Seeing off the Saints

Dan with Saints RB Pierre Thomas

Wednesday's practice is over, and with it ends the 2 day joint practices with the New Orleans Saints. Now, I know there is certainly a benefit for the visiting team to be nice to fans on the road, makes the team look good. But I have to say this - when it came to autographs/fan interaction, the Saints absolutely put the Patriots to shame. The Pats should be embarrassed that the other team was THAT MUCH better than them. I thought day one was great for Saints autographs, but today was ridiculous. After practice, as all but about 6 of the Pats players walked off the field without a glance to the stands, literally 80% of the Saints guys headed out to sign. There were so many I couldn't even keep up! I definitely needed an assistant for these 3 joint practices to colelct autographs. Unfortunately for the Banner, I couldn't completely capitalize on all the Saints players because the VIP area was absolutely SWAMPED...I just missed Reggie Bush! But I stood my ground and was still able to get a couple of pictures to finish off the Saints-Pats Joint Practices Adventure. And as you can see, they're not the best pics as there's random people in both of them, couldn't quite get them out of the way of the shot. Today brought a couple of good ones too with RB Pierre Thomas (who added a nice New Orleans style 'Who Dat??' to the back of the banner) and C Matt Tennant, a former BC boy so I had to get a pic. All in all, it was a great couple of days with the Saints in town and I hope in the future the Pats invite teams in for more joint practices, it was awesome to see another team! And who knows, maybe some summer I can take Dan the Banner on a little road trip to some other training camps.

Dan with Saints C (and BC boy) Matt Tennant

Dan the Banner meets a Super Bowl Champ

Dan with Saints HC Sean Payton

Big day this morning as the Patriots kicked off the first of 3 joint practices with the Saints. Watching the teams go head-to-head was fun, though it would have been more so if the Pats defense wasn't getting absolutely manhandled by the Saints offense. Then again, that is what happened during the regular season last season, so maybe it wasn't a surprise...it's just disappointing the Pats defense hasn't stepped it up at all since that debacle. But of course, it is only practice, so I'm not gonna get too far ahead of myself.
On to more important things, the post practice autograph session. Well first I'll say this, the Saints were a MUCH better autograph team than the Pats, with more guys hitting up the stands to sign for a longer period of time, and with more big names doing so. It was also certainly a lot more crowded where I was in the VIP section, which made it a little difficult for me to get a good position with the banner. For me, I didn't have a ton of success quantity-wise with the banner (JUST missed Reggie Bush who signed for awhile but was running to get to meetings by the time he even got close to me), but I did get one picture, and a great one at that with Saints Head Coach Sean Payton! He was a really nice guy, the last guy to leave the field after signing autographs for anyone who wanted to stay to get one. He signed for a good 10 minutes after the last player had left the field. I happened to be the absolute last person staying for a pic and autograph, but it was well worth it from the reigning Super Bowl champ.

Headed back in a little bit to the afternoon session, hoping for a little bit more success quantity wise from the Saints, I think there's a great opportunity to get a lot of pics.

Oh, and on a sidenote, Jon Bon Jovi was out watching this morning's practice, but I wasn't able to get close enough to even try to ask for a pic, again WAY more people than usual in the VIP section. Hopefully he'll be at the afternoon session and I can try again, and hopefully there will be less spectators at the afternoon session cramping my style.

Dan meets Pats WR Rod Owens

Little bit of a slow day today at practice, but after either needing to miss practices or practices not being held for about 4 days, it was nice just to be able to get back out to Gillette and see the guys practice. Plus this was the first day Dan the Banner made an appearance at practice as a Captain.
Slow day, but did get one picture with newly signed wideout Rod Owens. Probably a long shot to make the team, but it's always nice to get pics with Dan, and Rod was a really nice guy - he was the last guy to go in and signed for a lot of fans who had to that point been shutout (myself included). And of course, Rod now has the impressive distinction of being the first person to take a picture with Dan the Banner as a Captain. I'll have to look at his signature again a little closer, but at first glance it looks like he added an "S.O.S" after his name...is it possible Coach Bill is running them too hard at practice and he's reaching out to Dan for help?? Dan the Banner to the rescue!

Dan with Pats WR Rod Owens

 Really excited for the next couple days as the Pats are holding joint practices with the World Champion Saints...been looking forward to these practices all training camp, can't wait to see what kind of damage I can do with the Banner!!

Day 6 of Training Camp: Shut Out Ends...Wes Welker!!!

Today marked Day 6 of Training Camp, practice #11. This was the 6th practice I've gone to and up to today, Dan the Banner had been completely shut out. Well not anymore, as in a big day for the Banner, Dan today met All-Pro Wide Receiver Wes Welker! This was a very exciting day for me to get Wes because he was my main target going into the summer, and goal achieved today! What a way to end the shut out. I was a little bit of a mess today as a lot of players were coming by and I was trying to balance getting pics with Dan of the guys I didn't have yet, and just trying to get autographs of the guys I have already gotten pictures of with Dan. Quantity-wise, it wasn't my most productive day as there were a couple of missed opportunities, but quality-wise can't much better than getting Wes. Very exciting day for the banner. Won't be able to get to practice for a couple of days, but have a new found bundle of energy and confidence now that I've finally gotten a pic in 2010 with the banner.

Training Camp 2010 Kicks Off!

