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For a change, there is some positive news on the New Orleans Saints.

Team owner Tom Benson and former running back Deuce McAllister have been selected as the 2012 inductees to the Saints Hall of Fame. They were elected by a media selection committee.

McAllister is one of the most popular players in franchise history. He retired holding almost all of the team’s rushing records. Benson hasn’t always been a popular figure with fans, but that’s changed in recent years as the team has enjoyed a streak of unprecedented success since 2006. The Saints won their first Super Bowl title in the 2009 season. Benson, who bought the Saints in 1987, recently bought the NBA’s New Orleans Hornets.

The induction will take place Sept. 21 as part of Saints Hall of Fame/All Saints weekend.

Saints radio play-by-play man Jim Henderson will receive the Joe Gemelli Fleur De Lis Award for his contributions to the team. Henderson began working as a color analyst for the Saints Radio Network in 1982 and became the play-by-play man in 1986. Henderson also was the sports director at WWL-TV for 34 years, before retiring from that position in January.

The Saints Hall of Fame also has revealed it will include a legacy gallery in the museum to honor former New Orleans special-team standout Steve Gleason.

Even if you’re tired about hearing about the New Orleans Saints bounty program, I urge you to read this fine column by Johnette Howard.

It’s about what I find one of the most interesting and complex issues in this whole saga: the decision by filmmaker Sean Pamphilon to release audiotapes of Gregg Williams, the ringleader of the bounty program, talking to his players the night before last season’s playoff game in San Francisco. It’s also about former Saints special-teams star Steve Gleason, who is battling ALS and was the person who got Pamphilon access to the meeting room in the first place.

Pamphilon talked at length about why he released the tapes. He also talked about the fallout he’s faced since then. He said hearing Williams talk so graphically about injuring specific San Francisco players left him extremely conflicted. The aftermath hasn’t been what Pamphilon expected.

"And what do you do? What do … you DO?" Pamphilon asked. "What I thought releasing this audio would do is create a public dialogue that could not be ignored … something that's going to make everyone think and talk. Because before this, people knew bounties existed. But nobody knew what a bounty actually sounded like. How disgusting it is.

"But what happened instead is most of that was swallowed up. The dialogue has shifted to 'Filmmaker betrays dying man.' And how do you defend yourself against a man who you love, when almost everyone says you betrayed him, and it's destroying your reputation? I mean, I love this guy. I love this guy."

Gleason has said he didn’t authorize the release of the tapes and said he was disappointed they became public. Pamphilon apologized for taking what he said was a cheap shot at Gleason when he said the former player was “protecting his own interests’’ in football by denouncing the release of the tapes. But Pamphilon made no apology for making the tapes public because he thought society had a right to know about the bounty program. Pamphilon said he still cares deeply for Gleason.

“It is very difficult trying to defend yourself in public against a man who has a terminal disease,’’ Pamphilon said. "I treated Steve like he was living. Not like he was dying. I met him not as the person he was before [ALS or the NFL] and I see him as a man living in a very glorious way. I see him as a fighter. I haven't seen Steve as dying. I've always seen him as a man gracefully living."

Former New Orleans safety Steve Gleason has issued a statement saying he did not authorize release of tapes of former New Orleans defensive coordinator Gregg Williams speaking to his players the night before a January playoff game with San Francisco.

The tapes were released by Sean Pamphilon, a filmmaker who was working on a project with Gleason, who is fighting ALS. Through Gleason, Pamphilon gained extensive access to the Saints last season.

“Sean Pamphilon and I have an agreement that all recordings ultimately belong to me and my family,’’ Gleason said in the statement. “Nothing can be released without my explicit approval. I did not authorize the public release of any recordings. A multitude of feelings have passed through me. I feel deflated and disappointed. I feel frustrated and distracted.’’

As you might expect, a lot of Saints fans are angered at filmmaker Sean Pamphilon for releasing tapes with former New Orleans defensive coordinator Gregg Williams talking about injuring members of the San Francisco 49ers the night before a January playoff game.

This is coming on the same day New Orleans coach Sean Payton, general manager Mickey Loomis and assistant head coach Joe Vitt are appealing their suspensions to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.

Ever since news of the Saints’ bounty program broke, some New Orleans fans have blamed everyone from Goodell to the media for having it out for the Saints. Now, that blame is shifting to Pamphilon.

