Monday, January 29, 2007

3 Days Away!

Wow, I can’t believe the Super Bowl is only three days away!  This week has gone by so fast, and now that the hump day is officially over, it’s time to get to the end of the week. 

And I know the players in Miami are all ready and good to go.  Perhaps the biggest news of the week came in the form of a sigh of relief from Colts fans that quarterback Peyton Manning’s injured right thumb is ok.  With him ready, the Bears will need to buckle down on defense.  But as has been the case all year, Lovie Smith’s squad should have no problem doing that.

One of the other biggest storylines is a young Rex Grossman facing off with an experienced Peyton Manning.  Many are saying that there’s no way Rex will win a Super Bowl before Peyton, but stranger things have happened.  Some of the greatest quarterbacks in history have never earned that honor.  For example, Dan Marino, Archie Manning, and another former Saints quarterback Aaron Brooks (Haha, this of course is a joke.  Guess which one of those three don’t belong in that statement).

Anyway, cheesy jokes…always a good sign that it’s Hotard’s bedtime.  Nite folks!  More tomorrow.

Sunday, January 14, 2007

Dave’s Trip To The Big Easy

Well gang, what a weekend!  Not only was it yours truly’s birthday Friday, but also, I got to celebrate it by watching my hometown Saints advance to the NFC Championship game with a 27-24 win over the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Divisional Playoff Game at the Louisiana Superdome. 

I mentioned my birthday earlier, and since that day 26 years ago, I have been a Black and Gold fan.  Born and raised in the Big Easy, I have watched my fair share of games in the Dome, but none bigger than this one.  I have heard my fair share of loud crowds in the Dome, but none louder than this one.  I have witnessed my fair share of inspirational moments, but none more inspirational than this one. 

Many people said after Hurricane Katrina that New Orleans would never be the same.  They were right.  But not in the way they originally thought.  Many saw the devastation and destruction as nothing but negative to the city, but now, more than ever, the people have rallied around the one constant, the New Orleans Saints.  Anyone who says sports doesn’t matter, has obviously never been to the Big Easy. 

Talking to people at the game who are still living in FEMA trailers, but who gave almost all they had to get season tickets to the Saints, really confirms everything I always knew about my hometown…that football is and always will be alive and well in New Orleans. 

70,001 fans passed through the gates on Saturday, poised and ready to proudly display the pride that a winning football team has produced over the past 6 months.  And boy, did they ever.  The crowd called out at the top of it’s lungs, louder than any other crowd I have ever heard before.  The team cried out in thanks to the people of it’s city, thanking them for the kindness and support necessary to start a new era of Saints football. 

Anyone who’s ever been in the press box of an NFL football game knows that media members are not allowed to cheer or route for either team.  But the truest sign of how great this story is, came when Drew Brees took that final knee, and the celebration began.  A standing ovation erupted from the press box, as even the “impartial” members of the media applauded the Saints in a mission accomplished.

But the most impressive thing about the entire night was in the post game interview with Head Coach Sean Payton.  More proud than ever of his team for reaching a milestone in Saints and New Orleans history, Payton still showed the poise and character that led his team to this point, stating that the team would celebrate the win, then get back to work on Monday.

And knowing that the job isn’t done until this team wins the Super Bowl is what has Saints fans around the nation singing a new tune.  No more paper bags, no more Aints, and no more shame.  The people of a city once down on it’s luck, riddled with pity, and virtually destroyed, can now say with pride and confidence “Who Dat?!!!” once again as their team marches into Chicago to face off with the Bears in this NFL franchise’s first ever NFC Championship game.