Hey A.J. Smith...

Drew Brees has a message for you and he wanted me to relay it. He said,"SUCK IT!" I had a chance to talk to Drew mano a mano for a sec after last night's Super Bowl XLIV thumping of Peyton Manning's Colts, and he held up the Lombardi Trophy and gave me that quote. He also wanted to know "when was the last time YOU got invited to Disney Land, A.J.?" But he's not bitter. Brees is way too busy not choking in the playoffs and winning the Super Bowl MVP trophy to be bitter. So, uh, good call Mr. Smith.

Or should I call you Dr. Frankenstein? Because you created one helluva NFL monster back in early 2006 when you decided to just let Drew walk his way to Bourbon Street. You were so smug about it too. It really is a problem for you dude. Granted, Brees was injured at that time and you had a promising young QB in Phil Rivers, but you were the G.M. of a seemingly Super Bowl ready San Diego Chargers team and you decided to start from square one at the most important position on the football field. Meanwhile, the discarded monster proceeded to go on a Marino-esque tear for the next four seasons and put an exclamation point on it with a Super Bowl win...something that always eluded Danny Boy and your Bolts. Coincidence? Luck? I think not.

Drew Brees came to post-Katrina New Orleans in a swirl of questions. How is the shoulder? Who will you throw to? Where will the team play? Will New Orleans ever recover? He immediately made himself a huge part of the "Big Easy" and immersed himself in helping his fellow citizens and the city move forward. His banishment from San Diego's laid back atmosphere had been a blessing in disguise. Brees had a fire burning inside him unlike any he had possessed before. He, along with many other cast-off Saints, vowed to put it all together and give the city of NOLA something they could be proud of. Right off the bat he found a go-to guy in Marques Colston and threw for over 4,400 yards and 26 TD's. Leading the former "Aints" to the NFC Championship game at Chicago where the Bears were victorious but the Saints had gotten a taste of what they wanted and Brees knew he wanted more.

The next two seasons were no less prolific statistically, with Brees putting up around 9,500 passing yards and 62 TD's. Ridiculous doesn't even begin to explain it. While the Saints may have struggled, primarily on defense, to a 15-17 combined record in 2007 and 2008, many fantasy football titles were won on the right arm of #9. I know I owe at least one of my trophies to him, so thanks Drew. You were the man even when your team was all over the place inconsistent.

Enter 2009, and yours truly makes the case for why Drew Brees may have been the safest first round draft pick in your fantasy draft. Another 4,388 yds. and 34 TD's later, New Orleans is sitting at the precipice of the playoffs as the NFC #1 seed at 13-3 and Brees has the all-time NFL record for QB completion % at 70.2. No matter. It's playoff time now. Up first? Future Hall of Famer Kurt Warner and the Arizona Cardinals. THUMP! Adios Kurt. I wish you the best in retirement. Next? A nail biter, but another playoff victory over a future Hall of Fame QB named Brett Favre. The "Human Interception" may have given the Saints their chance, but it was Drew Brees who led his team down the field and straight into the Super Bowl. Finally? Another future HOF'er in "Peyton Perfect" and his video game cast of wide receivers. The money was all on Indianapolis, but the money was wrong. The Saints and their MVP quarterback had pulled the upset and given a truly historic city another one for the record books. Three games, three wins over Hall of Famers at QB, and one world championship.

All courtesy of you A.J. The city of New Orleans, coach Sean Payton, millions of fans in the "Who Dat? Nation" and Drew Brees himself all thank you from the bottoms of the respective hearts. I know that you would never admit it was a mistake to let Brees walk but, then again, you're so stubborn that you still won't admit that drafting WR Craig "Buster" Davis in the first round ahead of guys like Sidney Rice, Steve Smith, and Mike Sims-Walker was a colossal mistake in 2007. The word obstinate comes to mind. Also the word doomed. Because the Chargers are doomed as long as Norville Turner is your man at the head coach position. But you won't realize it until it's too late and Norv's ineptitude has cost you your job.

And get used to the feeling A.J. Because it's coming again in 2010 when you release LaDainian Tomlinson. He'll wind up signing with Bill Belichick, Tom Brady, Randy Moss et al in New England and help carry them farther than your Chargers. Maybe even all the way to the Super Bowl too. Meanwhile, you'll at least have Norv and Rivers. Good luck with that.