I'm Dr. Mary Claire Haver. Ready for honest conversations about thriving in midlife? Listen to and follow my new podcast, Unpaused, available now wherever you get your podcasts.
Some people follow the rules, but where's the fun in that? I'm Saraiya, and this is Rule Breakers, the podcast where we celebrate the rebels, the misfits, and the ones who make their own way. Every week I sit down with the biggest rule breakers in sports, entertainment and beyond to talk about the wildest moments, toughest lessons and why breaking the rules might just be the key to success. Follow and listen to Rule Breakers with Saraya, an Odyssey podcast available now for free on the Odyssey app and wherever you get your podcasts. It is the JR Sport Brief Show here with you coast to coast on the Infinity Sports Network.
so much football uncertainty In Louisiana, I don't care if you're in Baton Rouge. I don't care if you're in New Orleans with the Saints. We could be talking about the Tigers out west. Man, one team is looking for a coach, the other team is looking for a QB. They may be trading some players away.
We got the governor getting involved in football matters. There's a lot going on in Louisiana. We just talked about some of it. In order to get a first-person perspective, what's going down in Louisiana? Joining us right now is the host of the Datitude podcast on NOLA News, NOLA.com.
Joining us right now is Jim Derry. Jim, how are you, man?
Well, I was doing okay until you just depressed me with that intro. I mean, it's not been the greatest football season in Louisiana, that's for sure. But we're doing okay. I'm glad you're doing okay. I know things have been kind of rough out there in Louisiana.
Let's take a look at the Tigers first before we get over to the Saints. We know about Brian Kelly getting fired, and now the search is on. But we've really now heard from the governor of the state. And I mean, he just got in the seat. Is he already looking for votes?
He's kind of putting his nose into LSU business because it's a public school. What's going on?
Well, I think he read too many books about Huey Long, and he wanted to go back to the days and maybe wanted to be kingfish or something along those lines.
So we actually talked about this this morning. And we my podcast, this is the fifth season of the podcast, and we've done a really nice job of staying away from politics. But uh it it there was no other way. You had to talk about it this morning. And look, It just, it's not going to help you in your search to get a coach if a big-name coach is looking at what's going on in Louisiana, the governor's trying to get involved.
So it's a mess. Uh and he ain't helping. That's where we are right now. We know that he's not helping. What do you think are the next steps?
Are things muddled or is that more of outside noise? I think it's probably a little bit more of outside noise. In the end, it is still LSU. And you're talking about, you know, I got a biased opinion, but I still think it's one of the top five to seven jobs in the country when you Talking about college football, they won three national championships over the course of you know, the last two decades, less than two decades, and it's still a premier program. And so I think that it's obviously a destination of someone that's willing to make a move, is going to want to go.
It's just going to depend on what what kind of big name are you going to get. Are you going to get a guy like Dan Lanning, Elaine Kiffen, or are you going to go smaller and try to get an up-and-coming coach like John Summeroff from South Lane?
So I think it's more talk about. But more talk about nothing than anything in the end. And I still think that LSU will probably get. Maybe not the first coach they want, but they'll get one of the top two or three names they're looking for. Jim Derry is here with us on the JR Sport Re Show covers all things sports in Louisiana.
Well, let me ask you this. Who do you think would be the best candidate for the job?
Well, I think Dan Lanning is the best young college coach in the country. And if I were LSU, and that would be the call that I would make to Oregon and say, look, Are you interested in leaving? He may not be interested in leaving for all I know. But to me, that would be the call that I would make. At 39 years old, I think what this program needs.
is a burst of youth. Uh because honestly, when you're talking about where players want to players want to play for young coaches, they want to play for energetic coaches. And I think he would lead a charge, and that's who I'd be interested in.
Next, in my opinion, is John Sommerall from Tulane. our our local columnist here, Jeff Duncan, wrote a story, wrote a column a couple of days ago and said, if you don't go get John Somerall, you're going to be playing against them next year. And what he's done with Dulane has been fantastic and still has them in the conversation for a playoff. We'll find out they play San Antonio tonight in Memphis next week if they're still in that conversation. But You know, what he's done at Tulane has been fantastic.
So, those are the two names that I'd look for most. A lot of LSU fans want Lane Kiffen. I'm not 100% sure that he's going to leave all miss, and if he does, it could be to Florida.
So, we'll see what goes on there. Yeah, we see John Summerall, I mean, right down the road in the city, he's got the green wave rolling.
