The New Orleans Saints are inching closer and closer under the 2021 salary cap. On Thursday, March 4, they made a tough decision to cut their 12-year veteran punter and fan favorite, Thomas Morstead, and I interviewed Sports Overtime podcast host Nader Mirfiq right before he broke that news.
Nader grew up a Saints fan, browsing sports pages of the newspaper in his dad’s corner store and going to games long before the success of the Sean Payton-Drew Brees era.
He says it makes being a fan today that much sweeter because he endured the Saints’ struggles of the past. He loves the full circle journey.
We talk about everything from Nader’s experience sharing Saints spirit with his 4-year-old son, how Sports Overtime began more than 9 years ago, and how Nader has built valuable relationships to grow the show.
Now, he wants to use his platform to help others. Nader feeds the homeless in New Orleans every week, and he hopes to distribute 5,200 meals (100 per week) by the end of 2021. He’s committed to thinking outside the box, helping them with whatever basic needs they desire – shirts, shoes, baby wipes, etc., even getting his friends and followers involved.
Finally, scroll to around 25:45 for some Saints free agency hot takes, including quarterbacks, tight ends (could a reunion with Jimmy Graham be in sight?) and of course special teams.
LISTEN FOR THESE QUOTES:
- (6:03) “This always resonates with me in my brain – my grandfather used to always tell me this: If you can’t appreciate something when it’s bad, then you can’t be on the bandwagon when it’s good.”
- (9:44) “Having a kid wanting to be into the Saints reminds me of myself when I was growing up. It’s just awesome to see it, and it just brings joy to me.”
- (21:45) “At the end of the day, when you die, the only thing you’re taking with you is your good and bad deeds. So if I can do this every Thursday and get some good deeds that will add up for me to get into Heaven, I’m good. That’s my ultimate goal with this.”
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(29:23) “I’m not a gambling type of guy, but if it’s the one time I would gamble it would be this time … if you’d have Russell Wilson, Mike Thomas, and Kamara with our O-line, that’d just gonna be scary.”
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(32:58) “No. 1 we have Mickey Loomis, and No. 2, this isn’t something new. The Saints do this every year where they get underneath the cap. It won’t surprise me if they get underneath the cap and still be able to sign a few players to fill some holes.”
CONNECT WITH US / LINKS MENTIONED:
Thomas Morstead grateful for his career as a New Orleans Saint
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Sports Overtime Episode with Thomas Morstead
Sports Overtime Episode with Jameis 1 of 1
Sports Overtime Episode with Justin Hardee
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Rachel W. Jones 