking $10 bottles of water and eating from $20 cans of Pringles from the minibar in their hotel room in New York. Williams can afford the bill.

FWIW, and I have stated this already several times, I think in 10 years, the decision will still be a tossup. Both of these guys, Williams and Bush, will be superstars for the foreseeable future.

• Tom Glavine gets a shutout against the Braves. It’s a good thing, because his own team could only muster a 1-0 victory.
• The Seattle Mariners put an end to two of their troubling trends and extended the Baltimore Orioles’ significant early season bullpen problems Saturday, sending 11 men to the plate and erupting for six runs in the sixth inning on the way to an 8-6 victory before 34,161 at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
• NEWSFLASH: The Memphis Grizzlies lost in the playoffs again.
• Jagr left the game 53 seconds in, and the Devils dispatched the rest of the team 3 periods later. The Rangers first trip to the playoffs didn’t end the way they had envisioned it.
• Tony Stewart walked away unscathed from a frightening accident Saturday when his car flipped onto its roof during the Busch Series race at Talladega Superspeedway.

And special to the Quick Hits today, I have just a few observations about the draft today:

• First and foremost, my Wolfpack had 3, yep I said 3, first round draft picks.
• As stated in my post earlier today, Matt Leinart may really have backed into a prime spot in Arizona. I look for him to do big things there, and not too far in the future.
• Regardless of what the Packers say, they happy to be done with Javon Walker.
• I was glad to see the Titans take both Vince Young and LenDale White. Both of those guys are exciting players, and since I have a soft spot in my heart for Nashville, I wish them both the best.
• Folks can argue all day long, ’til the cows come home about the way the #1 pick went down. As someone who has been able to watch Mario Williams from the sidelines for the past 2 seasons, he is a star in the making, or perhaps already made. Now, that’s not to say Reggie Bush won’t be a super, SUPER player, but I am saying in 10 years, it will still be a tossup.
• The 49ers made out like a bandit today. Getting a receiving target like Vernon Davis and a speed rushing DE to replace Julian Peterson with Manny Lawson, both in the first round.
• Filed under “Huh?”, the San Diego Chargers drafted another QB, Charlie Whitehurst out of Clemson. You’d think they had their fill of QB’s of the last couple of seasons. Just seems to me they could have gone after another wide receiver, but what do I know.
• The Carolina Panthers picked up a steal late in the first round when DeAngelo Williams fell to them at the 27 spot. Over the past few seasons, they Panthers have been forced to be a “running back by committee” team due to injuries. Williams rushed for over 6000 yards in college. I don’t care who you are or where you play, there has to be a lot of talent there and also a lot of durability. NICE pickup!
• The Patriots were, well the Patriots on Sat. They managed to pick up Laurence Maroney who fell farther down in the draft than expected at RB and also got Chad Jackson, who most scouts had as the #1 WR on the board.
• Two players that fell a lot farther than I would have though earlier in the day were Daryl Tapp and Eric Winston. Both are going to be really, REALLY good in the league.

