Did anyone catch the impromptu interview Jay Leno had with Jimmy Buffett just after he performed two weeks ago?

Leno mentioned Buffett’s favorite team &045; the Chicago Cubs &045; is in first place, much to the delight of all cheesburgers in paradise, especially Buffett.

&uot;I cheer for the underachieving teams,&uot; Buffett told Leno. &uot;Cubs, Clippers and Saints.&uot;

And you thought you were the only one.

Heck, there were dozens of them Thursday at the Natchez-Adams Chamber of Commerce meeting to meet head coach Jim Haslett and others from the team.

They’re part of a ever-changing team, one that doesn’t have a draft pick from the 1990s and has one of the most high-powered offenses in the NFL.

But to improve on defense, the Saints turned to an old friend &045; cornerback Ashley Ambrose, who spent one season with the Saints under the Mike Ditka/Bill Kuharich circus era before bolting to the Atlanta Falcons.

That was in 1998, a 6-10 year which now seems light years away for perhaps the second-best player ever to come out of Mississippi Valley State.

&uot;It’s kind of a totally different team,&uot; Ambrose said Thursday. &uot;Defensively the last time I was here we were solid. Now we’ve got one of the top five offenses. Defensively I think we’ve got to get a little stronger. I think we will be because we have some young gys that have a lot of energy and can run.

&uot;Our special teams is one of the tops in the league. It’s totally different.&uot;

For Ambrose, however, catching on with the Saints was more about coming home. He wished he never would have left in the first place, but in the world of the NFL salary cap &045; where you’re released because you’re too good to keep &045;&160;changing teams goes hand-in-hand with players like a Hand Grenade at The Tropical Isle.

&uot;I had enjoyed the time I was here,&uot; Ambrose said. &uot;Even though we didn’t have a great season, I enjoyed it. When I left, you’re in the game to win a championship. If somebody is going to offer you a lot of money, you’re going to take it. I had to do it.&uot;

But now he’s back on a defensive unit that isn’t as strong as the 1998 version but hopefully has the right new people in place to do that again.

The Saints made several moves up front, noteably drafting Jonathan Sullivan, who Haslett said may play right away. There was also the trade to get safety Tebucky Jones from New England after fan favorite safety Sammy Knight opted to test the free agent market and sign with Miami.

&uot;I wish I had his ability,&uot; Ambrose said of Jones. &uot;A guy as big as he is, as strong as he is and as fast as he is &045; he’s got the whole package. He can do it all. He’s a big guy who can go up in the box and play linebacker. I think he’s really going to help a lot.&uot;

And maybe he’ll help Buffett find another team to root for.

Adam Daigle

is sports editor of The Natchez Democrat. You can reach him at (601) 445-3632 or by e-mail at

adam.daigle@natchezdemocrat.com