Who Dat? you dat

Man, I am on Cloud 9 right now. Bama is playing for the National, um, I mean SEC championship Friday. It promises to be a great game against Florida. Hopefully The Crimson and White will prevail. Florida is a good team though, it will be a tough win for either team. But as happy as I am that the Tide is rolling, nothing compares to my excitement about our beloved Black and Gold.



Our Saints are 11-0. Wow! it just sounds so awkward, but so good to refer to them as the 11-0 New Orleans Saints. What a season.

Today, I consider myself the 2nd luckiest man on the face of the Earth(I'm no Gehrig). I was one of the lucky ones in the Dome Monday night as the Saints destroyed the Patriots. It was AWESOME. Luckily my Mom isn't real big on going to night games and monday night games, so her ticket fell to me(maybe I encouraged it, but I didn't twist her arm very much). I told her it would probably be a good idea for me to go with the SD to make sure he doesn't fall asleep on the drive home. I was full of anticipation all day, and yes, a bit nervous too. After all, the Patriots are a good team.

I team teach my last class of the day and my co-teacher said she would cover the class so I could leave early, when i told her it was so I could go to the game she said, "go, go, why are you still here". My asst Principal was teh same way."oh yes, you can leave, and give a big who dat for me when you get there, yell loud" she said.
She also aloud me to come in late on Tuesday, as I am off 1st period.

So I did leave early, headed to the Dell and met up with the SD. Slipped out of my teacher gear and into the lucky shirt and was ready to go. But before we could go the SD realized that he forgot his lucky saints jacket in Moms car. It wasn't an option, we had to go across town to get it. By the way, it does get a little chilly in the Dome, whoever does the AC there is a a beast. We got downtown about 5pm, gates wouldn't open till 5:30. We milled around outside the Dome taking in the sights of crazy and excited saints fans. It was an electric atmosphere.

I was at the Monday night game against the Falcons after Katrina, and I have never experienced anything like that. This was different, people at this game were just excited for the game to be played, for opening kickoff to happen, for the team to actually be at work.The excitement this time wasn't about returning home. This time it was about the battle to come, and Saints fans were ready for war.

I'm not gonna get into the details of the game, but the attitude of the fans has definitly changed in New Orleans. I have been to many games where the Saints look good and the fans cheer hard, but still fear a let down at the end. Those days are gone. At the two games I've been to in person this season the attitude is completely different (as it is also withpeople I have watched the games with on tv). Even when things are not going our way, Saints believe that there team will find a way. I was thinking about this. Why have our attitudes changed? simple, watch the game. Drew Brees never gives up. Vilma never gives up. No one in black and gold ever gives up. Remeber the Miami game? we were getting killed. did they panic? No, the got back up and went to work. Did we panic when we went down to the Patriots? No. We got back up and went to work, and we worked hard. 38-17, Damn Good!

To me that's what it's all about. Football is ultimately a game. But the lesson applies. Surround yourself with people who are willing to work hard, surround yourself with people who don' t give up and you will be successful. Will you win everytime? No, but life, unlike football doesn't have an off-season. Gametime is year round. You are the Drew Brees of your team, you are the Darren Sharper of your team. Go to work, work hard. If you get sacked for a loss get up and throw one to the endzone. But don't be like the Patriots and give up with 5 minutes left in the game. Fight on my Saintly friends.

Congrats to our boys in black and gold. We are so proud of you. You make us proud of ourselves and our hometown. Nowhere is the connection between a team and its fans as strong as it is here in New Orleans.

Who Dat say they gonna beat US Saints?