Well if it isn't my favorite two weeks of the summer as Pats training camp kicked off yesterday morning. I always love getting back to the stadium to see the guys hit the practice field, nothing feels more like summer than that. And of course, training camp is where Dan the Banner does his most damage. Opening Day at Gillette yesterday was a bit uneventful, rain dampened the morning practice a bit and scared off some of the crowd but it was still nice to see.
Team looks good so far, going through the motions at practice. Good news is everyone is there, even if a couple are confined to conditioning drills. Still crazy to see Welker out at practice running through conditioning drills and looking like anything but a guy who tore his ACL 8 months ago. It's looking more and more like he'll be dressed ready to go come opening day - which is insane considering when he got injured. So much for coming back before Thanksgiving being a stretch. 
As far as Dan the Banner stuff goes, I have thus far through 3 practices (2 yesterday and 1 this morning) been shut out, but that is a tad misleading. Through the first couple practices the only people who have come by signing autographs are players I already have pics with, so no sense in trying to get them again. And it generally takes me a couple of days/practices to get warmed up to where I try calling guys over, but I think that will happen soon enough. So on the one hand, gotten a couple good autos after practice - Faulk, Gostkowski, Banta-Cain, Moss - but no one new on the Banner front. Nothing to report as of yet, but I have confidence in the next couple of days that I'll have something to add to the site.

Sidenote - received word that the Super Bowl Champion Saints may be joining the Pats practice for a couple of days around the time of their preseason game. Haven't had a joint practice in a long long time, so I'm really hoping the rumors are true, especially if it's the Saints. And how nice would a picture of Dan the Banner with say Drew Brees or Reggie Bush be??
Wish me and Dan the Banner luck over the next couple of days, feeling confident about the remainder of camp.

Flag on the Play

Well, here's an interesting concern I'll never find out the answer to...
Yesterday I'm watching the news and there's a breaking story - one of the guys who plays the part of Patriots mascot Pat the Patriot was arrested in a Rhode Island sex sting. Long story short, a RI state trooper went undercover in a prostitution ring set up on craigslist at a hotel in Johnston, RI. 14 people arrested, one of which is - er, was - one of the multiple people who plays Pat the Patriot.
Well, let the bad luck involving Dan the Banner and the Patriots possibly continue. One day at Training Camp this summer I headed into Patriots Experience where Pat the Patriot was taking pictures and signing autographs. Of course I had to at some point get a picture of Pat with Danny, and I did.

Well, I don't know who was dressed at Pat the Patriot that day. Was it RI prostitute ring man? I have no idea, and I will never know. All I can do now is wonder if the guy that took a picture that day was the same guy arrested. And, well, I can only hope it wasn't. Unfortunately, I'll never know for sure.

Is Danny bad luck?

Last year I joked with Danny that the reason Jerod Mayo had such a great year was probably because he took a picture with the banner during training camp that summer. Given the moves the Pats have made in the past week, I can't help but wonder if maybe this year Danny was bad luck. Now I know, I know, that this year I got a lot more pics with Danny at camp, and obviously a decent number of guys were going to get cut from the team before the season starts, but with the surprise release of WR Greg Lewis today by the Pats - yes, a Dan the Banner picture taker this summer - I'm starting to think Danny may be bad luck. First, Kevin O'Connell surprisingly was cut last week. He took a picture with Danny, and was really nice about it. Russ Hochstein & David Thomas? Both took pics, both unexpectedly got traded. Andrew Walter didn't make the team. Then, Ray Ventrone got cut on cut day as well, not a total surprise but still unfortunate given he'd taken a picture with Dan and was a fellow Villanova alum. Now today, Greg Lewis, who took a picture with Danny and was really really nice about it, gets cut as well. What is going on?!? I hope it's just a coincidence and not Danny being bad luck because I did get that picture with Brady...
In other notes, I apparently have no eye for what's going on at Training Camp. I thought O'Connell had a great camp, a couple miscues here and there but also some glimpses of greatness. Apparently I was way off on that one as he didn't even make it through the preseason. Greg Lewis also seemed to have a great training camp, and a pretty good preseason. Still really surprised about his release, makes me think Bill's got something up his sleeve. Time will tell I suppose.
Keep an eye out for the banner, and cross your fingers Dan's not causing these Patriot problems!

-The Banner Keeper

Training Camp 2009

Always a sad day in the summer, yesterday marked the last day of training camp over at Gillette Stadium. The double session proved a slow day for Danny, as I was only able to get one Patriot - starting center (and BC alum) Dan Koppen - to pose with the banner for a pic. I did however get my first ever picture refusal with Danny, I guess LG Logan Mankins isn't a fan of the 7 ft likeness. Oh well, he was nice enough to sign the banner. Despite the slow last couple days, all in all camp was a wild success for Danny and myself. Final Count for Patriots pictures in 2009 was 20, plus 1 with Pat Patriot and another with former Pats Fred Smerlas and Steve DeOssie.

Here's the full list, for all of you dying to know:
- C Dan Koppen
- RB Kevin Faulk
- CB Terrence Wheatley
- K Stephen Gostkowski
- Def. Coord. Dean Pees
- NT Vince Wilfork
- WR Randy Moss
- QB Tom Brady
- QB Andrew Walter
- OL Russ Hochstein
- RB Sammy Morris
- QB Kevin O'Connell
- WR Joey Galloway
- WR Greg Lewis
- TE David Thomas
- DL Mike Wright
- LB Tully Banta-Cain
- S Ray Ventrone

To check out pictures and some stories, head to danthebanner.com

It was a great 2.5 weeks of camp - always my favorite place to bring Danny - and I can't wait to head back next July for more fun in the sun. In the meantime I guess I'll have to settle for watching the 2009 season unfold for the Pats :).
I'll be on the lookout for opportunities and places to bring Danny, so be sure to keep checking back for updates on his latest travels!

- The Banner Keeper