Dattitude with Jim Derry

There are only so many ways one can beat a dead horse. Or chop dead wood. Whatever the case, we here at the Dattitude Podcast wonder how the New Orleans Saints become successful following the lack of respect the players obviously have for Coach Dennis Allen. But on Ep. 204, we talk about that and more with The Athletic’s Larry Holder, who covered this team for more than a decade and now covers the NFL. He’ll also share his picks for all six playoff games this weekend, and shockingly, he and host Jim Derry agree on five of six picks. What’s the game to look for, who has the upper hand in the race for the Lombardi Trophy, and what is the best bet of the weekend? Well, duh, you have to listen to find out.

NOTE: Small portions of this podcast include explicit language. User discretion is advised. Only the New Orleans Saints could beat their hated rivals by 31 points in the season finale to finish with a winning season, but yet find a way to embarrass themselves. Or maybe only Dennis Allen could find a way to embarrass himself. At the minimum, he opened a window into the soul of the team’s locker room. Just when Jim Derry was trying to turn a positive leaf into 2024 and was ready to give Allen a real shot heading into the offseason. Even if the Saints couldn’t find the miracle path to the playoffs, finishing strong would be one way to exorcise many of the demons and at least change some mindsets. But no. Allen not only apologized to the Atlanta Falcons and soon-to-be-fired coach Arthur Smith, but he admitted to the media, the team doesn’t listen or care to one word he has to say. And in the final Monday Dattitude Podcast (Ep. 202) of the season, Jim asks the question in Derry’s Dime, “How can the Saints possibly move forward with Allen as coach after this utter embarrassment?”

Jim Derry is promising to be more positive in 2024. The New Orleans Saints certainly will test that New Year’s resolution on Sunday when they host the Atlanta Falcons in a game that could see the winner being crowned NFC South champion. OK, maybe that’s a bit far-fetched, as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would also need to lose to the Carolina Panthers on Sunday in Charlotte. But remember, we’re staying positive on this show. Or (spoiler alert) at least until we give our predictions. Larry Holder of The Athletic is back for his regular Friday spot, and he joins the Dattitude Podcast (Ep. 202) to share his thoughts on not only the Saints chances Sunday, but also the other three divisions up for grab: the AFC East and South, as well as the NFC East.

Yeah, we get it. You’ve been screaming about how much you hate Dennis Allen and Derek Carr. Back when they were 5-7, you were hoping they would go like 1-4 the rest of the way, and real changes would be made. Those chances for change are gone. But you know what isn’t gone? The Saints playoff chances. So you might as well enjoy these days while they’re still around. You never know when the next time this team will have a shot at the playoffs. And that is exactly what Jim Derry is screaming in his “Dime” on a special Sunday edition of the Dattitude Podcast (Ep. 201), as that 12-percent shot at the postseason suddenly has become 31 percent with one game remaining.

New Year's Eve is coming Sunday, and the New Orleans Saints hope to pop their fireworks on the road at Tampa Bay to keep their slim playoff hopes alive. But first, we have a much bigger celebration here at home, as the Dattitude Podcast celebrates 200 episodes. To do so, show host Jim Derry brings on Devin "Hold The Mayo" Snow to talk about the Saints slim chances at the playoffs, what has gone wrong this season ... and we'll probably talk a little about red beans and rice, even though it isn't Monday. Questions we likely will ask HTM: Will the Saints be better next year? Is he riding “in the Carr?” What the bleepity bleep happened this season? What would he do with this coaching staff? And how in all that is holy does he eat that much every Monday?

FINALLY! Finally a game fans of the New Orleans Saints can get fired up about. Or at least the ones who aren’t foolishly rooting for their favorite team to win the rest of their games. Yep, Coach Dennis Allen’s defensive game plan was outstanding, quarterback Derek Carr was near perfect, the New York Giants quarterback Tommy DeVito probably needed his momma to double up on the ice packs before bed Sunday night. But should fans be thrilled about maybe the most complete effort of the season or pissed because this is the team we should have seen play all season? In Monday’s edition of “Derry’s Dime” on the Dattitude Podcast (Ep. 199), host Jim Derry says just enjoy it while it lasts, because there’s still quite the long journey to catching Tampa Bay, and it begins on a short week in Los Angeles this Thursday.

