I get to go to the New Orleans Saints game
against the Atlanta Falcons this Monday night with my friend Doug.  People
outside the city are questioning whether or not this is really a big
deal.  Simply put, YES.  I’ve been to the quarterfinals of a World Cup, the 1996 Olympics and some of the best SEC games ever, but I think this one might crack the top spot of my all-time most emotional events ever.


Dan Patrick from ESPN is in New Orleans this week doing his radio show.
He has focused his show around former players from the city and actual victims
of the hurricane…not people who live on paper like so many other cable
outlets.  One man from Slidell emailed his show that, "…I have been
working for months to restore my home.  I have no furniture, but bought a
50-inch television so he can watch the game.  It’s a night
away."  Another woman wrote, "…if nothing else, I don’t have
to deal with the insurance adjusters and contractors.  It’s an outlet."
His partner in crime, Keith Olbermann told a story about being in NYC after
9/11.  He said days after a NYPD officer, "What he thought the
outcome of the Mets game would be?" It wasn’t what do you think will
happen now or what should we do.  It was about sports.  It is a
release.  It’s not life, but it is a metaphor for it.  It’s the
ultimate essence of sports.  I give Mr. Patrick major props for doing his
job as a journalist responsibly.  He’s listening to the citizens. 

Through various airports and cities I’ve been recently, people tell me their
initial notions about the city of New Orleans and what they think should
happen.  It’s interesting because their view is usually always opposite
mine…until they hear me speak.  I don’t get emotional about it.  I
just tell them other people’s stories.  As soon as I make an emotional
connection with them, all of a sudden they realize that this isn’t a problem to
be solved on paper.  Their demeanor changes.  If you’re not from here
and weren’t affected, then you don’t speak.  Have the discipline and
responsibility to not speak.  You have no idea what we went through and
are not qualified to tell us how you think it should be done.  Save your
theories for dissertations on increasing the number of endangerd species on the
northern coast of Africa.  Life is not lived on paper.  That’s why we
play the game.  That’s why the 2001 New England Patriots beat the St.
Louis Rams in the 2002 Super Bowl in the Superdome.  If the game had been
played on paper then, the Patriots would have lost by 40 points.

I’m tired of hearing:

Q: "How can you spend $100 million on a Dome when people still don’t have
homes or running water?"
A: First, the Dome is an icon.  More so than the French Quarter, any
person who enters New Orleans must drive by it.  A ton of famous events
have happened and we take pride in the fact that people want to hold those
events here.  We are a tourist town and the Dome is one of the reasons for
it.  Second, so many people have not been able to build their homes back due
to the BS coming from private insurance companies.  No one hears about
that thought unless you actually speak to residents.  Lastly and most important,
the money spent was allocated through bonds.  It legally has to be used
for that purpose.

Comment: It’s just a football game.  ESPN, the NFL and the city are making
too big of a deal about it.
Response: If you’re in NYC, Seattle or Miami, then maybe it’s just a corporate
event.  Maybe all the good tickets are held by large entities.  In New Orleans, football is a
passion.  It’s ingrained in its citizens.  The people that bought out
the whole season for the first time in franchise history are regular citizens
that really have to think before buying season tickets.  It’s not the CEO
of a company.  It’s the high school math teacher or the administrative
assistant to that CEO.  Maybe the random PhD student living on Long Island
thinks we’re infantile, but football is a part of our identity.  The fans
of college football’s SEC understand.

Even if you have no plans to watch Monday Night Football, please watch the pre-game.  Watch the screen closely and notice
the number of people crying, the number of men that are fighting back tears and
the thunder from the crowd.  Those aren’t corporate dollars.

When all of this happened, there was so many unanswered questions (and still
are) about the future of this city.  My first thought was that the
pro-sports franchises are not as important right now and this might be the time
that we lose them.  We weren’t doing well before Katrina to support them
so how would we now? 

The power of Bush marketing has been unbelievable.  He has done a ton for the community with very little recognition required…class act.  The season has sold
out.  I think it’s a combination of him, Brees (the new QB), a new head coach, Morten
Anderson’s return and the first NFL game back in the city.  Like
all Americans, we are a resilient people.  They know the Saints need to be
a cornerstone in the rebuilding process.  It’s a bright and visual
reminder of the city’s path back.  In a media-world where things are
forgotten in a day, it’s a symbol that keeps us in the forefront of the
country’s minds.

The whole city is getting out of work at 3 pm on Monday to get to the game
and/or tailgate.  On top of the day, the Falcons and Saints are two teams
that have managed to maintain a passionate rivalry despite an era of free
agency.  The fans create the rivalry because players come and go.
The band lineup is U2, Green Day and Foo Fighters.  The first President Bush is flipping the
coin.  They are not rolling out that kind of red carpet for nothing.
The NFL and the city are showing their belief in its people.  No one
thought, it was silly to have a baseball game in NYC days after 9/11.
This is no different.  Because the human spirit is intangible and can’t be
put on paper, it seems to be too often forgotten.  Never underestimate the
power of the human spirit as well as it’s need to be nurtured.

People are always asking others why would anyone want to move back to New Orleans after all that.  It’s because New Orleans is not a place.  New Orleans is an idea, a unique culture running
strong through the blood of its citizens. 

I look forward to writing a recap on Tuesday.

BTW, my prediction is that the Falcons will win this one.  I think it will
be close in the first half because of the emotional value, but Atlanta has a phenomenal
team and will dominate in the 2nd half.  Like I said, the game isn’t decided on paper so I hope I’m wrong.