Behind the Scenes at Saints Media Day 2026 | Travis Etienne, Kaden Elliss, David Edwards & More

Behind the Scenes at Saints Media Day 2026 | Travis Etienne, Kaden Elliss, David Edwards & More

This week on The Mark Romig Show, we’re on location at the 2026 New Orleans Saints Media Day for a special behind-the-scenes episode with the Black and Gold. Mark sits down with several members of the Saints organization as the team prepares for training camp and the upcoming NFL season. Featured guests include Travis Etienne, David Edwards, Kaden Elliss, Jonas Sanker, Ja’Lynn Polk, and Jamie Meeks, the Saints’ Director of Sports Nutrition. The conversations cover everything from the excitement building inside the Saints locker room to life in New Orleans, the energy of the Caesars Superdome, training camp preparation, team chemistry, Louisiana food, and what it takes to fuel an NFL roster. Travis Etienne talks about preparing for the New Orleans heat, seafood gumbo, red beans, and life as a father to his son, Saint. David Edwards shares why he and his family chose New Orleans and how the Saints’ facilities and culture have made an immediate impression. Ja’Lynn Polk discusses playing inside the Superdome, building chemistry with Tyler Shough, and his love for fresh Louisiana redfish. Kaden Elliss reflects on returning to the Black and Gold, what he learned during his time in Atlanta, and the authentic belief he feels inside the Saints locker room. Jonas Sanker talks about entering his second season, giving back in the community, and the passion of Saints fans. Jamie Meeks gives us a fascinating look at Saints nutrition, hydration, recovery, and how Louisiana favorites like gumbo, red beans and rice, jambalaya, crawfish, and po-boys fit into life at the facility. Plus, April Dupre shares what’s happening around the city in This Week in New Orleans, including Juneteenth events, Black-owned restaurants and bars, Father’s Day ideas, museums, parks, and local experiences. Mark closes the episode with a special Positively New Orleans Father’s Day reflection honoring fathers, grandfathers, stepfathers, and father figures. Special thanks to the New Orleans Saints organization for inviting The Mark Romig Show to be part of Saints Media Day. Featured guests: Travis Etienne David Edwards Ja’Lynn Polk Kaden Elliss Jonas Sanker Jamie Meeks, Director of Sports Nutrition, New Orleans Saints Sponsors: Blue Runner Foods New Orleans & Company Visit The Northshore All The Waves Podcast The Mark Romig Show is produced by LOVE NOLA TV, the official tourism and visitor information channel of New Orleans, seen in thousands of downtown hotel rooms and locally across all major digital platforms. 🎧 Subscribe to The Mark Romig Show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and YouTube  📺 Watch full episodes and clips on the LOVE NOLA TV YouTube channel  📍 Filmed in New Orleans, Louisiana New episodes weekly.  For the love of New Orleans.

Dickie Brennan, Preservation Hall, Saints Camp & New Orleans Dining Scene

In Episode 20 of The Mark Romig Show, we celebrate the food, music, sports, traditions, and people that make New Orleans unlike anywhere else. This week’s featured guest is Dickie Brennan, one of the most respected names in New Orleans hospitality. Dickie joins Mark to share stories from growing up in the Brennan restaurant family, working in the kitchen at Commander’s Palace, learning from culinary legends like Paul Prudhomme, and watching Commander’s evolve into one of America’s great dining institutions. Dickie reflects on the creation of Commander’s Palace Jazz Brunch, the difference between changing a restaurant and evolving it, the stories behind dishes like crabmeat cheesecake and trout pecan, the importance of Gulf seafood and local ingredients, life on the batture overlooking the Mississippi River, coastal restoration, oyster shell recycling, and why New Orleans continues to inspire everything he does. In the Official New Orleans Questionnaire, Dickie shares his ideal oyster po-boy, his love of Leidenheimer bread, his Saints Mount Rushmore, his favorite New Orleans song, his earliest memories of the French Quarter, and why he loves New Orleans in five unforgettable words: “Because it ain’t vanilla.” In 5 Minutes With, presented by New Orleans & Company, Mark welcomes Wendell Brunious and Caroline Brunious of Preservation Hall for a conversation about traditional jazz, mentorship, musical legacy, and the spirit of New Orleans music. Wendell and Caroline also deliver a special live performance, the first concert moment on The Mark Romig Show. On On The Table, sponsored by Blue Runner Foods, Ian McNulty joins Mark to discuss the New Orleans dining scene, North America’s 50 Best Restaurants, Restaurant Week, the city’s culinary diversity, neighborhood restaurants, and why New Orleans is not just a city with great restaurants, but a city with its own cuisine and food culture. On Move The Chains, Fox 8’s Madeline Adams joins Mark to talk Saints, Pelicans, LSU baseball, Tulane, high school sports, Alvin Kamara, Tyler Shough, and the stories shaping the local sports landscape. April Dupre returns with This Week in New Orleans, sharing where to eat, drink, and play around the city. And in Positively New Orleans, Mark reflects on the importance of the cruise industry, the Port of New Orleans, and the role tourism and hospitality continue to play in connecting New Orleans to the world. Segments in this episode include: Featured Guest: Dickie Brennan Official New Orleans Questionnaire with Dickie Brennan 5 Minutes With: Wendell Brunious and Caroline Brunious of Preservation Hall On The Table: Ian McNulty Move The Chains: Madeline Adams This Week in New Orleans with April Dupre Positively New Orleans: The Cruise Industry and the Port of New Orleans The Mark Romig Show is a weekly vodcast and podcast celebrating the people, culture, food, music, sports, history, business, and civic life of New Orleans and the Gulf South. Special thanks to Blue Runner Foods, sponsor of On The Table, New Orleans & Company, presenting sponsor of 5 Minutes With, Visit The Northshore, and All The Waves. The Mark Romig Show is produced by LOVE NOLA TV, the official tourism and visitor information channel of New Orleans, seen in thousands of downtown hotel rooms and locally across all major digital platforms. 🎧 Subscribe to The Mark Romig Show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and YouTube  📺 Watch full episodes and clips on the LOVE NOLA TV YouTube channel  📍 Filmed in New Orleans, Louisiana New episodes weekly.  For the love of New Orleans.