It has been a long time since the fan base of the New Orleans Saints has been as outwardly negative as they are right now. And the ironic thing is it comes with the team in the middle of a chase for an NFC South championship with three teams tied at the top of the division. What gives? Why do so many Who Dats think the team should just lose the rest of the way? What do they think that would accomplish? Would Coach Dennis Allen and his staff be forced to exit stage left? Would a higher draft pick come in and help be a savior? Or would it be more of the same? As he usually does, Jim Derry weighs in on the situation and gives his take ahead of the game vs. the New York Giants – a team with a worse record whose fans have a completely different feeling. And also on the Dattitude Podcast (Ep. 198), The Athletic’s Larry Holder makes his weekly Friday appearance to share his thoughts on the Black and Gold, as the duo also previews Sunday’s game and goes through some of the big matchups in Week 15 of the NFL.

Even in victory, this New Orleans Saints team seems to be a trainwreck. Quarterback Derek Carr, who spent most of the week in concussion protocol, had 37 yards through the first three quarters before finally waking up in the final minutes. Oh, and he was publicly fighting with veteran center Erik McCoy, and telling the press, “There’s no problem. It’s all good. … Brother, I’m not trying to be negative with you anymore.” As for Coach Paul Bunyan, aka Dennis Allen, everything is fine because the Saints won for the first time in a month. But is it? In Monday’s edition of “Derry’s Dime” on the Dattitude Podcast (Ep. 197), host Jim Derry seems to be coming around to the Who Dat way of thinking there might be more problems on this team than they can overcome. Problems, that is, even a potential NFC South championship (which still is way off in the distance) could fix.

It has been more than a calendar month since the New Orleans Saints won a football game, but they still find themselves in the heart of the NFC South race with a game they SHOULD win Sunday against division-foe Carolina, who has won just once all season. But these Saints continue to create more questions for their fans than answers, and the oddsmakers see this game a little differently than they would have seen it just a few weeks ago. (And they keep “choppin’ wood.”) Quarterback Derek Carr is in concussion protocol for the third time this year and has a rib injury, yet Coach Dennis Allen has not said whether it will be Carr or Jameis Winston starting on Sunday. Does it matter? These are all top topics of conversation on Dattitude Podcast (Ep. 196) for host Jim Derry and The Athletic’s Larry Holder, as the duo will go through comments and questions from listeners and share their thoughts on the matchup. They each will wrap up the show with their predictions for this game and for other top contests in the NFL for Week 14. Spoiler alert: One of them is playing the role of “King of Wishful Thinking.”

Twelve games into the season, New Orleans Saints coach Dennis Allen is telling the fan base basically not to worry and that the team will continue to “chop wood” and will correct their mistakes. Does he realize there are only five games remaining in the season and most people “chop wood” before winter begins? And what about the rest of the team that seemed perturbed because the fan base wasn’t supporting them on Sunday. Jameis Winston said “we’re all in this together,” but Allen said they don’t care about the “noise” outside of their own locker room. So which is it? All topics for another post-losing edition of “Derry’s Dime” on the Dattitude Podcast (Ep. 195), host Jim Derry attempts to translate the Sunday press conferences, and he also shares his opinion on the absurd Final Four presented to college football fans.

