Dattitude with Jim Derry

It's tough to put into words just how unlikely LSU’s loss to Little Rock was on Sunday night, but let’s just say if it were to happen again Monday, it would be historic. Can Coach Jay Johnson and the Tigers turn up the focus and get rolling quickly, and is Sunday (June 1) a microcosm of other problems for this team or simply an anomaly?

We get into it on Monday’s Dattitude Podcast (Ep. 381) presented by Evangeline Securities, as host Jim Derry chats with Times-Picayune and Advocate sports columnist Scott Rabalais. If LSU wins this one, what do they need to do to get past West Virginia in the Super Regionals and back to Omaha?

Lastly, Gabe Henderson has a strong opinion on the silliness of the way they choose home teams in regionals, and Jim shares his thoughts on LSU-Shreveport winning the NAIA World Series with a perfect 59-0 record. He also finishes the show with a segment on the Saints and how Coach Kellen Moore can win over the QB room.

It didn’t seem to take long for Coach Kellen Moore to make common sense of his offensive line situation: Move Taliese Fuaga to right tackle and Trevor Penning to left guard, and then let the ninth-overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Kelvin Banks, play his native left tackle.

Is that a permanent solution? It’s one Jim Derry has been advocating since Banks was picked a month ago. It’s also the lead topic on Friday’s Dattitude Podcast (Ep. 380) presented by Evangeline Securities.

Also, Jim shares the news about LSU-Shreveport making college baseball history at 58-0 and how they can finish it off, along with big brother LSU opening the Baton Rouge Regional on Friday afternoon. Lastly, Gabe Henderson is here, and The “Last Word” offers a belated Happy 90th Birthday to former Coach Jim Mora.

So, Aaron Rodgers says he wouldn’t consider playing for the Saints. Interesting, because to our knowledge no one here wants him – neither the team nor the fans. The biggest question on this hypothetical is: Can you imagine the circus that has-been would bring here?

Let’s have a little fun with it on Wednesday’s Dattitude Podcast (Ep. 379) presented by Evangeline Securities, as host Jim Derry brings in local radio icon Eric Asher for a chat, as the duo also discusses the state of the QB race between Tyler Shough and Spencer Rattler. And what’s the ceiling for wins in 2025?

Lastly, Gabe Henderson and Jim have their own rankings for where this QB room ranks in the NFL, and then get into an interesting debate on just how good Bears QB Caleb Williams was in his rookie season and how much better he’ll be – or won’t be – under new Coach Ben Johnson.

The first official set of OTAs under new Saints coach Kellen Moore is in the books, and there as one might expect, there are as many questions as answers.

Will Tyler Shough or Spencer Rattler be QB1, and does either have a leg up in the early going? What about the lineup along the offensive line? Will Kelvin Banks be at tackle or guard, and the same question goes for Trevor Penning? What about the depth at running back and wide receiver?

Host Jim Derry gets into it right away and later asks Saints editor Zach Ewing on a Friday edition of the Dattitude Podcast (Ep. 378) presented by Evangeline Securities. Gabe Henderson is here to preview an upcoming segment called the “Dat List,” and Jim’s “Last Word” proves you can teach an old dog new tricks, but you can’t get him to stop saying, “Get off my lawn!”

Two local college baseball teams have lofty goals: One is used to being here, and the other is looking to make school history. LSU heads into the SEC Tournament as the 'Top Cat,' while Loyola is on the way to Idaho for its first-ever NAIA World Series.

Tigers beat writer Koki Riley and Loyola baseball coach Jeremy Kennedy are here on a Wednesday episode of Dattitude (Ep. 377) presented by Evangeline Securities. Gabe Henderson will chime in, and Jim will start (and end) the show with a little Saints talk.

It's still 2 months away from the start of NFL training camps, but many of the "experts" in sports media have already labeled 2025 a disaster in the making for the New Orleans Saints. (Jim Derry is one of them.)