Well, let me ask you this. As things stand the rest of the season with LSU, we know this is now a little bit of a lost season, more of an experiment. We got Garrett Nussmeyer who's just been told that he's going to start. Is that kind of temporary or does he have enough clout with his last name to kind of stick it out the rest of the year? Oh, I think the program, I don't want to say, I guess loyalty only goes so far in college football, but one thing that through these Brian Kelly years and the toughness that it the things when the the things that are disappointing and hasn't necessarily been Garrett Nussmeyer.
So I think he's earned the right to to start, at least this next game, but things go south and you may have to revisit that. But uh Garrett Nessmeyer in my opinion is is is earned the right to get to start against Alabama in two weeks. And I think Frank Wilson, the interim coach Frank Wilson, I think that's the intention that he has going forward as well. Is there anything else that we should pay attention to over the next month as the season rounds out for L S U?
Well, I mean, one thing I think the reason why Brian Kelly ended up losing his job. when he did is because this play this team played with no heart against Texas A and in the second half. It was clear that he had lost the players and that the heart had kind of gone out of this program.
So what I'd be watching over the course of the next three to four weeks and as this Season winds down, whether or not they go to a ball game, whether or not they want to or not, is are these players are their hearts still in it? Are they going to lose a ton of players to the portal? What is this next coach going to have to go through when he comes in here? And so the All things to watch over the course of the next month for sure. And Jim Derry is here with us, host of the Datitude Podcast, NOLANES, NOLA.com.
Speaking of coaches, if we go a little further east and we go into New Orleans, we know that the Saints have a first-year head coach here and Kellen Moore running things with the Saints. The Saints are trying to figure out their quarterback situation. What overall is the fan base's reaction to seeing Shuck? I'm Dr. Mary Claire Haver.
Ready for honest conversations about thriving in midlife? Listen to and follow my new podcast, Unpaused, available now wherever you get your podcasts.
Some people follow the rules, but where's the fun in that? I'm Saraya, and this is Rule Breakers, the podcast where we celebrate the rebels, the misfits, and the ones who make their own way. Every week I sit down with the biggest rule breakers in sports, entertainment and beyond to talk about the wildest moments, toughest lessons, and why breaking the rules might just be the key to success. Follow and listen to Roar Breakers with Saraya, an Odyssey podcast available now for free on the Odyssey app and wherever you get your podcasts. And like, hey, it's about time, right?
Mostly and only because I think this team is one in seven. It was a very mixed bag going into the year. You probably it was probably fifty, fifty, star Spencer Rowler, star Tyler Shuck. But I think when you go one and seven, obviously, you're going to get you're going to get more people than not say, okay, it's time to make a change at the most important position on the football field and going forward. I apologize for the drums out there.
But so I think that the the fan base overall is interested. I don't know if they're excited. It's hard to get excited when you're one in seven, but I think they want to see what's going to happen with the change. Is it going to make a difference? and putting Teller Suck in against the Los Angeles Rams, which is for sure, the toughest game the Saints have the rest of the way on the road at Los Angeles.
uh is the toughest place to put 'em. But they're ready to see what he has and uh we're gonna find out start Sunday. Yeah, a little surprising. And I understand this year's draft was almost the Where Does Shador go to have Tyler Shuck selected even before him. A lot of people were saying he's out of Louisville, but who, what, where, when, huh?
What have you heard over the past several months in summertime? as to why the saints were so confident that this might be their guide. You know what's interesting, you say that, and from everything that I hear from the inside, is that. Not only was Shuck the guy they wanted over some of the guys they drafted after him, Shuck was number one on their board, period. I mean, even over Jackson Dart, who went in the first round and the Giants jumped up um jumped up to get him.
I'm not so sure that's true, but that's what we hear from inside the building. Um, they like, I'm, I gotta be honest, I'm not 100% sure what they love because there's some things about telestruct. I mean, you love his size. You do love that he has mobility, but he's frankly made some interesting throws. uh throughout his college career and you're talking about a twenty six year old rookie.
So I'm not 100% sure what they see to make them the fortieth pick of the drafter. We're about to find out, J.R. I think it's going to be an interesting nine weeks for sure going forward because it's his job to lose now. I mean, barring something, barring just a complete collapse or an injury, he's got the job for the next nine weeks. Kellen Moore has assured people he's not switching back, and we're going to find out what they have at quarterback.
Jim Derry is here with us on the JR Sport Brief Show, covers all things, sports in Louisiana.