It has been a rough 2 weeks for the New Orleans Saints and their Who Dat fans. With multiple chances to take hold of the NFC South, the team has failed, and now they’re either going to get back on the winning train and win the division for the fifth time in eight years, or they’re going to fall in a deep, dark abyss. Which is it? We’ll find out a whole lot about this team Sunday against the Detroit Lions, who are also struggling a bit as of late. With all the negativity surrounding them, will they be able to turn this season into a “us vs. the world” mentality? Will they be able to get past the injuries to Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed, Marcus Lattimore and more? These are tough questions, and Dattitude Podcast (Ep. 194) host Jim Derry brings in The Athletic’s Larry Holder to answer them as he does each Friday throughout the NFL season. Also, the duo will discuss their thoughts on Week 13 in the NFL, including the big 49ers-Eagles game on Sunday.

It's one of the biggest football weekends of the year, as college football will hold its annual conference championship games, which in turn will settle who will make the CFP in the last season of four teams before we go to 12 in 2024. Also, will it be Oregon's Bo Nix or LSU's Jayden Daniels as the Heisman Trophy winner. There's an excellent chance we'll know the answer when Friday's Pac-12 championship game is over. Lastly, what do we think about the Saints? Well, who better to ask all these questions than NOLA.com Saints editor Zach Ewing, who also is the former Sports Betting Director at Bet.NOLA.com? Zach fills in for Uncle Big Nick and joins Jim Derry on a Thursday Dattitude (Ep. 193).

Is there any team in the NFL that seems to loathe prosperity more than the New Orleans Saints? In clearly the biggest game of the season to date – and against its most fiercest rival in the Atlanta Falcons – the Black and Gold did everything but hand the Dirty Birds an early Christmas present. Oh, and then their head coach and starting quarterback came out in the postgame press conference and decided to spew their perceived positives from the 24-15 loss. And when Dennis Allen and Derek Carr weren’t talking about the good things, they were talking about penalties, injuries and just about anything except what they should have been talking about: why they stunk up the joint. On the first post-bye edition of the Dattitude Podcast (Ep. 191), host Jim Derry is ready Monday to tell it the way they should have told you on Sunday. And he’ll do it with far fewer excuses.

Their week off is over, and the New Orleans Saints have their most important game to date right in front of them, as they travel to Atlanta to face their most heated rival. Can they defeat the Falcons and move two games ahead of them in the NFC South standings with six games to go? Or will it be more of the same old, same old? That's what Jim Derry and The Athletic's Larry Holder will be talking about on Wednesday's "Thanksgiving Eve" Dattitude Podcast (Ep. 191). Later, Jim reads off the Best Bets for he and Uncle Big Nick for Week 12 in the NFL and the penultimate weekend of college football.

It has not been the season – thus far – that fans of the New Orleans Saints have expected. However, is it the one we all should have seen coming? It is time to go through and give our midseason grades for the team. We have a special Wednesday Dattitude Podcast (Ep. 190) to dish out the reality, and host Jim Derry brought in Larry Holder from his regular Friday spot. What do we give the offense? The defense? And yes, we even grade the coaching and the overall team. To finish the show, Uncle Big Nick is here a day early to share the best bets of the week in the NFL and for college football. (Jim is trying to get a rare bad taste out of his mouth from last week, while UBN has a chance to gloat.)

Oh, so that's why so many of you have chosen to be a "glass half-empty" kind of Saints fan this year? Following a 27-19 loss to the mediocre Minnesota Vikings, it is clear this team is incapable of carrying on good cheer into the holiday season. Derry (Downer)'s Dime exposes that on Monday's Dattitude, Ep. 189.

One could make an argument facing the Minnesota Vikings is the biggest game of the season for the New Orleans Saints, as they head into their bye week looking for their first three-game win streak of 2023. Can the offense continue their momentum? Can the defense tighten up and play well from the start against the reigning NFC Offensive Player of the Week, Joshua Dobbs, who just made his way to Minneapolis about 10 days ago? Will the Saints get to two games above .500 for the first time this late in a season since Drew Brees’ final campaign? These are the top topics of conversation for Friday’s Dattitude Podcast (Ep. 188), as The Athletic’s Larry Holder joins host Jim Derry. The duo also will go through the marquee matchups in the NFL for Week 10 and offer their predictions.