I’ve gotten notes from several Saints fans questioning Pamphilon’s motives for releasing the tapes and the general mood is best summarized by New Orleans safety Malcolm Jenkins on his verified Twitter account.

“Sean pamphilon is a coward and should be ashamed for taking advantage of Steve Gleason! How much did u get paid for that audio?’’ Jenkins tweeted. Jenkins' tweet has since been deleted from his page.

Pamphilon reportedly was given access to the team as he worked on a documentary about former New Orleans player Steve Gleason, who is battling ALS.

In a statement to the New Orleans Times-Picayune, Pamphilon explained why he released the tapes. Here's the statement:

"If this story hadn't broken and been made public, I would not have shared this it. I would not have compromised my personal relationships and risked damaging Steve Gleason's relationship with the Saints. I would have crafted these words and sentiments for another forum, perhaps years down the road. If it weren't for the fact I feel deeply that parents of children playing football MUST pay attention to the influence of men who will sacrifice their kids for W's, I would not have written this. Some will call me releasing this audio for fame or money grab. True haters will call it exploitation. People of character and conscience call it was it is: tru(e)."

What remains unclear is if Pamphilon also gave the tapes to the NFL. The league’s security department is filled with former FBI agents and others who have strong law-enforcement backgrounds and that’s the branch of the league office that conducted the investigation. It’s possible the security department had the same tapes that were released to the media.

It’s also possible the tapes are news to the NFL, just like they were to the rest of us. If that’s the case, I don’t think Payton, Loomis and Vitt will have any chance of having their suspensions reduced. If anything, Goodell could issue even stiffer punishments.

There’s a development in the Saints' bounty story, and this one has people talking.

Yahoo! first reported about an incendiary speech former New Orleans defensive coordinator Gregg Williams made to Saints defensive players the night before his last game with the team, a playoff loss to San Francisco in January. A documentary filmmaker, who is working on a film on former New Orleans player Steve Gleason, taped the speech and released it. ESPN's Mike & Mike talked about it this morning.

There are comments from Williams that are going to cause a big stir. Here are highlights:

“Kill the head and the body will die. We’ve got to do everything in the world to make sure we kill Frank Gore’s head. We want him running sideways. We want his head sideways.’’

“We need to find out in the first two series of the game ... that little wide receiver, No. 10 (Kyle Williams), about his concussion. We need to [expletive] put a lick on him right now.

“[Receiver Michael Crabtree] becomes human when we take out that outside ACL.’’

You can make the case that this is simply a coach trying to fire up his players, and bounties aren't specifically mentioned.

But, in light of all that's gone on, I don't see anything good coming out of this for the Saints or Williams. The one thing I’ll defend Williams on just a little bit is the part about Gore’s head. I don’t think Williams told his players to injure Gore’s head. He just told them to make Gore ineffective by getting him to run sideways. This is a common speech among coaches -- cut off a snake’s head, the body will die. Still, it sounds terrible to be talking about a player’s head, even in a figurative sense, considering everything that’s going on with the Saints.

Other quotes are indefensible. On Kyle Williams, Gregg Williams clearly told his players to put a big hit on a player who previously had a concussion. On Crabtree, Williams told his players to take out the receiver’s knee.

Keep in mind, these quotes were made about a week after the Saints were told the NFL was re-opening its investigation into a bounty program that New Orleans had been told to stop. That's very significant, because it shows the Saints never stopped, even after multiple warnings. Also, these quotes are coming to light on a day when New Orleans coach Sean Payton, general manager Mickey Loomis and assistant head coach Joe Vitt are having their appeals heard by the NFL.

I think there’s a good chance the NFL already heard Williams’ speech. It probably came up in the NFL investigation of the bounty program. If it didn’t, it’s now public, and it certainly doesn’t reflect well on Williams or the Saints.

Williams already has been suspended indefinitely; the former defensive coordinator can have his status reviewed next year. I think the latest developments decrease the chances of Williams coaching in the NFL again.

I also think that the chances of Payton, Loomis and Vitt getting their suspensions reduced on appeal aren’t good.

Time for a look at the top Friday headlines around the NFC South.