Well, we know it's going to be an interesting nine weeks here for the Saints, but we know the trade deadline is going to take place next week, November 4th. There have been a lot of rumors about what the Saints may or may not do. We heard Alvin Kamara make jokes about retiring if he gets moved elsewhere. Rashid Shaheed, he might get moved as a valuable wide receiver. Do you foresee anything happening?
Is Kamara really serious about quitting if he moves on? Or is that a bluff? I don't think he's serious. Look, he loves New Orleans, but if I were Mickey Lomas and you could get anything for Alvin Kamara at this point, I think, and I've said this on my show, I think that. You're only doing the man a favor by trading him some to some contender.
Let him finish his career out with a contender because, frankly, it doesn't look like AK-41's heart's in it right now, and you can't blame him, honestly, for all that he's gone through over the past. you know, four to five years ever since Drew Brees left.
So I don't think he's bluffing, but I think he would prefer to stay in New Orleans. But at the same time, I think that if he were traded, that he would go and he would do what's asked of him.
So I actually foresee, I think there's going to be a couple people going, whether it's Alvin Kamara or whether it's Rasheed Shaheed or Chris Olave or. Uh this talk of Cesar Ruiz, the right guard. The problem is that I just don't know exactly what they're going to get for these guys. And so. Are you going to get the value that you're looking to get for trading some of these guys?
If you trade Alvin Kamara for a fourth or a fifth-round pick, what are the optics? of that if you're a Saints fan when you're one and seven. And you're in misery right now.
So it's going to be an interesting few days for sure before this trade deadline. But I do think that the Saints are going to make some moves, and I do think there'll be at least one big one.
Well, let me ask you this, Jim. I I love New Orleans, I love the Saints, I love Baton Rouge. Is there any glimpse or or or reason to be optimistic about the Saints at all? You mean for the near future or for not for this year, obviously. I mean, the only thing you're.
Yeah, not for this year, but is there something I could look? Yeah, yeah. I think the same look, i as bad as shape as they're in, it's basically because of the cap hell that they have created for themselves over the course of the past three to four years. And it just goes to show you how you can't kick a can down the road. And when Derek Carr said he was leaving, it left this team with no quarterback.
Um and they were in a spot where they couldn't go get one. And so now the cap situation starts to get a little bit better. And I think that there actually is hope that the team can get better over the course of the next couple of years. But look, I mean, it's. They're in a situation aware of You know, they're just going to have to fix it as soon as they can and and and and keep the rebuilding process.
So And a long winded answer to your question is I think there is reason for hope, but I don't think this team is going to be a playoff team any time the next couple of years. And they're going to have to if it ain't Chuck, they got to figure out who their quarterback, they're going to have to draft one with a top five pick coming up in April. Hey, Jim, last question for you. I know this is off to the side, but in regards to basketball, I feel like the Pelicans are in the same spot. You got Zion.
You don't know if he's playing, you don't know if he's healthy, and it feels like the Pelicans are just kind of running on a treadmill until they figure out his situation. When is he leaving? When are they going to give him the boot? Um That's a good question. I think it's probably sooner rather than later at this point, especially if they continue to go.
winless and their their schedule is brutal to start this season. I think there's a good chance that they start out like two and eight or something along those lines. And look. I think that if that happens, Willie Greene's in a lot of trouble, and I think you're going to start to see a lot of other changes made if they can't turn this ship around. early in November.
Yeah, wow. It's kind of crazy. We got to find the silver line in Louisiana sports. At least the food is good, the people are good. Jim, you're going to be good.
All the time. Hey, tell everybody where they could follow you, listen to the podcast, all your work, Jim. The Dattitude podcast. It's Attitude with the D in front of it. We air every live every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 11 a.m.
Central Time. We'd love to have you come and join us. Maybe I can have you as a guest on one day soon. Hey, well, Jim, I'd love to see you in person next time in Louisiana. Great conversation, okay?
Sounds good. Thank you very much. I'm Dr. Mary Claire Haver. Ready for honest conversations about thriving in midlife?
Listen to and follow my new podcast, Unpaused, available now wherever you get your podcasts.
Some people follow the rules, but where's the fun in that? I'm Saraiya, and this is Rule Breakers, the podcast where we celebrate the rebels, the misfits, and the ones who make their own way. Every week I sit down with the biggest rule breakers in sports, entertainment and beyond to talk about the wildest moments, toughest lessons, and why breaking the rules might just be the key to success. Follow and listen to Rule Breakers with Saraya, an Odyssey podcast available now for free on the Odyssey app and wherever you get your podcasts.