Two weeks ago, Dattitude Podcast host Jim Derry was a little hot under the collar and asking “Is this team any different than the one we expected to see in the preseason?” Today, he’s asking the same question with a completely different tone. Why? That is one of the themes of Thursday’s Ep. 187. It’s also time to reveal the best bets of the week for Jim (who is at 60-percent correct for the year against the spread) and Uncle Big Nick, who is on the same roller coaster the Saints have been riding.

The New Orleans Saints are 5-4, on top of the NFC South by a full game and are the clear favorites to win the division. So why all the pouting, crying and moaning from both the local media and the Who Dat Nation? The two main areas of concern - the coaching staff and the offensive line - clearly have been better the past 2-plus weeks, and Jim Derry in his 'Dime' says to enjoy it while it lasts on Ep. 186.

For the first time in a month, the New Orleans Saints sit atop the NFC South. In trying to stay there, they now have to deal with the Chicago Bears, who have struggled this season and will come to the Caesars Superdome without their dynamic quarterback, Justin Fields, behind center. How will the Saints play as an 8.5-point favorite - the largest favorite they have been in the Dennis Allen era? Jim Derry and The Athletic's Larry Holder talk about it Friday morning on Ep. 185. They'll also touch on Week 9 in the NFL and give a prediction for LSU-Bama.

As the college football season enters its final month of the regular season, we have hit the midway point of the NFL season. And with it being Thursday, Jim Derry and Uncle Big Nick look to stay in the green with their best bets of the week, that include UBN's parlay on the LSU-Alabama game and Jim's top plays in the NFL on Ep. 184.

For the third straight week, the New Orleans Saints offense posted more than 400 yards. However, this time, it was in a 38-27 decisive victory over the Indianapolis Colts. What was right about this one? Is it something we can expect in the future? Are the Derek Carr haters gone, or are they just hibernating for a bit on their holes? We get into all of the above on 'Derry's Dime' during Monday's Dattitude Podcast (Ep. 183).

After a 2-0 start, the New Orleans Saints have lost four of their past five games and are in danger of falling to two games below .500, as they head to Indianapolis to face the Colts on Sunday. Is this a must-win game, and can this roller-coaster season begin to head back in a positive direction? Is this a rerun of 2022? We dissect it all on Friday (Oct. 27) on Ep. 182, as WWL-TV sports director Doug Mouton joins Jim Derry. The duo also talk a little about LSU's upcoming meeting with Alabama and the NFL Week 8 slate.

It's Thursday, so it's time for the best bets of NFL Week 8 and college football Week 9 on Ep. 181 with Uncle Big Nick. But before we get to the picks, Jim has something to say about the local press getting on New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr for being emotional. Since when is being emotional in football a bad thing?

It might not be easy to hear, but it needs to be said: The New Orleans Saints have now put themselves in must-win territory after losing to Jacksonville at the Caesars Superdome on Thursday night. In fact, if one wanted a synopsis of the entire 2023 season to date, they could just go back and watch that 31-24 catastrophe. In Jim Derry’s ‘Dime’ on Ep. 180, he dissects the game and all the issues, such as the opening of the postgame press conference for Coach Dennis Allen, quarterback Derek Carr apologizing for getting upset with a receiver who failed to give max effort and what this means for the rest of the season. Also, what did linebacker Demario Davis have to say, and how gut-wrenching the finish was for tight end Foster Moreau.

There's no time to wallow in pity if you're a player, coach or fan of the New Orleans Saints. It's a short week, and the good news is the Black and Gold are finally back home in the Caesars Superdome. In come the Jacksonville Jaguars, who are a bit road-weary themselves – playing one home game after spending 10 days in London. Can the up-and-down Saints get it together on Thursday night, and will Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence be ready for the Jaguars? Larry Holder of The Athletic joins Jim Derry on a special Wednesday episode of the Dattitude Podcast (Ep. 179) to preview the game and make a prediction. Also to finish the show, Jim and Uncle Big Nick try to stay hot with their best bets (they were 8-2 last week) and dish out some more winners. Oh, and the answer to the question “Did Jim swallow a duck” is no, so don’t worry about him. (Wink, wink.)

