Bless You Boys

New Orleans has officially gone Saints crazy. The boys in black and gold beat the Vikings last weekend to win the NFC Championship and earn their way into their first ever Super Bowl. Basically, at this point its impossible not to be a Saints fan if you live in this city. With the exception of UK Basketball, I've never seen a fan base that loved its team with a more burning passion than these Saints fans and their excitement is contagious. We are way past the point of respect or even love...we're at full blown hero worship status at this point. we said a prayer for the Saints in church on Sunday and everywhere you go around town there are signs people have put up proclaiming their support of the team. My favorites are the ones that say, "God Bless You Boys."

I'd imagine there are those of you who would say that this is "just a football team" and that its inappropriate, sac religious even, to show so much love and yes, worship this group of people. Whatever. The natives tell me that this Saints team has done more to reunite and rejuvenate the city since Katrina than anything else has or possibly could. At least for a time, this team has erased racial and socioeconomic bounderies and brought the people of New Orleans together, fighting for a common cause. People here are happy; they have something to celebrate...for some of them this is the first time in a long time that has been the case. New Orleans has found its way into a national spotlight for something positive for once, and the Saints have given these people something to take pride in. We wear our black and gold every Friday, we echo back the Saints chant of "Who Dat" to each other when we pass in the hallways and the local radio station has taken to playing nothing but songs written for the Saints. There is already a parade scheduled the the week after the Super Bowl and win or lose, the team will be escorted through the streets of New Orleans like heroes.

WHO DAT!