January 2007 Archives
Jan14

Spirit of New Orleans

Posted at 3:02 PM • View Comments

Last night, I watched my New Orleans Saints defeat the Philadelphia Eagles from a bar in Kansas City.  I was receiving text messages from my friend Doug while he was in the Superdome.  The whole bar was in the corner of New Orleans.  It was a nice little atmosphere.  The game was excellent playoff football.  Both teams showed resiliency which provided for a back and forth affair with few mistakes.  The atmosphere sounded electric over the TV so I can’t imagine how crazy it was next to 68,000 people that showed up.  I could only hear about it afterward.

My friend Doug called me to tell me about the game.  I asked him if the inside of the Dome was anything like the atmosphere during the Saints first playoff win in 2000 or the reopening of the Dome against the Falcons.  He said that the atmosphere was ten times as electric.  At the time, he had no idea where they were going out but that there was basically a pilgrimage of people headed to Bourbon Street from the Dome. 

My first football season away from home has been in Atlanta.  There aren’t too many people there cheering for the Saints during the season, so I’ve gotten a blurred image of what the rest of the country is thinking about the Saints.  Last night was evident to me that the entire country really is back the city of New Orleans.  And the Saints are making it easy for them because they illustrate a team effort.  The team oozes leadership from the top down.  Deuce McAllister was the man to display it last night.  He and the lineman pushing the pile over 5 yards for a touchdown yesterday just showed the heart and the faith that the team owns.

The Saints are in the NFC Championships for the first time in their history.  Chicago or Seattle…I don’t care…I just want to be fortunate enough to see this unit play together again.

Jan9

Gator CHOMP!

Posted at 1:11 AM • View Comments

There won’t be too many times that I will discuss my pleasure with the Florida Gators seeing how I am an LSU fan.  I was pulling for them in the BCS National Title Game versus Ohio State tonight.  The reason is because the SEC is a whole another level when it comes to college football, and I really get tired of them being looked at as overrated when teams disprove repeatedly.  The SEC does not ever get the respect it deserves.  Tonight proved it because OSU just looked plain slow. Notre Dame was out of its element against LSU.   In the 9 BCS Championship games that have taken place, an SEC team has only played in 3 of those games and they’ve won all 3…TN, LSU and FL.  When it comes to strength of schedule, more attention needs to be paid when it comes to the brutal SEC schedule that gets played every year. 

It’s been fun watching LSU and UF this year…both have Final Four appearances and both have major BCS bowl appearances.  But, what a year for UF.  A NCAA Men’s Basketball and Football Championship in the same year.  That’s impressive, here are my congratulations!  I’m doing the chomp tonight.

Jan7

New Traditions

Posted at 1:15 PM • View Comments

Recently, I wrote about how new beginnings/traditions can be a cool thing which scares most of us.  At some level, we are all scared to get outside that little box in which we live.  The unknown has always had such a powerful aura to it.  Humans want to know but they don’t.  I can think of several common situations in life where this applies.  It all goes back to fear and wonder. 

Last year, I wrote about Christmas being so different because the things we were thankful for had changed so much due to Katrina.  This year was so different because life was all new.  New house…errr new place to live in an old house, new job for my dad and the new choices in colleges.  So much has changed in the past year for my family.  By far, the most has changed for my parents and younger sister.  The only thing my siblings and I really have to deal with at this point is how we can best make life easier on those three.

It was interesting watching everyone communicate under closer surroundings.  Our former house was very open and spread out, so everyone is used to being able to go and do their own thing if necessary.  The new place is much more close knit and intimate.  It is a little like living on a reality TV series…I think.  It’s just those little things we used to forget to be thankful for.  For instance having friends over used to require just going to another part of the house and now it’s required to schedule a room a finding a way to discuss things at a reasonable volume so as not to disturb others.  It’s going out with my friends in New Orleans and coming in late.  Whereas I used to be able to enter the house and get to my room without disturbing anyone.  This no longer exists.  I have to put force behind the front door to open it so that makes noise; and then, walking up the stairs echoes through the whole house so I walk carefully trying to be considerate of those sleeping.  It’s just plain interesting.  The family is adapting well though, and I’m happy to see it.

My dad began has been hard at his new job for a month now.  It’s been educational for me because I’ve grown up just watching him be the boss.  Now, he reports to someone else; but I think it’s what he really was looking for because it offers him a way to continue working without having to be sole responsible person.  He’s head of business development for an engineering firm.  So basically, he has returned to the roots of what he loves and what he’s good at…engineering and networking.  All he has to do is do what he loves and has no worries about other employees, etc. 

Interestingly enough the biggest stress relief as a result of the new house is the yard.  I’m sure everyone will relate to this on some level.  I’m convinced that one of the sole reasons my parents decided to have 4 children is because they knew they would need help around the house!  I remember growing up cleaning our yard on the weekend was an all day affair and my mom is anal about it…nothing was ever finished.  The yard used to require coordination, walkie-talkies and motivation.  Now, it just requires like 45 minutes and two people.  Honestly, between my mom, dad, younger brother and I at times we found ourselves standing around looking for things to do because sometimes there just isn’t enough yard.  I could see in everyone’s actions.  Each of use was looking for something else that could have been done, but there was nothing.  It’s kind of like that TV you have to move.  Yeah, two people would be nice, but it’s just easier to move by yourself.  I mentioned it and we all kind of laughed the situation.  I think that’s going to be the biggest stress relief on my parents…the yard and upkeep has been reduced by about 92%. 
Anyway, things are coming back into the city.  I was really glad to spend time with my friends and family.  I made the most of it and probably went out more in 10 days then I ever have in my life.  My dad has a new job, my mom is experiencing relief for the first time in a while, my younger sister is about to graduate and entertaining scholarship offers, my younger brother is now academic All-American for LSU football, my older sister’s family is doing outstanding and looking beautiful and I’m doing what I love in Atlanta. 

The city of New Orleans is coming back slowly but surely on so many fronts.  The city has Fleur-de-lis fever.  I guess things do happen for a reason…sometimes.