One week a shutout victory for the New Orleans Saints, the next week the offense can't figure out how to get the ball in the end zone. Such is life for Who Dats, but will it change any time soon? And is this coaching staff finally beginning to realize it's getting to now or never time in this team reaching its potential? Hear Jim Derry and his 'Dime' on the day after a 20-13 frustrating loss to the Houston Texans. Also, Coach Dennis Allen and quarterback Derek Carr speak.

It's Friday, so once again Larry Holder of The Athletic joins Jim Derry for another Saints preview - this time as they are set to face the Houston Texans on the road. Can the Black and Gold keep up their momentum? Larry and Jim also will take a look at some of the big games in the NFL for Week 6, and Uncle Big Nick shares his top plays along with Jim's picks on Ep. 177.

The Saints played their best game of the year so far in a 34-0 shutout victory over the downtrodden New England Patriots. Does that mean all is right once again for the Black and Gold? The theme of 'Derry's Dime' on Monday is to soak it in, but let's put in perspective exactly what this victory means.

We're heading into Week 5 of the NFL season, and the New Orleans Saints have yet to score more than 20 points on offense. It's tough to win when that happens, no matter how good your defense is. (And they haven't been very good the past five quarters.) Will that change this Sunday in New England against Bill Belichick's Patriots? And will Derek Carr be more accurate in the second week dealing with a sprained AC joint in his shoulder? All things to talk about with Larry Holder on Friday's Dattitude Podcast (Oct. 5, Ep. 175). Host Jim Derry also has an interesting question he hopes can be answered in his monologue and he wraps up the pod with some emails from listeners.

Normally, Thursday is a day when we have long turned the page on the previous week of football and moved on to the upcoming slate of action. However, Dattitude Podcast host Jim Derry spent the early part of the week in bed sick and did not have a chance to share his frustrations on the Saints’ 26-9 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this past Sunday. Consider those frustrations released in Ep. 174. Is it Dennis Allen? Was it Pete Carmichael? Did Derek Carr come back too soon? Is the defense tired? Is it a combination of all of those things? Now that the first quarter of the season is over, what’s the future of this team in 2023, and can it be fixed? And of course, Uncle Big Nick finishes off the show with Jim, as the duo offers their best bets of the week. Both “stay in their lanes,” as UBN is on college, while Jim has five top NFL plays.

Once again, it's Friday so that means Larry Holder of The Athletic joins Jim Derry to preview the Saints upcoming game, which so happens to be against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday in the Caesars Superdome. How will the team to with Jameis Winston filling in for an injured Derek Carr at quarterback, and will Alvin Kamara be key in his first game back from suspension? Join us, as we also share our predictions for the Black and Gold and preview the biggest games in the NFL for Week 4, including Bills-Dolphins and Patriots-Cowboys.

It's Thursday, so that means it's time to make some picks on Dattitude with Jim Derry and Uncle Big Nick. On Ep. 172, Jim is all NFL as usual, and he has a teaser, a parlay and 3 other picks. UBN is staying mostly in his lane, picking 4 college plays and slips in a NFL selection from across the pond.

All around, Sunday had to be incredibly disturbing for fans of the New Orleans Saints. First on 'Derry's Dime,' quarterback Derek Carr is injured in the third quarter against the Green Bay Packers with his team leading 17-0. Then, the Saints blow the lead in the fourth quarter, as Jordan Love turns into Aaron Rodgers. What's worse? The fact Carr will be out for a while, or the fact this team let 3-0 just slip away into the wind? And how long will Carr be out? ... Also, can Saints fans at least find a little comedic relief in Sean Payton's comments following the Broncos FIFTY-POINT loss at Miami? And there are definitely things that 'make you go hmmmm' on Ep. 171.

