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The Saints didn't have to search far to find a pair of offensive linemen to fill out their training camp roster. They signed center Rob Hunt and guard Isaiah Ross from the VooDoo on Tuesday.

To make room, the Saints released linemen Carnell Stewart and Marquay Love.

The Saints didn't have to search far to find a pair of offensive linemen to fill out their training camp roster. They signed center Rob Hunt and guard Isaiah Ross from the VooDoo on Tuesday.

To make room, the Saints released linemen Carnell Stewart and Marquay Love.

AP Photo / Sakchai LalitKevin Kaesviharn is off trying to do some good in the world.

Sometimes even those of us who scour the web for news on an hourly basis still miss the occasional blurb. I was faced with that reality again today, when I stumbled upon this interesting photograph from The Associated Press ... dated June 16.

Nevertheless, seeing that most everyone on the planet seemingly missed the story, and also knowing that your average Saints fan has the appetite for Saints content rivaling mine in front of a plate of burritos, I thought I'd share.

According to the AP, New Orleans Saints safety Kevin Kaesviharn took part in a football clinic for children in Bangkok earler this month. The clinic was part of a series of activities meant to celebrate 175 years of diplomatic relations between the United States and Thailand.

Staff / Times-PicayuneSaints training camp is creeping up.

With so much going on in the New Orleans sports community, it's easy to lose sight of things.

That's where NOLA.com comes in. David Gladow offers a weekend preview of sorts every Friday at noon in the form of a live chat with the New Orleans community.

Want to talk about the Saints' latest moves or the upcoming VooDoo game? Want to vent your frustrations over the Hornets playcalling? This is your time to sound off. Send in your questions and comments, and Dave will touch on your hot topics every week.

American football might not be the national game of England, but it is becoming more popular.

On Friday, the 15,000 tickets available in the second general admission sale for the NFL regular-season game at Wembley Stadium sold out in 30 minutes.

Last month, the first 40,000 tickets for the Oct. 26 game between the San Diego Chargers and New Orleans Saints were sold in 90 minutes.

2.) 2006 New Orleans Saints (10-6) - lost third round

Staff / Times-PicayuneSteve Gleason blocked the punt against Atlanta that helped start it all.

For most folks, this selection pretty much speaks for itself.

The 2006 New Orleans Saints didn't overachieve so much as they took advantage of the circumstances around them. A weak conference? Check. A light schedule? Check. A couple of key offseason additions (Drew Brees and Reggie Bush)? Check. The biggest wave of momentum imaginable? Check.

You can probably argue this point to the end of time, but nevertheless, our opinion says you have to give this team credit for taking advantage of the perfect storm brewing in front of them and riding the momentum all the way to the NFC Championship Game.

Not every team is going to rise to the occasion like the Saints did.

AP Photo / A.J. MastJoseph Addai was a stud at LSU. Can he be one for your Fantasy team too?

They are unquestionably the top four running backs in the world of Fantasy Football, although not necessarily in that order. The big question is who is the next best running back?

Here are my candidates for that fifth spot, in alphabetical order:

6.) 1992 New Orleans Saints (12-4) - lost first round

Staff / Times-PicayuneRickey Jackson was a pass-rushing beast for the Saints in 1992.

Is it the best defense the Saints have ever fielded? Probably not. Is it the best offense? Again, no. But as far as complete teams go, it's hard to argue against what the New Orleans Saints put on the field in 1992 ... and that team posted a franchise-record 12 wins.

Of course it's easy to see why that happened, given the absurdly talented defense the Saints fielded. Leading the league in sacks (57) and pass defense (154.4 yards per game), the Saints sent three linebackers to the Pro Bowl in Vaughan Johnson, Pat Swilling and Sam Mills (the fourth, Rickey Jackson, tallied a mere 14 sacks). No slouch against the run either (No. 7 in the NFL), New Orleans set a franchise record by allowing only 202 points during the season.

To put it bluntly, the defense (like many of the Saints defenses of the era), verged on the edge of dominance.

The countdown to the Saints' 2008 season has reached its final month.

