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Published: January 28th 2010
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Saints Win! Saints Win!
I took this as the game winning field goal split the uprights in Overtime! The Saints get to go to their first Super Bowl and the fans go wild. Saints Head to Super Bowl
I took my friend Arthur down to meet Liz and Brian and a few thousand friends at Ryan's Irish Pub in the French Quarter. Everyone had their game hat on and everyone was surprisingly synchronized in their cheers. When they'd show Brett or another Viking on the TV, everyone would booooooo booooo!!!! When Brees or Bush or any Saint came on the line of HDTVs above the bar, cheers erupted and arms went high in the air. Then of course, the main chant is:
Who Dat? Who Dat say de gonna beat dem Saints!
This was how the game should be watched.
The game didn't start off well though with the Vikings marching down the field for an easy touchdown on their opening drive. The uninamity of the crowd was broken when a Vikings fan produced a Viking horn and blew it after Adrian Peterson's touchdown. One Saint fan said he'd like to see how loud he could blow it when it's stuck up his ass! Beyond this statement, the Viking fans seemed to be treated with a modicum of respect and were barely tolerated.
The game was all
Saints Fans
We cheered the Saints on to victory at Brian's friend's pub. This was a great place to watch a great game with all the fans cheering in unison. Brian and Liz are with my British friend Arthur. it had been hyped to be and I told Brian that it was the most entertaining game I've ever witnessed and I've watched a lot of football by now. Touchdown after touchdown, Favre getting carried off the field and finding his legs again like a newborn colt. The game was dramatic and punishing for the players. Fumbles, interceptions, lame calls. The game had everything - even overtime.
In the end, after years of humiliation as the Aints and a season interrupted by Hurricane Katrina, the Saints are going to the Super Bowl for the first time in 42 long years. It wasn't an easy victory either and they literally had to run over Brett Favre to get there. After exchanging touchdowns for all 4 quarters and a couple of lead changes, the Saints kicked the game winning field goal to andvance to Super Bowl XLIV.
The fans went wild. I was ready for the victory kick and took some good shots of victory explosion of high 5s and touchdown gestures. The photos still fall short of capturing the fans ectasy. It's impossible to really express in words the excitement and sense of victory for New Orleans. I still
Bar Shot
Here's another shot with Brian with far away eyes. feel the exhiliration of looking over the outstretched arms of the fans in my bar and looking over into another bar across the street and seeing more arms stretched to the ceiling in victorious calamity.
Everyone ran out into the streets to celebrate. Firetrucks and police cars cruised the streets with sirens blaring and lights flashing. It was a grand celebration - a victory that can really lift a city that has struggled through so much. Liz was overcome with emotions that she could barely explain. Liz had been in Nawlins since pre-Katrina and she couldn't hold back the tears. She tried to explain and told Arthur and I about how the city had been through so much and somehow this was a release from all of the hard times that the city had endured. I guess it's one of those things in life that you don't know how you got through it, and now this victory somehow closes that chapter and provides a little relief from the hard times.
The city that was down and out and neglected, has risen to the top. Sports teams come to symbolize cities, colleges and even nations, and the Saints are
Cheering Off Bourbon
Liz, me and Arthur enjoyed the game at Ryan's pub. definitely the symbols of New Orleans. In the post-game interviews, the players and coaches were also overcome with joy and euphoria and didn't know how to contain or explain themselves. Some couldn't speak. Some had that far away look in their eyes. It was raw emotion that couldn't be glossed over. This city has feelings and they're really good ones at the present moment. The city is in a three week party mode now with two weeks of pre-Super Bowl hype and the upcoming Mardi Gras.
Look out if the Saints beat the Colts in Miami! Mardi Gras will be that much more of a celebration.
The First Mardi Gras Parade
I had to go outside of the city to get to my first Mardi Gras Parade with my British friend Arthur. Arthur had just flown over for a meeting, so I thought I'd show him some Americana. Slidell is a small town outside of New Orleans of only ~25,000 and isn't known for much besides the creosote and bricks they make (I know you probably haven't heard of it either). The main streets of Slidell were shut down for the parade and most people wore
Slamming High 5!
Marsha is giving Arthur an elevated high 5 as her friend is lifiting her up. It's unfortunate that Marsha is a Cisco sales rep. She says Brocade is crushing her sales because our products are so much better. Saints jerseys and several kids threw footballs around.
The Krewe of Slidellians kicked the parade season off with a rather dinky parade. Most of the floats were bare bones boxes, but I did take a picture of the best one. The parade was filled with unenergetic high school bands and grade school dancers that weren't even dancing - just walking with looks like - my parents made me be here. I'm sure hoping that the real Mardi Gras parades will be a little more lively.
Cheers!
Scott
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Liz Howard
non-member comment
Who Dat!
Great post! Your grammer is too good for the Who Dat chant, it's......... Who Dat say De Goina Beat Dem Saints. Always down here error on side of poor grammer ;-)