It's Friday morning, so Larry Holder of The Athletic joins Jim Derry to preview the Saints upcoming game, as the team travels to Green Bay to take on the Packers on Sunday at Lambeau Field. What are the keys to victory for the Black and Gold, and what are our predictions? Join us, as we also preview the biggest games in the NFL for Week 3.

It's Thursday, so that means it's time to make some picks on Dattitude with Jim Derry and Uncle Big Nick. On Ep. 169, Jim is all NFL as usual, and he has a teaser, a total and three line plays, including one that involves Tua vs. Payton. UBN is making college plays with four of his five picks, including the three biggest games of the week.

The New Orleans Saints are 2-0 for the first time since 2013 after defeating Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers on the road Monday night, and it’s in large part because of a tough-hitting defense and an improved offense. In Derry's Dime, Dattitude host Jim Derry goes through why the Black and Gold won, but also what they need to do to improve. Also, hear from Saints coach Dennis Allen and quarterback Derek Carr from after the game - and a thought from Jim on the wacky NFL Week 2 on Ep. 168.

It's Game Day for the New Orleans Saints in Week 2, as they are set to take on the Carolina Panthers on Monday Night Football. Jim Derry is joined by WDSU-TV sports anchor Fletcher Mackel to preview the game and make their final predictions on Ep. 167.

The New Orleans Saints are hoping to be 2-0 for the first time in a decade, and to do it, they'll have to beat a tough division foe on the road Monday night in the Carolina Panthers. Will Trevor Penning and the offensive line come up with a better performance than last week, and will the defense be able to put up a similar effort to this past Sunday. Larry Holder of The Athletic joins Jim Derry for their weekly Friday chat on Dattitude (Ep. 166). They'll also make a jaunt around the NFL in previewing Week 2 and finding the best games.

We’ve settled into the weekly routine for the Dattitude Podcast and on Ep. 165, it’s prediction time. Show host Jim Derry had a great Week 1 in going 4-1, as he looks to do it again with his five top NFL picks. Uncle Big Nick had a rough start, but since he had COVID, we’ll give him a second chance to right the ship here in the early going. The duo is back for a third season together making predictions for the football season ahead.

It’s the first Monday Dattitude Podcast (Ep. 164) of the new year, which means Derry’s Dime is back, as show host Jim Derry shares his thoughts on the New Orleans Saints’ 16-15 victory over the Tennessee Titans in the Caesars Superdome on Sunday. How was Derek Carr’s debut? How did the new defensive front hold up? Can we expect an All-Pro level of play from Marshon Lattimore all season long? Is Trevor Penning’s rough day something we can expect for the future, or is it an anomaly? All things to discuss today, as we hear clips from Saints coach Dennis Allen and Carr, as well as Jim talking to Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill and running back Tyjae Spears.

The New Orleans Saints and their fans have been looking forward to Sunday for quite some time, as not only do they welcome in the Tennessee Titans to the Caesars Superdome for the 2023 NFL season opener, but also to open the Derek Carr era at quarterback. It's a new era for us here on the Dattitude Podcast, as well, as Larry Holder of The Athletic joins Jim Derry on NFL Fridays to talk about both the Saints and the NFL. For the remainder of the season, as well, Uncle Big Nick is back with Jim to make picks, and for this one week only, Jim will read Nick's picks on the air and make his own near the end of the show. And what's the outro song? Well, we're saying goodbye to a musical icon and maybe having a drink that involves tequila to salute ...

The New Orleans Saints are ready for their final preseason contest of 2023, and it is scheduled for Sunday night in the Caesars Superdome against the Houston Texans. There still are some questions to discuss, and we do that on the Dattitude Podcast (Ep. 162), as host Jim Derry is joined by WWL Radio football analyst Mike Detillier. We'll ask Mike about his biggest surprises and disappointments from training camp, predictions for the upcoming season, how Derek Carr and OC Pete Carmichael are doing together, and we look back at the time Steve Sidwell spent in New Orleans in helping to build the Dome Patrol. Lastly, we'll talk about next week's openers for LSU vs. Florida State and Tulane vs. South Alabama and get predictions for their seasons.