Players are scheduled to report to training camp at Millsaps College in Jackson, Miss., on Wednesday, July 23, with the first set of two-a-day practices scheduled for Thursday, July 24, the team confirmed Monday.

Staff / Times-PicayuneLSU is on center stage this weekend.

With so much going on in the New Orleans sports community, it's easy to lose sight of things.

That's where NOLA.com comes in. David Gladow offers a weekend preview of sorts every Friday at noon in the form of a live chat with the New Orleans community.

Want to talk about the Saints' latest moves or the upcoming VooDoo game? Want to vent your frustrations over the Hornets playcalling? This is your time to sound off. Send in your questions and comments, and Dave will touch on your hot topics every week.

AP Photo / Tim SharpHe's not Pacman, but who is?

Well, hello there, inquisitive Louisianans! Ye Olde Fantasy Master here for the first installment of my season-long Fantasy Football blog.

Firstly, yes, I'm from England (the original home of football, I might add), and my real name is Ross Devonport. However, since Cowboys DB Adam Jones has decided he doesn't want to be called Pacman any more, I think I might claim the moniker.

Pacman Devonport. Sounds kinda cool. I'M GONNA MAKE IT RAIN!!!!!!

Scott Threlkeld / Times-PicayuneWho is the greatest?

As part of our determination of the best sports teams in the history of New Orleans, we're going to open the door to the fans to offer their say. Last week, you got to put in your two cents for who should be nominated. Now, it's time to pit your choices against one another.

Today, we vote on the best local pro teams in the city. This is by no means a complete list, but rather a collection of fan submissions. And while there's no way to include everyone, these are some of the best teams this city has probably ever seen.

(Poll after the jump)

Staff / APThe Hornets are preparing to reshape their roster for 2008-09.

With so much going on in the New Orleans sports community, it's easy to lose sight of things.

That's where NOLA.com comes in. David Gladow offers a weekend preview of sorts every Friday at noon in the form of a live chat with the New Orleans community.

Want to talk about the Saints' latest moves or the upcoming VooDoo game? Want to vent your frustrations over the Hornets playcalling? This is your time to sound off. Send in your questions and comments, and Dave will touch on your hot topics every week.

After making a silent but apparently effective protest by declining to participate in the Saints' voluntary offseason conditioning program, defensive end Will Smith accomplished his objective Wednesday.

MICHAEL DeMOCKER / THE TIMES-PICAYUNESaints defensive end Will Smith laments his roughing the passer penalty against Philadelphia which brought the Eagles out from terrible field position in the third quarter December 23, 2007.

Saints defensive end WIll Smith on Wednesday agreed to a six-year, $70 million contract extension that makes him the third-highest paid end in the NFL, his agent said.

A league source said the contract includes $26 million in guaranteed money.

"The Saints really stepped up," said Smith's agent Joel Segal. "They continue to sign their core players as they demonstrate a strong commitment to winning."

Saints defensive end WIll Smith on Wednesday agreed to a six-year, $70 million contract extension that makes him the third-highest paid end in the NFL, his agent said.

A league source said the contract includes $26 million in guaranteed money.

Saints defensive end Will Smith has agreed to a new six-year contract extension that could be worth up to $70 million, a league source said Wednesday afternoon.

MICHAEL DeMOCKER / THE TIMES-PICAYUNESaints defensive end Will Smith laments his roughing the passer penalty against Philadelphia which brought the Eagles out from terrible field position in the third quarter December 23, 2007.

The deal includes $26 million in guaranteed money.

Staff / Times-PicayuneThe Hornets were good, but were they the best ever?

After witnessing the wonderful season just turned in by the New Orleans Hornets, the folks at NOLA.com just had to wonder: Is this the best the local fans have ever had it?

After all, these Hornets compiled a staggering number of wins on their way to a division championship and the verge of the Western Conference Finals. But is this team really the best this city has ever had to offer?