• New Orleans general manager Mickey Loomis is ready to get down to serious contract talks with quarterback Drew Brees. Loomis also is likely to try to attempt to keep guard Carl Nicks, receiver Marques Colston and some other free agents, but said it might not be easy. Loomis said figuring out how to stay under the salary cap will be like slicing up a pie.
• Former Saints’ player Steve Gleason, who has been diagnosed with ALS, writes an interesting column about how he’s become a fan. Gleason said he, and most players, don’t associate themselves to closely with a team while they’re playing because they often end up getting traded, cut or leaving via free agency. But Gleason said his illness has given him new perspective and allowed him to view the game like a fan.
• In this radio interview with "Mike & Mike," Carolina quarterback Cam Newton talks about his rookie season, his style of play and the spread offense.
• Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson is expected to meet with city leaders soon to discuss possible funding for an overhaul of Bank of America Stadium.
• Tampa Bay general manager Mark Dominik revealed that most of the candidates the Bucs talked to during their recent coaching search pointed to quarterback Josh Freeman and the young talent on the defensive line as the team's biggest positives. Obviously, that had to include Greg Schiano, who got the job. Anyone looking at the roster objectively would have to start with those two areas as potential strengths. But there’s work to be done. Freeman is talented, but needs to bounce back from a disappointing 2011. Defensive end Adrian Clayborn had a nice rookie year and defensive tackles Gerald McCoy and Brian Price have the potential to be forces inside, if they can stay healthy.

The New Orleans Saints are planning a big event to raise awareness for Amyothrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and the Gleason Family Trust.

Former New Orleans player Steve Gleason has been diagnosed with ALS. The Saints will host "Gleason Gras'' at Champions Square from 11 a.m.-6 p.m., CT, on Nov. 27.

The event will feature music by Better Than Ezra, former Saints player Kyle Turley and others. There also will be an autograph tent featuring several Saints and fans will be allowed to see the Lombardi Trophy from the Saints’ Super Bowl victory.

Tickets go on sale Friday at 6 p.m. and can be purchased online at www.ticketmaster.com or the New Orleans Arena box office. Tickets are $20 each with a $3 service charge per order.

The event will be held the day before the Saints host the New York Giants in a “Monday Night Football’’ game.

“This is a player and a family that, aside from our prayers, needs our help,’’ New Orleans coach Sean Payton said. “His battle with this disease and his family’s battle with this disease are difficult enough, but the proceeds will go to a trust for Steve Gleason and his family. The one thing about this city is we’ve always found a way to rally around difficult times or certainly a person in need. I know this is a great cause. It’s easy for me to sit here and talk about our willingness to help and I think our fans and the people who have met Steve Gleason or at least know him even a little will find an opportunity to support this.’’

It seems like there are a lot of reasons to look at the history of the New Orleans Saints lately.

In Sunday’s victory over Houston, the Saints wore their throwback uniforms. There also was a heart-warming story as the Saints had Steve Gleason as an honorary captain and gave him a Super Bowl ring. That came on the fifth anniversary of the re-opening of the Superdome after Hurricane Katrina and brought back memories of Gleason blocking a punt in a huge New Orleans win.

This week will bring back more memories and it’s probably a good thing that not many people associated with the Saints back in 2003 are still with the team. That’s because the Saints will be making their first trip back to Jacksonville since a very unpleasant experience.

In Week 16 of the 2003 season, the Saints and Jaguars were involved in one of the most dramatic finishes in NFL history. Trailing 20-13, the Saints got off a play as time expired. Aaron Brooks (remember him?) threw a pass that ended with Jerome Pathon landing in the end zone after three laterals and 75 yards.

Seemingly, the game was headed for overtime and the Saints would have had all the momentum against the stunned Jaguars. But, then, something weird happened. Normally-reliable kicker John Carney missed the extra point, the Jaguars won 20-19 and the Saints were eliminated from contention.

That’s how things used to play out for the Saints a lot of times. But that kind of thing seemed to come to an end as soon as Brooks left and coach Sean Payton and quarterback Drew Brees arrived in 2006.

Let's review Sunday's NFC South games with the local columnists. They're the guys who get to write opinion and I add my thoughts at the end of each item.

Mark Bradley writes that the Falcons aren’t playing the way they did the past three seasons. They’re making mistakes and not being precise. Bradley also notes there’s pressure on this team. After watching Atlanta’s first three games, I can’t help but wonder if perhaps the Falcons put too much pressure on themselves by trading up to draft Julio Jones and signing Ray Edwards to a big free-agent contract.