As the New Orleans Saints are now within 3 weeks of the start of the regular season, it's a good time for injuries to be on the mend. It looks like that might be the case for the Black and Gold with Andrus Peat, Kendre Miller, Demario Davis, Rashid Shaheed and others. What about Michael Thomas and the report he hasn't quite been on his game? Will he be able to serves as the team's No. 2 to Chris Olave? Fox-8 sports director Garland Gillen joins Jim Derry on Dattitude (Ep. 161) to talk about it, and to look ahead to the seasons for LSU and Tulane.

The New Orleans Saints will open their preseason schedule by hosting the defending world champion Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday in the Caesars Superdome. How long will we see Derek Carr and the starters play, and what's going on with the offensive line? Will someone ask more about guard Andrus Peat's injury? Is the team thinking of moving camp somewhere else not only for 2024, but beyond? Lastly, we'll go through Jim Derry's AFC West predictions, as Advocate and Times-Picayune Saints editor Zach Ewing joins Friday's Dattitude (Ep. 160).

The breaking news happened just before we hit the podwaves: Cameron Jordan received a 2-year extension with the Saints and likely will be able to retire with the Black and Gold. Meanwhile, Saints fans are hoping the Alvin Kamara suspension saga is resolved soon, and that the punishment is lighter following the star running back's meeting with Roger Goodell. What should we expect? 4 games? 6? Dare we say, 8? We'll talk about it, as Dattitude host Jim Derry brings in The Athletic's Larry Holder on Episode 159. We'll also chat about the Saints' lack of depth at certain positions and we'll go through Jim's picks in the NFC West and get Larry's opinion.

Dattitude is back after a mini-vacation, and we're talking New Orleans Saints back at work in training camp. Guess what? Even Michael Thomas is there! As we go forward, no news is good news, unlike what happened in Cincinnati and Miami on Thursday. Lastly, Jim Derry goes through his previews of the AFC South and talks about whether the Jacksonville Jaguars will repeat as champs, or will the Tennessee Titans return to form.

Of course we can't get enough of LSU winning their 7th national baseball championship! And to talk about it with former Tigers coach Paul Mainieri, who recruited and coached several of the winning players, including Dylan Crews, Cade Beloso, Tre Morgan and Gavin Dugas. What were his emotions like Monday night? How does this team compare to his title in 2009? And does this team have a chance to remain on this path going forward? We ask all this and more, as Coach joins Jim Derry on the final Dattitude (Ep. 157) of the first half of Season 3. (We will return Friday, July 21.)

On the strength of Tommy 'Tanks' White's 2-run homer in the bottom of the 11th inning - and Paul Skenes' 8 shutout innings - the LSU Tigers are advancing to the championship round of the College World Series for the first time since 2017 and with a chance to win their seventh national title. Is it the greatest game in LSU baseball history? Does White's home run equal Warren Morris' blast in the 9th in the 1996 championship game? Is Skenes the most dominating pitcher in school history? What are the Tigers' chances vs. Florida? We discuss this all, as Zach Ewing is live from Omaha, and he joins Jim Derry for a Friday dose of Dattitude (Ep. 156).

Following a 5-2 win Wednesday night over Wake Forest, the LSU Tigers are now one win away from the championship round and a best-of-3 with the Florida Gators for college baseball's national crown. Presumably with Paul Skenes on the hill, should LSU be favored? And what about Cade Beloso's 3-run bomb that gave the Tigers the push they needed? Jeff Duncan joins Jim Derry for a Thursday edition of the Dattitude Podcast (Ep. 155), as we make our predictions and sprinkle in some Saints talk 1 month before training camp.