New Orleans Saints

•Hayden Fry, SMU coach, agreeing that the Southwest Conference race gets less predictable every year: "It's awfully hard trying to figure out who will finish third behind Texas and Arkansas."

This, baas Coach George Allen, is the year of the Ram—no ifs, ands or butts about it. Them thar 49ers have the people, as usual, but, as usual, things probably won't pan out, while the Falcons don't seem fully fledged

The Dolphins, who were flatter than flounders for four years, have in Don Shula a coach who knows how to talk to them. The result: four straight exhibition victories, including last week's win over Baltimore

The NFL has asked Ernie Wheelwright, a New Orleans back, to get out of a bar with Mafia connections. Wheels has refused

In their fumbling attempts to rearrange the NFL, the owners have agreed on one thing: each wants to be in a division with New Orleans, which has the biggest stadium (above), good weather and only a fair team