My entire life I had hoped to witness what I witnessed yesterday, Sunday, January 24, 2010. The New Orleans Saints, the team from my families ancestral hometown, the team from the city I love, the team that had been counted out more than I count, at long last are NFC Champions and headed to the Super Bowl. New Orleans (along with Miami) has hosted more Super Bowls than any other city yet our team has never played in one. That is no longer true.
In what can only be called a moment of redemption, Garrett Hartley kicked the game winning field goal in overtime that gave the Saints their victory over the Vikings. Garrett Hartley missed a field ago a few weeks ago and the Saints were handed a loss by the dismal playing Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Hartley was a Saint among Saints when he made a 40 yard field goal. Words cannot express the joy I felt as the ball went between the uprights. Every Saints fan in the nation and in the Super Dome let out a yell.
How fitting that this game was played in the Super Dome that almost five years ago had been battered, beaten and soaking wet by Hurricane Katrina. Last night The Dome was wet again but this time with tears of joy from loyal members of the Who Dat Nation who at long last are going to see their Saints play in a Super Bowl. I only wish my grandparents were alive to see their team play in 2 weeks.
Although they didn’t have a perfect season as we had hoped they still performed spectacularly overall. There is only one word to express my feelings for Drew Brees and the Saints and that word is PHENOMENAL. The team was in it to win it from game 1 and as I sit here in what still feels like a dream I can only imagine what the players feel right now.
The Saints have had more downs than ups over the years but since the first snap of the season I’ve been saying it on Twitter, Facebook and to anyone that would listen, “Win or lose the Saints are my team and they are going to the Super Bowl”. When Dallas handed us our first loss and fair-weather fans jumped off the bandwagon and critics and naysayers questioned if they could recover, I kept the faith. I constantly think back to a sign I saw in front of a church on Carrollton Avenue in November that read
“God is victorious and so are his Saints”. I cried when the Saints won last night and I’ll be crying on February 7, 2010 when they claim their first Super Bowl victory over the Colts.
Is it possible to have Mardi Gras twice in one year? Well, that’s what it’s gonna be like after we defeat the Colts. A second line down the 50 yard line complete with umbrellas and a brass band. I know that my grandparents, Buddy D and all the Saints fans that have passed on were cheering in heaven yesterday and will be cheering on Super Sunday when the Saints go marching in to Dolphin Stadium as NFC champs and go marching out as NFL champs.
Que Dieu bénisse les New Orleans Saints
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