Mood:
chattyTopic: Sports
My voice is nearly gone this morning.
After two days of screaming for my teams—LSU and the Saints, I'm nursing myself back to health with hot coffee and king cake (the perfect combination).
For the entire football season, the New Orleans Saints have been all the chatter at the water cooler. This morning, the morning after they claimed the Super Bowl Championship title, they are the talk of the nation—and more than just the Who Dat Nation.
I spent Super Bowl Sunday with great friends and their family members. One thing I've always been thankful for, since my first day in Louisiana, are the families I've met and spent time with. They have great stories to share, often paired with great food. Sunday's gathering was no different. This was a family, like so many others in the Gulf Coast, who've stood by their team, even when they were the "Aints"—the worst team in all of sports history.
Generally, I think Saints fans were in shock to be going to the Super Bowl, even after they'd hoped for it all season. So the win was even more of a shock—but none the less, the celebration roared. From the party I was at, we could see and hear the fireworks from across the lake to New Orleans. Finally, a celebration they only dreamt of was a reality.
The road to the Super Bowl, for Saints fans, has been a long one; 44 years in the making. The Saints longstanding tradition of losing games was odd to me, considering just how obsessed southerners are with football.
Last night brought me back to attending my first Saints game—this year's pre-season win against Cincinnati in the Super Dome. It was the start of my first season actually paying attention to a team, as I watched every Saints game this season (something I never thought I'd do).
The hype leading up to last night's game was more exciting than the actual game itself (aside from that second half, Sean Peyton). However, the hype started long before the road to the Super Bowl. Since Hurricane Katrina left New Orleans in ruins, the Saints and the Dome have been synonymous symbols of a city coming back to life. With each victory this year, came a new slogan—Bring the wood, finish strong, black out, Breesus, and Black & Gold Super Bowl, naturally.
When it came time for playoffs, the NFL tried to have it their way—Brett Favre vs. Peyton Manning in Miami. The Saints vs. Vikings game was all about Favre, even when the Saints were scoring—oh, Favre just can't hear because the Saints fans are too loud. They'd said. But the Saints won in an amazing game, put into overtime. Then, the story was of course, that the team and city had been through so much; meet Katrina, the media's favorite story.
With that black & gold Super Bowl upon us, Saints fans flocked to the stores for the newest gear. With that, our favorite stores like Storyville printed up our sayings "What Would Breesus Do?" and "Who Dat Nation." The NFL tried to rain on our parade, ordering cease-and-desists for all merchandise featuring the Fleur-de-lis and or the Super Bowl numerals, or anything of the "Who Dat" nature.
Funny, the NFL never cared before. The NFL never wanted to trademark "Aints." The stores fought back, the NFL apologized, and unlicensed gear sold like hot cakes (I promptly purchased the ever-so-controversial "Who Dat Nation" shirt from Storyville).
So last night, we were in Miami, we were packed onto Bourbon, we were glued to the television to see if we could really do it. The worry was such: if we lose it, when will we get this chance again?
I was certain the game was going to be about two things—the God-like Manning vs. Katrina Hero, Brees. But it was far from that. It was the Colts vs. the Colts. If I were blind, I wouldn't have known who the Colts were playing, because they were clearly the favored team. However, the Saints had the sentimental vote.
The victory was sweet, and still doesn't seem real, for a team that's been through so much. Of course, Katrina and the city of New Orleans was brought up in the post-game moments. But more than anything, the nation seemed to be captured in a silent moment of Brees holding his one year old son, while tears welled in his eyes. After all, the question Saints fans have been asking for years can finally be answered—Who Dat say dey gonna beat dem Saints?
Nobody.