NOLA.com wants to find out. We've begun the heavy lifting of digging through our archives (and the archives of some of your favorite teams) in search of the best of the best, but we want to hear from you too. What are your favorite teams from years gone by? Who would you rank amongst the best teams ever? Are the 2006 New Orleans Saints the best Saints team ever? Do the Tulane football squads of years gone by deserve inclusion? And what of the LSU Tigers? Do they deserve to be included at all?

The Saints will do something a little different during Tuesday's sheduled OTA session: helping rebuild several houses in the city's Hollygrove section.

Wide receiver Marques Colston, who has outperformed his original rookie contract and whose agent has been in discussions with the Saints on a new deal, missed Monday's voluntary OTA practice.

David Gladow / NOLA.comPlenty of folks are ready for the weekend to get here.

With so much going on in the New Orleans sports community, it's easy to lose sight of things.

That's where NOLA.com comes in. David Gladow offers a weekend preview of sorts every Friday at noon in the form of a live chat with the New Orleans community.

Want to talk about the Saints' latest moves or the upcoming VooDoo game? Want to vent your frustrations over the Hornets playcalling? This is your time to sound off. Send in your questions and comments, and Dave will touch on your hot topics every week.

The Saints have fired Vice President of Player Personnel Rick Mueller in a restructuring of the player personnel department, the team announced Wednesday.

At the same time the club said it had hired Khai Harley as director of football administration, replacing Russ Ball who left earlier this year to become vice president of player finance for the Green Bay Packers.

Courtesy of Dave Lawrence
Communications Assistant, New Orleans Saints

New Orleans -- Saints Executive Vice President/General Manager Mickey Loomis today announced the hiring of Khai Harley as Director of Football Administration. Harley arrives in New Orleans after serving the last five years as the Manager of Labor Operations with the NFL Management Council.

"We went through a thorough search to find a replacement for Russ Ball and we feel like our careful search has paid off with the hiring of Khai," said Loomis. "He brings a wealth of knowledge to the position; he has experience working at the League office and the Management Council and is very knowledgeable of the inner workings of the current Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) and where it is heading. I have worked with him for a number of years and consider him a valued asset to the team."

Harley's primary focus with the Saints will be managing the salary cap, and his responsibilities will also include contract negotiations, coordinating different areas of the football operations and being involved in the administrative functions of running the club on a daily basis.

The Saints have fired Vice President of Player Personnel Rick Mueller in a restructuring of the player personnel department the team announced Wednesday.

At the same time the club said it had hired Khai Harley as director of football administration replacing Russ Ball who left earlier this year for a to become vice president of player finance for the Green Bay Packers.

AP Photo / Tom UhlmanOdell Thurman probably won't be landing in New Orleans.

It doesn't look like the New Orleans Saints will make a play for former Bengals linebacker Odell Thurman.

Saints head coach Sean Payton made it fairly clear weeks ago, telling reporters the Saints wouldn't pursue any big names at the position, despite the sudden retirement of Dan Morgan.

That didn't quiet the Internet speculation though, as Saints fans publicly wondered, why not Odell?

The reason now appears to be fairly obvious.

Saints defensive end Will Smith, who had boycotted the team's voluntary offseason conditioning workouts and was a no-show at the beginning of the organized team activities, remained in New Orleans for this week's OTAs.

The Saints signed two free agents, it was announced Tuesday morning. They've signed cornerback Jerametrius Butler and center Marquay Love.

Butler, who played collegiately at Kansas State, is an eighth-year veteran defensive back who spent his first six NFL seasons with the St. Louis Rams and played in 2007 with the Buffalo Bills. The 5-foot-10, 181-pound former fifth-round draft choice has played in 71 career regular season games, starting 32.

The Saints ended their three day minicamp on Sunday with one morning practice, but get right back on the field Monday with the first of four organized team activities this week.

Several hundred Saints fans took advantage of their first - and only - opportunity to see the football team practice Saturday and were quite vocal in their appreciation of what they saw on the field.

Everyone who was expected to practice in Friday's first mandatory mini-camp workout was on the field at the Saints Airline Drive practice facility, including defensive end Will Smith who has skipped the voluntary conditioning program and offseason training activities while seeking to negotiate a new contract.