The New Orleans Saints have celebrated a lot of wins over the past two decades, and Mickey Loomis has been looking on for every single one of them.
It's a model of consistency that accounted for win No. 200 in an illustrious career in Week 14, a milestone that hit a slight delay with a three-game skid over the past month. But after Sunday's win over the Panthers, the team celebrated its GM in the locker room, surrounded by the players and personnel that made it happen.
“It wasn’t 100 years ago, but quite some time ago I wanted to get into team sports because I love this feeling when you win a game," Loomis said. "I loved it. I still love it. You don’t get it any place else in your life, really."
Loomis gave his speech holding the game ball, which he was presented with by team owner Gayle Benson after head coach Dennis Allen's speech to the team following the win, but he had more to say.
"Now, I didn’t really think about how you’d feel when you lose, which I’ve done 150 times as general manager," Loomis continued, "but a few years ago my realization came was it’s not what you do, it’s who you do it with, and so I would encourage you to look around, look at the people that are in this room, whether it’s a player, coach, equipment guy, owner, trainer, doctors, personnel guys. Look, that’s what you’ll miss when you’re all done. You’ll miss the people that you’re with."
That group, of course, for a long time included Sean Payton, Drew Brees and a cast of characters that helped supply a large number of those wins. Loomis joins a list of just seven other general managers who have hit that mark:
- Al Davis, Raiders (1996-'11): 409 wins
- Bill Belichick, Patriots (2000-present): 265 wins
- Jerry Jones, Cowboys (1989-present): 265 wins
- Tex Schramm, Cowboys (1960-'88): 250 wins
- Bill Polian, Bills (1986-'92), Panthers (1995-'97), Colts (1998-'09): 29 wins
- Kevin Colbert, Steelers (2000-'21): 226 wins
- Ozzie Newsome, Ravens (1998-'18): 200 wins
- Mickey Loomis, Saints (2002-present): 200 wins
Five of those names are in the Hall of Fame, while the two others (Belichick and Colbert) will almost certainly be enshrined down the road.
"Think about the company that he's in," said Brees in a report from the team. "All of those gentlemen are Hall of Famers. Certainly puts him in that category."
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For Loomis, 66, the number will keep rising, the only question is how quickly. The Saints have had their struggles in recent seasons, but currently sit at 6-7 in a three-way tie for first in the NFC South and with designs on a playoff run. They'll next face the Giants in Week 15.
"I appreciate every single one of you, every single player, coach and person that’s been part of the organization for all 200 of these wins," Loomis said to the team on Sunday before breaking down the locker room. "I’m not opposed to having 201 next week, though.”