• Another milestone for LeBron James: his first winning shot in the playoffs.
• Steve Howe, the relief pitcher whose promising career was derailed by cocaine and alcohol abuse, died Friday morning when his pickup truck rolled over in Coachella, Calif. He was 48.
• Greg Maddux picked up a win and is 5-0 for the first time in his career. He has five of the Cubs’ 13 wins and a 1.35 ERA. He earned his 323rd victory, one win shy of tying Nolan Ryan and Don Sutton for 13th place all-time.
• Posey, called for a flagrant foul two and ejected with 3:15 left in the game, will miss Game 4 of the Eastern Conference series Sunday.
• Grizzlies guard Mike Miller won the NBA’s Sixth Man Award on Friday after making the transition from starter to key reserve. Miller led the NBA in scoring off the bench this season, averaging 13.7 points. He ranked second in scoring for the Grizzlies and was second in rebounding with a 5.4 average. He also tied for third in assists.
• Rod Brind’Amour scored 5:54 into the third period to give Carolina a 3-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens that tied the first-round playoff series on Friday night.
• After ordering teams to relax front bumpers for the race this weekend at Talladega, a tiny bit of contact might cripple a car and drivers didn’t want to risk it during Friday’s two practice sessions.
• By taking Mario Williams #1 in tomorrow’s NFL draft, the Houston Texans have thrown a huge curve into the first few picks. The Saints, which were content to take Williams in the draft, are now in a prime spot to take Reggie Bush or move the no.2 pick, which has increased tremendously in value. According to ESPN as of 11pm, at least 5 teams, including the Packers and Jets had contacted the Saints about possibly moving up. If this happens, and the Saints trade down a few spots, look for them to take AJ Hawk.
• Mike Paulus of Christian Brothers Academy (Syracuse, N.Y.), the No. 2 quarterback in the class of 2007 according to recruiting analyst Tom Lemming, told USA TODAY on Friday afternoon that he has verbally committed to play football at the University of North Carolina.

Just a few months ago, USC was the darling of the college football world. The players were shining examples of the all-american kid. Personable. Unbeatable. Then they were beaten. Now, they may lose more than on the field. The recent allegations surrounding Reggie Bush and Mark Sanchez, coupled with some other incidents coming to light, make it possible to bring “Glory U” back to earth. Dennis Dodd’s article gets into the nitty gritty and shines a light on some things the Trojans would rather stay in the dark

Four months ago, Southern California was chasing an unprecedented third straight national championship. Who knew that a Vince Young touchdown scramble with 19 seconds left would set off — symbolically at least — a ticking time bomb?

Yahoo Sports has an exclusive report that Reggie Bush’s family might have received money or fringe benefits from an agent and/or sports marketing company. A Yahoo reporter confronted Denise Griffin, Reggie Bush’s mom, about Michael Michaels and his involvement with the 3,000 square foot property in Spring Valley, California the Bush family was living in. After this confrontation the Bush family packed up and moved out in 24 hours. USC has asked the Pac-10 to begin full investigation into this situation and it’s going to be interesting to see what comes out of this ordeal.

With the draft coming up, all eyes are on the Houston Texans, and what they will do with their #1 pick. The most obvious choice is Reggie Bush. Both Bush and the Texans are in ongoing contract talks. The main sticking point appears to be, hold on to your seats…..MONEY. The Texans aren’t shy about ponying up the cash, but Bush’s team is letting it be known that the #1 contract should be more than the previous years contract. Last year’s #1, Alex Smith, got a $24 million deal. And like I said, the Texans WILL overpay, but they contend that they shouldn’t pay more for a player who is NOT a QB. With that in mind, the Texans have also opened up communications with Mario Williams’ camp. The stud DE from NC State is widely acknowledged as the best defensive player in the draft, with measurables similar to and in some cases surpassing those of current NFL star Julius Peppers. If I had to put money on it, Bush is the #1 pick. This kid is going to be one of those guys who…..well, he is just going to be one of those guys. We will look back on him 15 years from now and marvel at his career. That’s not to take anything away from Williams, who I think will also have a stellar career in the NFL, but if you have that #1, you have to take someone who can take some of the pressure off D. Carr.
Also, the Titans have the 3rd pick. Now, I am not going to get into the screw job they’re giving Steve McNair, at least in the post. It is almost a given they are going to be taking a QB, but which one. Most talent scouts have tabbed Leinart from USC as close to a given as you can get. With that said, Vince Young from Texas offers an extra layer of ability and skills to the QB position. In fact, the Titans may be favoring Young at this point, and that offers up the possibility of trading back, picking up a few more positions, and taking Young a little later in the draft, as it’s not expected for Young to go to any of the teams immediately following the Titans. Of course, there are some in the Titans organization who would love to get Matt Leinart in there and team him up with Norm Chow, his former offensive coordinator from USC. Right now, the Titans could change the landscape of the first round with what it decides to do.