Commander's Palace, Mosca's Restaurant, Saints OTAs & New Orleans Literature | Episode 19

On this episode of The Mark Romig Show, Mark celebrates the families, stories, and celebrations that keep New Orleans shining. First, Mark sits down with Ti Martin and Lally Brennan, co-proprietors of Commander’s Palace and members of the legendary Brennan family, to talk about New Orleans hospitality, the chefs that have come through the Commander’s kitchen, and what it’s like being part of one of New Orleans’ most iconic culinary families. Then, Lisa Mosca joins On the Table, sponsored by Blue Runner Foods, to discuss the history of Mosca’s Restaurant, what it’s like owning a successful restaurant off the beaten path, some of their iconic dishes, and some of her top suggestions for those visiting New Orleans. And Mark spends 5+ Minutes With Dr. Rory O’Neill Schmitt, sponsored by New Orleans & Company, for a conversation regarding her latest book, “The Blood of the Baroness: Micaëla de Pontalba”, as well as New Orleans Voodoo, “The Haunted Guide to New Orleans,” and her own recommendations for tourists. On Move the Chains, Garland Gillen joins the show to give insight into Saints OTAs, the incoming rookie class, what to expect from the upcoming NFL season, the Pelicans’ new head coach, Jamahl Mosley, and what this season of college football for the LSU Tigers and Tulane Green Wave will look like. Closing with Positively New Orleans, Mark pauses to reflect on the upcoming anniversary of D-Day, giving respect to all of those who sacrificed everything to ensure that the future was open to the generations that came after. From family legacies to the future of Louisiana sports, Episode 19 packs a whole lot of flavor, history, and hope. Special Thanks to Our Sponsors Blue Runner Foods New Orleans & Company Visit the Northshore / All The Waves Podcast The Mark Romig Show is produced by LOVE NOLA TV, the official tourism and visitor information channel of New Orleans, seen in thousands of downtown hotel rooms and locally across all major digital platforms. 🎧 Subscribe to The Mark Romig Show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and YouTube  📺 Watch full episodes and clips on the LOVE NOLA TV YouTube channel  📍 Filmed in New Orleans, Louisiana New episodes weekly.  For the love of New Orleans.

Crystal Hot Sauce, Audubon’s Future, New Orleans Sports & Thai Cuisine | Episode 18

On this episode of The Mark Romig Show, Mark celebrates the people, places and flavors that help define New Orleans. First, Mark sits down with Pepper Baumer of Baumer Foods, the family behind Crystal Hot Sauce, to talk about Crystal’s deep New Orleans roots, its iconic flavor, the history of the brand, the famous Tulane Avenue sign, family legacy, and why Crystal remains “New Orleans in a bottle.” Then, Erin Summers joins Move the Chains to discuss New Orleans sports, Saints and Pelicans fans, the changing world of sports media, podcasting, and what’s next in her career. Mark also welcomes Mike Sawaya, President and CEO of Audubon Nature Institute, for a conversation about the future of Audubon, the newly opened Goldring/Woldenberg Riverfront Park, conservation efforts, the zoo, aquarium, Audubon Park, The Fly, and Audubon’s role in Sail 250 New Orleans. And on On the Table, sponsored by Blue Runner Foods, Mark visits with Chef Aom Sisouk and Frankie Weinberg of Good Catch Thai Urban Bistro to talk about authentic Thai cuisine, Gulf seafood, New Orleans hospitality, the growing Thai food scene, and the story behind one of the city’s exciting downtown restaurants. From hot sauce and sports to wildlife, riverfront parks and Thai cuisine, Episode 18 is a flavorful look at the culture, energy and people shaping New Orleans today.  The Mark Romig Show is produced by LOVE NOLA TV, the official tourism and visitor information channel of New Orleans, seen in thousands of downtown hotel rooms and locally across all major digital platforms. 🎧 Subscribe to The Mark Romig Show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and YouTube  📺 Watch full episodes and clips on the LOVE NOLA TV YouTube channel  📍 Filmed in New Orleans, Louisiana New episodes weekly.  For the love of New Orleans.