Joe Henderson writes that Tampa Bay’s defensive line, which includes four early picks from the past two drafts, is starting to click. He also points out that second-year pro Brian Price, who missed most of his rookie year with an injured pelvis, made one of the key plays of the day when he came up with a sack. The defensive line has been a weak spot for this team the past few years, but there suddenly are some very promising signs.

Peter Finney has a fine column on an emotional day in New Orleans. Former special-teams ace Steve Gleason, who has been diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s Disease (ALS), gave the Saints a pregame talk. They responded with a win and Gleason was presented with a game ball. Very nice gesture by coach Sean Payton and the Saints. Gleason made one of the biggest plays in franchise history, blocking a punt in the first game back at the Superdome after Hurricane Katrina. Good to see the Saints have long memories and take care of their own.

Scott Fowler writes that Cam Newton didn’t have gaudy statistics on Sunday. But he made the plays when they were needed most and the Panthers won. In my book, that says the quarterback was doing his job.

Sunday is the fifth anniversary of the reopening of the Superdome after Hurricane Katrina. Outstanding columnist Jeff Duncan marks it with what might be most outstanding piece of work I’ve seen in a long time.

He’s got a very lengthy and moving feature on Steve Gleason, who was one of the heroes of that first game back in the Superdome. Gleason made a huge and memorable play, blocking a punt against the Atlanta Falcons.

That’s all mentioned in the column, but it’s not the main theme of a story that’s tragic and uplifting at the same time. The real story here is that Gleason was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) back in January, just before his wife found out she was pregnant with the couple’s first child. It’s a terminal disease, but Gleason isn’t giving up.

Gleason had kept his condition quiet, but decided to go public with Duncan because he wants the world to know his story and he wants to help others. Gleason said he had several concussions while playing football. He said he doesn’t know for sure if his football injuries might have led to him coming down with the disease, but there have been several studies that have suggested football players and other athletes in contact sports seem to be prone to the illness.

Despite the grim outlook, Gleason and his wife, who is due in late October, are going about their lives as normally as possible. Gleason will be an honorary captain for the Saints on Sunday.

That’s only fitting because he played such a big role on this date five years ago and he remains a very popular figure in New Orleans.

If you haven’t seen it already, I urge you to go read Duncan’s column.

Sunday marks the five-year anniversary of the New Orleans Saints returning to the Superdome after Hurricane Katrina. Saints coach Sean Payton got a little philosophical when recalling that event.

It’s understandable, because that game symbolized a city on the way back and marked a turning point in the history of a franchise that had struggled for much of its existence.

"I think 10, 15, 20, 30 years from now, as those memories fade, I don’t think we’ll ever lose track or not remember Steve Gleason blocking a punt,’’ Payton said. “If there was one moment, it would be the first punt of the game and Gleason hitting it just right and coming up with it. That was a significant play in that game and probably the loudest I’ve ever heard any stadium, ever. There would be a distant second, there would be a big gap between the next crowd noise that you would be able to remember.

“The Super Bowl would be second as far as the crowd noise, and I’ve said this before, I think, and many would argue, but the significance of that season certainly was equal to the significance of eventually winning the Super Bowl. The significance of that season and us playing well in 2006 mattered a lot. (The) 2009 (season) was important because you won a championship but ’06 for many was just as important, if not more.”

That’s a pretty strong statement, but it’s very true. Without what happened in 2006, the Super Bowl championship in 2009 might not have taken place.

Payton said the return to the Superdome was like a second start for the franchise and it made him reflect on the first start.

“I run into so many people that tell me that they were there at Tulane Stadium when (John) Gilliam returned the (first in franchise history) kickoff for a touchdown,’’ Payton said. “I don’t know how many seats Tulane Stadium sat at that time, but I’m going to say 5,000 more people have told me than seats available, but I think this was that type of, or even of greater significance. That represented the start of the franchise. This represented the coming back and the return of not just a team, but more importantly a region and a city.”

Posted by ESPN.com’s Pat Yasinskas

NEW ORLEANS -- The Saints just had a very nice pregame ceremony as part of their All Saints Weekend festivities.

The team celebrates the event every year and usually shoots to have it close to the anniversary of New Orleans being awarded a franchise. That happened on Nov. 1, 1966.

As part of the pregame ceremony, the Saints introduced a couple former players. Some of those who got the loudest ovations included Steve Gleason, Dalton Hilliard and Michael Lewis. The Saints also recognized Bobby Hebert, who wasn’t able to be on the field because he’s up here in the press box, performing his broadcasting duties for WWL radio.