WHO DAT? WHO DAT? WHO DAT SAY DEY GONNA BEAT DEM SAINTS?!

Yesterday day was All Saints Day in New Orleans: the showdown in the Superdome between the New Orleans Saints and the Philadelphia Eagles, the Saints second playoff game EVER in the 40 year history of the team. All around the city and particularly around the Dome, you would have thought it was Mardi Gras. Everyone decked in black and gold, brass bands, second-lines, beer and liquor aplenty, boiled crawfish, hot wings (appropriately renamed Eagles wings) and loyal Saints fans dancing in the streets. It was crazy and hella fun! And this was all BEFORE the game even started. Add a 27-24 victory on top of that! Yeah, baby, we’re riding high down here in the Big Easy! It was a dramatic game and my boy Deuce McAllister was UNSTOPPABLE! People have been sleeping on Deuce; everyone’s been all excited about Reggie Bush. Don’t get me wrong St. Reggie the Great is amazing, he’s a slick California boy. Deuce is a good ‘ole Mississippi raised, corn bread fed, Gulf Coast local. He played a great game last night. Now, they’re just 1 game away from the Super Bowl. Can you imagine what this city will be like if they go to the SUPER BOWL? It’s actually a possibility, Wow!

A lot of people may not get why the Saints are so important to those of us in New Orleans (or the Gulf coast for that matter). We’re 17 months out from the storm, but still so far from true recovery. Drive through the French Quarter or the Garden District and you’d probably forget that there was ever a thing called Katrina. But head out to East New Orleans where it’s like a ghost town with or down to Chalmette/St. Bernard Parish where FEMA trailers sit in front of houses that were completely underwater and you’re reminded of the grim reality of so many here. With a rising murder rate, useless local politicians, and being virtually ignored by the federal government, there’s almost little to smile about in New Orleans.

But thank God for the Saints. I know it’s just a football team and only a game, but that team is giving us just a little distraction from reality; a chance to celebrate and dance in the streets before heading home to a tiny trailer or back to Texas. And they’re bringing media attention to the city and giving the rest of the country a gentle reminder that everything is not back to normal in New Orleans. This article does a good job of further explaining what I’m trying to say and highlights my favorite player, DEUCE! This city is still no where near where it needs to be, but yesterday reminded me of the “old” New Orleans, a city where everyone black, white, rich, poor, young, and old can get together and just have a good time. It’s what makes New Orleans New Orleans. God Bless dem Saints!!!