New Orleans Economic Development, Saints/LSU Talk, Snowballs & Memorial Day | Mark Romig Show Ep. 17

In this episode of The Mark Romig Show, we celebrate New Orleans leadership, sports, food, history, culture, and connection. Mark’s featured guest is Kim Boyle, Chair of Greater New Orleans, Inc. and a labor and employment attorney with Phelps Dunbar. Kim shares her perspective on regional economic development, inclusive growth, entrepreneurship, the Louisiana International Terminal, workforce opportunity, supplier diversity, and why collaboration across Greater New Orleans is essential to the future of the region. She also reflects on her role with the Super Bowl LIX SOURCE Program and the importance of creating real opportunities for local businesses to participate on major stages. Kim also joins Mark for the Official New Orleans Questionnaire, sharing her favorite po-boy, her love of Jazz Fest, her Saints Mount Rushmore, her favorite New Orleans song, and why, in her words, “the people make us who we are.” On Move The Chains, legendary Louisiana football analyst Mike Detillier breaks down the New Orleans Saints, the NFL Draft, the Saints’ offseason moves, Tyler Shough, LSU football, Lane Kiffin, the transfer portal, and the storylines fans should be watching as football season gets closer. On On The Table, sponsored by Blue Runner Foods, Mark welcomes Ashley Hansen of Hansen’s Sno-Bliz. Ashley shares the story behind one of New Orleans’ most beloved snowball institutions, the difference between a snow cone and a true New Orleans snowball, the legacy of her family’s 87-year-old ice-shaving machine, and why Hansen’s continues to bring joy to generations of locals and visitors. In 5 Minutes With, presented by New Orleans & Company, Mark sits down with Stephen Watson, President and CEO of The National WWII Museum, for a meaningful conversation ahead of Memorial Day and the anniversary of D-Day. Stephen discusses the museum’s founding, the legacy of Andrew Higgins, the remastered Beyond All Boundaries experience, the importance of preserving the voices of the Greatest Generation, and why Memorial Day is such a powerful time for reflection and remembrance. April Dupre returns with This Week in New Orleans, sharing where to eat, drink, and play during Memorial Day weekend, from barbecue and frozen cocktails to Greek Fest, City Park, Bayou St. John, and The National WWII Museum. And in Positively New Orleans, Mark highlights the success of Amtrak’s Mardi Gras Line between New Orleans and Mobile, celebrating the return of passenger rail along the Gulf Coast and the powerful connection it brings to communities across Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Segments in this episode include: Featured Guest: Kim Boyle Official New Orleans Questionnaire Move The Chains: Mike Detillier On The Table: Ashley Hansen of Hansen’s Sno-Bliz, sponsored by Blue Runner Foods 5 Minutes With: Stephen Watson of The National WWII Museum, presented by New Orleans & Company This Week in New Orleans with April Dupre Positively New Orleans: Amtrak Mardi Gras Line Special thanks to our sponsors: Blue Runner Foods New Orleans & Company Visit The Northshore and their podcast, All The Waves The Mark Romig Show is a weekly podcast and vodcast celebrating the people, culture, food, music, sports, history, business, and civic life of New Orleans and the Gulf South. Host: Mark Romig  Executive Producers: Glenn Haggerty and Keith Haggerty  Producer / Editor: Kal Landry  Filmed at the LOVE NOLA TV Studio inside the New Orleans & Company Building Subscribe, follow, and share The Mark Romig Show wherever you listen to podcasts. The Mark Romig Show is produced by LOVE NOLA TV, the official tourism and visitor information channel of New Orleans, seen in thousands of downtown hotel rooms and locally across all major digital platforms. 🎧 Subscribe to The Mark Romig Show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and YouTube  📺 Watch full episodes and clips on the LOVE NOLA TV YouTube channel  📍 Filmed in New Orleans, Louisiana New episodes weekly.  For the love of New Orleans.