For the first time in history, the New Orleans Saints are going to the Super Bowl. This is a huge surge of hope for the city that was once left forlorn and obliterated by Hurricane Katrina. The people of New Orleans so immensely emotionally invested in the Saints franchise.
Football is such a important part of the culture in New Orleans. It is their oldest sports team (there’s only one other professional team there), and their most prominent. Not only are the Saint’s especially meaningful, but the Saint’s stadium, the Super Dome, was the city’s biggest refuge during the Katrina disaster.
For the year of 2005, ‘Nawlins was a mess, in 2006, Drew Brees was acquired by the Saints after an injury that came at the end of a pro bowl season. Also in 2006, Reggie Bush, the Heisman winner of the year, was drafted by New Orleans. All of the sudden, the Saints (who’ve been in the NFL since 1967), had turned their franchise around.
Drew Brees is the leader of the high powered Saints offense and the face of the franchise. Brees constantly addresses the fact that the Saints play and provide for the city and has donated more than 500,000 of his own dollars to the recovery process. Obviously, his efforts are appreciated when one of the most popular bumper stickers in New Orleans is “Drew Orleans.”
In 2009, the Saints acquired Darren Sharper, a veteran pro bowler, who has become the leader and spokesman of the defense. With a rebuilt defense, the Saint’s look to challenge who some say is the greatest quarterback of all time, Peyton Manning. If the Saint’s win the Super Bowl, it would be very representative of the city’s struggle to overcome the hurricane and rebuild completely. Until then, we can only wait and see.
