ATLANTA -- Saints quarterback Aaron Brooks was critical of team owner Tom Benson and NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue during an interview aired on CBS' NFL Today pregame show Sunday.
Brooks told reporter Jim Gray both men could have done more to address the needs of the Saints players and coaches, suggesting that money and politics took precedence.
"If (Benson) sells the team, he walks away with 600 million (dollars)," Brooks said. "I don't think a couple million would hurt to make his team feel very comfortable every week. So I'm more than sure he could have done a lot more. I'm very sure he could have done a lot more. And for those who don't understand, come down here to San Antonio and see what our conditions are like. It's just bad."
Frustrations have been boiling over in the Saints' locker room, especially this past week, as the team moved its offices, locker room, training and weight facilities out of the Alamodome and into various makeshift facilities in San Antonio.
According to an ESPN report, the Saints deactivated veteran defensive end Darren Howard for Monday night's game and considered deactivating him for the remainder of the season because he had become such a distraction.
A source confirmed there was some truth to the report. But the Saints said Howard was inactive because of a knee injury that has, in fact, kept him out of several practices this year, including every practice this week.
As for Brooks' comments, Saints general manager Mickey Loomis said, "There are a lot of frustrated people, and I think a lot of comments are being made out of frustration."
Brooks' comments were typical of what many of his teammates have been saying the past week -- although perhaps a bit more animated.
Brooks said the NFL decided to play the Saints' Week 2 game in New York to use the game as a "political platform."
Though the game coincided with fundraising efforts for the victims of Hurricane Katrina, Brooks said he was upset Tagliabue, politicians and city officials -- including some from New Orleans -- were on the field before that game, getting in the way of the Saints' warm-ups.
"I took it personally, and I had to cuss them out and tell them to get the hell off the football field," Brooks said. "And I thought it was bull-(expletive), and I hope all the money went to all the shelters that was needed, but I just thought that was bull-(expletive)."
Brooks also said Tagliabue should have visited the Saints players in those early weeks following the hurricane.
Reportedly, Tagliabue offered to visit with the Saints prior to their season opener at Carolina, but was rebuffed by coach Jim Haslett. Brooks said Tagliabue should have come, "regardless if anyone, whether it was the coach or owner, denied him the right to come down. I thought he should've came down anyway."
When asked what Tagliabue could have said or done to make the Saints feel better, Brooks said, "He could have lied out his teeth long. As long as we could have saw him, he could have told us anything. 'The moon is green.' "
When asked if he would still like to meet with Tagliabue, Brooks said, "It's too late."
Brooks was also asked if he supports Haslett. Brooks paused before saying, "I'll support him, long as I'm here I'll support him. I'll support this organization as long as I'm here."
Gray than suggested Brooks' response sounded "luke warm."
"Hey man, it is what it is man," Brooks said.
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Mike Triplett
From The Times-Picayune