| Anticipation has returned with the opening of NFL | | | | Loomis. "You're going to get your opponent's best |
| training camps, and the defending champs, the | | | | effort. We know this year is going to be tougher |
| New Orleans Saints, are the favorites. | | | | than a year ago." Notably enough, the New |
| The strength of the defending champs will once | | | | Orleans Saints have their entire coaching staff |
| again be their explosive offense, with their | | | | intact, along with 20 of their 22 starters from |
| weakness being a suspect defense. | | | | 2009. This is something that past Super Bowl |
| The defending champions defense rated an | | | | champions have not been able to do. |
| alarming 25th as the New Orleans Saints became | | | | Payton and quarterback Drew Brees talked with |
| one of the worst defensive squads to ever win | | | | some other earlier Super Bowl victors to get |
| the Super Bowl; However, they rated number | | | | advice on how to fight complacency. Brees said |
| one in pro football last year for total offense. | | | | that these kinds of endeavours demonstrate that |
| This year the New Orleans Saints will have the | | | | the New Orleans Saints will be prepared for |
| added stress and weight of being the target, | | | | another championship run in 2010. |
| which is always the situation for a Super Bowl | | | | "The fact is we recognize those things. Because |
| champ. The last squad to repeat as Super Bowl | | | | we do, we're not going to let it happen." As is |
| winners were the 2004 New England Patriots and | | | | generally the situation, the defending Super Bowl |
| last year the defending champ Pittsburgh Steelers | | | | champ is among the big favorites with the NFL |
| did not even make the playoffs. It's not entirely | | | | preseason odds. This adds to the concern of odds |
| out of the question to repeat success as Super | | | | makers that the New Orleans Saints might be |
| Bowl champ in the NFL, but this was the first | | | | over-valued. |
| time the New Orleans Saints had even gone to | | | | In fact the New Orleans Saints lost a lot of value |
| the championship. The team became only the | | | | during the year last year as after an ideal 6-0 |
| fourth squad in NFL history to win their sole Super | | | | start. As a result, the sports gambling public |
| Bowl appearance. A repeat performance would be | | | | flocked to the New Orleans Saints, who covered |
| considered both shocking and outstanding. | | | | only 2 from their final 10 normal year |
| Sean Payton, the team's coach, has attempted to | | | | competitions. |
| highlight the distinctive chance that the defending | | | | Since the Dallas Cowboys are looking to become |
| champs have to repeat. He tries to sell to his | | | | the only squad in NFL history to play the Super |
| squad that this is "Our Time" and that "there's | | | | Bowl as a home team, the New Orleans Saints will |
| only one team that has a chance to repeat." | | | | need to compete with the Dallas Cowboys. The |
| General manager Mickey Loomis understands the | | | | Super Bowl this year will be held at Cowboys |
| New Orleans Saints will be a hunted team this | | | | Stadium, offering the squad the distinctive chance |
| season. | | | | to play in their own stadium in the NFL |
| "When you're the defending champs, everyone | | | | championship. |
| circles your name on their schedule," stated | | | | |
