5 Questions With Chicks In The Huddle

I had the pleasure of catching up with Nola Chick/The Head Chick/Shaneika of Chicks In The Huddle recently. If you haven't been to this blog, you’re missing a good read for sure. The posts are informative and always entertaining. Go to the Scoop On The Coop page and the contributors describe themselves like this…

Ever been to a Saints game and saw a slightly drunk chick yelling her lungs out at a 300lb linebacker? If she was undeniably adorable, it was probably one of us…

I’ll let Nola give you the rest of the story and answers to five questions:

In the sports blog world, I go by the name of Nola Chick. My name is an ode to my beloved hometown of New Orleans, Louisiana. It is a city that is as beautiful as it is dysfunctional and as colorful as it is complex. And no matter how much you may think you know about it, you still don't know enough. I'd like to think of myself in the same way.

1. How long have you followed football? What got you interested in the sport? Did you ever personally play the sport - with friends or even organized?

I've been following football since I was about as tall as my dad's hip. I would hear him yelling (most often cussing) at the TV at the top of his lungs during Saints games. Initially, I was annoyed that he was disturbing prime Nintendo time. But eventually, I got curious. I started to watch the games with him and he'd explain everything to me so passionately. I instantly fell in love with the underdog story of the Saints. Once he took me to my first Saints game (versus Tampa Bay in the Superdome) I was hooked for life. And like any good junkie, I can't get enough! I've played powder puff football in high school, but nothing serious. I'm also joining a co-ed football league with some co-workers this fall.

2. How did you come to start Chicks in the Huddle? What were your goals at the start and how has that happened/not happened? What do you intend to do in the future on the site?

Chicksinthehuddle.com grew out of a passion to rant and rave about the Saints as much as I'd like without the judgment of friends and disinterested family members. I hated going to sports forums and feeling like I had to "prove myself as a fan" just because I was a woman. I needed a place to speak my mind and wanted other fans, regardless of gender, to feel they could do the same. The site's only been around for a year, but I feel like we've developed a small community of regulars and fans who appreciate what we do. I'd love to expand the site to involve female fans of other NFL teams. But my primary goal is to continue to bring our regular readers information, entertainment, and at times quite raunchy content!

3. What sports/teams do you follow other than football? What other diversions fill your hobbies other than sports?

Football is pretty much my end all, be all. I'm a pretty fair-weather Hornets fan. Although, they slowly started to win my heart last season.

4. What has it been like over the last few years in New Orleans for sports fans? How important have the Saints and other teams been to the area's sanity?

What's interesting is that the media played up the Saints as this team that suddenly "won the hearts of New Orleanians" after Katrina. Truth is, Saints fans have long been among the more passionate and dedicated fans in the league. Our team's never won a Super Bowl and only recently won its first playoff game. But still, every year since 1967, legions of fans have found themselves saying in September "This is the year." And sure, we may wear paper bags to the game, but at least our butts are in the seat. With that said, the team's success in 2006 was a much-needed distraction from the woes of hurricane recovery. But regardless of how successful the Saints are, people still know that at the end of the day they have to pay their bills, rebuild their homes, and in some cases, continue to rebuild their lives.

5. Tell me about what kind of season Saints fans believe they will have this season. What do you think their strengths and weaknesses are? Which players on the team do you think are fantasy-team worthy?

Saints fans are cautiously-optimistic about what the Saints are capable of this season. We have a lot of the weapons we need, but there's still a question of execution. Acquisitions like Jon Vilma, Randall Gay, and Jeremy Shockey will have a huge impact. And getting Sedrick Ellis in the draft will only serve to bolster what should be a much improved defense. As for fantasy studs, I'd look to Pierre Thomas as a solid sleeper pick, obviously Shockey at tight end, Marques Colston is a guaranteed 7 every game, and if you pass on Drew Brees, you're a damn fool! Don't be surprised if Reggie has a big season as well. That guy has a lot to prove! I'm still a little antsy about our secondary, but I think Jason David will have a much better year and cornerback Mike McKenzie is expected to be 100% come week 1.

I'm definitely predicting playoffs this year but then again...I do EVERY year!

Geaux Saints!