Are the predictions premature, or is it common sense with a QB room of Tyler Shough, Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener? That's the theme of another Mano E Monday edition of Dattitude of the Dattitude Podcast (Ep. 376) presented by Evangeline Securities.

Gabe Henderson also is here to weigh in, and we also discuss whether LSU-Clemson is a must-win for the Brian Kelly, Garrett Nussmeier and the Tigers in the opening weekend of college football play. In “The Last Word,” Jim goes back in time … like way back … to the time of DeLoreans and Doc Brown, as something big happened 40 years ago on this date.

The NFL released their 2025 schedule on Wednesday, and we found out when and where the new era of the New Orleans Saints will begin. The answer is Coach Kellen Moore will first take the field at the Caesars Superdome on Sept. 7 against Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals, and in fact, the team will play the first half of its home schedule by the time Week 6 is done.

Just how tough is it? Well, the Saints will play their first three games against the NFC West, including a trip to Seattle in Week 3, before heading to the other side of the country the following week to play Super Bowl contender, Buffalo. The Saints won’t face a division foe until Week 8, and the middle of the schedule is tough.

How will they navigate through, and are we ready for (way too early) predictions? Times-Picayune and Advocate sports columnist Rod Walker is with host Jim Derry on a special Thursday edition of Dattitude Podcast (Ep. 375) presented by Evangeline Securities. Jim’s “Last Word” offers where expectations on Tyler Shough should be by pointing out quarterbacks not drafted in the first round since 2014.

The official release of the 2025 NFL schedule doesn’t come until Wednesday evening, but as always, there are plenty of leaks and rumors to talk about for the New Orleans Saints? We ask: Is it better for a rookie head coach in Kellen Moore and rookie quarterback in Tyler Shough to play the easiest parts first, or does it matter?

That’s what we get into first on Wednesday’s Dattitude Podcast (Ep. 374) presented by Evangeline Securities, as host Jim Derry asks for thoughts from the Dat Family. Jim also says brings in local podcast host David Grubb for his expertise on the Pelicans picking seventh in the NBA Draft and whether there’s a possibility of moving up.

Will GM Joe Dumars make some other moves, and what’s the outlook for Coach Willie Green? Gabe Henderson also has thoughts on the NBA Lottery, and in Jim’s ‘Last Word,’ he chastises Major League Baseball for waiting until the death of Pete Rose to let him back into the game.

A vast majority of Saints fans who wanted Derek Carr gone got their wish this past weekend when the 34-year-old QB abruptly retired. Now what? Well, there’s no question the team is entering a rebuilding era, although General Manager Mickey Loomis and company don’t want to call it that.

How long will the honeymoon period last for both Coach Kellen Moore and his rookie quarterback Tyler Shough? And will they bring in a veteran to help in a QB room that is the only one without an NFL victory? Indeed, there’s plenty to discuss on another Mano E Monday edition of Dattitude Podcast (Ep. 373) presented by Evangeline Securities, including the interesting timing of WHEN Carr and the team announced the move.

Also, we hear from Shough, Moore and No. 1 pick Kelvin Banks after a weekend of rookie minicamp, and Gabe Henderson is here to help fill us in on the cap situation and what free-agent QBs are available. In “The Last Word,” Jim wonders if the ump who tossed LSU baseball coach Jay Johnson was a little quick on the trigger Sunday afternoon.

I was wrrrr. Wrrrr. I was wrrr. Wrrrrrong. There. I said it. As soon as the news was out Saturday morning that Derek Carr had retired from football, Jim Derry went into the back of the pantry and took out the blow torch to thaw out his crow for a po-boy and a party with his Dat Family.

What other way should we start the weekend other than with a special weekend edition of the Dattitude Podcast (Ep. 372) presented by Evangeline Securities? The host says “common sense” never left, and of all the scenarios, no one really saw retirement coming.

Meanwhile, commenters had a wide range of things to say – from well wishes to those who are ecstatic Carr is gone. We also ask the question: “Who starts now? Tyler Shough? Spencer Rattler? An unnamed veteran?”