The New Orleans Saint’s heroic Super Bowl victory and the New Orleans’ breath-taking election—choosing Mitch Landrieu to be the Mayor-elect--marks the first weekend in February 2010.Those two days must be the most momentous in the CrescentCity’s long history.
The Landrieu mandate is simply mind-stunning. Not only does it mark the changing of the guards.But it proves that New Orleans can knock down barriers.Republicans voted for a well-known Democratic Party politician whose family has served both New Orleans and Louisiana for years.Blacks gave up the coveted keys of control to the city.Together we have bet on a chance that this community will share in much-deserved prosperity.
For the moment, the city which has been frozen in time, weathered by the horrific storms of difficulties now tries to jumpstart its future.The New Orleans citizens are thankful to those who wanted to lead.However, they spoke out for unity.They said tomorrow must be now.
On Saturday, perhaps for the first time ever, New Orleans said it wanted to feel whole.
On Sunday, a hole broke through that impregnable gates of negativity and the flood of hope poured in.
That fortress of despair, of doubt, of cynicism, of embarrassment came crashing down.New Orleans declared itself to be the champion of champions.
The New Orleans Saints, the Who Dat Nation screamed out to everyone that change was not only coming, it is here.
The city that has been on nobody’s team has new believers.
Our streets, where vicious wind and rain whipped as the Katrina hell exploded in demonic delight, last night were suddenly filled with the disbelieving, the euphoric, the exhilarated.
Our youth, who never heard of Saint names of generations past such as John Gilliam, John Mecom or Jim Taylor are now as proud of their city as those who endured those horrible Sundays of ridicule.
Young, old, rich, poor, black, white are now all part of the Who Dat Nation.Yesterday they hugged.They slapped palms, screamed with joy and engaged in the moment.Finally, this was the moment that so many of us longed-for way to long.
The Saints were born over forty years ago.Then, the city demanded respect.The state had enough political stroke.The NFL say yes.
On Saturday, a political name that rings from the past has been chosen to lead a crumbled city into the unknown but hopeful future.
On Sunday night, the Saints and New Orleans lifted the trophy that signified that we finally belong in the league of the honored.
Today, we remind ourselves of our histories.Many of our loved-ones failed to make this journey.They left us before we reached this PromiseLand.
But, spiritually, we join them and extol them for not folding.We nod to them willingly.We sacrificed and journeyed on when the frail would have withered. We now accept the challenges of being a glistening community of pride, opportunity and togetherness.
For a strange unexplainable reason, our spirits have converged.New Orleans is embracing new leadership inspiring the hope of “one people”.We have also proven we have achieved the gamesmanship of “one nation”.
For now, our heart and soul are Saintly.Our spirits know little bounds.The moment is ours to cherish.Hopefully, we can truly build upon this weekend to aid us for those uncertain days yet to come.
Yeah, I see where your priorities lay there Kp, what, Reggie Bush helped the Sainty Sainty Sanitation Sensation get its 3 or 4 days of fame and now that the team is going to have to pull in more bucks for its maintenance you think the Saints should dump Reggie ‘Louisiana’ style…. Yeah, never underestimate the power of hope, it kept the suckers buying tickets for 40 odd years, I guess that same old game will work again for at least another 30…. As long as it can keep getting tax payer dollars through hook or crook I don’t suppose it needs to prove itself anymore…. I wonder who Drew Brees is going to play for in the 2012 season? Yeah, that New Orleans, it’s in the BIG LEAGUES now!!! And Big Leagues cost Big dollars… And if you think any one of the Sainty Saints is going to accept less than what it they are worth then you are as ignorant as the folks that believe the whole shitnshebang in the first place. They aren’t Saints, they are human beings wanting the same things in life that their fans want… Which is more, more, more….. Gonna be interesting watching the upcoming event. Good thing Landrieu has the Super Bowl coordinator on his staff……… Gotta figure out how to siphon the dollars so the principles can get their pay too somehow I would suppose… Should be veeeeeeeeeeeerrrry interesting…….. Written by
on 2/13/2010
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And do the Saints.... But it was a fun delusion while it lasted, those Sainty fellers... Written by
on 2/13/2010
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Reggie Bush can's hold a candle to #'s 23 or 21 (I'm sure they have names, but who cares?). They should have traded Bush a year or two ago, he gets far more publicity than his talent deserves. Written by kpf
on 2/12/2010
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Ahhh, see how things play out? Now there is pizzing an' moaning in the Saints ‘management lounge’ about Reggie Bush and the $8 million he is paid. Obviously his worth as an 'asset' has multiplied. But, to juggle the books, and try to make it a viable business model, now the Saints LLC. has to go through the break even charts again, and again, and again... Nature abhors a vacuum, and it takes a lot of money to maintain an image that was merely a vapor lock in the first place. Let’s see now, 2010 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in Vancouver British Columbia begins tonight…. Oh sure, there was a Sports illustrated cover that showed the Saints a couple of weeks ago before the Super bowl, but much in the same way as last year’s ‘swim suit issue’ it too will be forgotten as time moves forward.. Folks around the nation are already talking about the upcoming football season, and considering how much grease it takes to lube the wheels of publicity I would assume that the Saints will probably be relegated back to the back of the room of the ‘public’s eye’ like the Detroit Lions the Buffalo Bills, or the Atlanta Falcons (Go Bobby Hebert!!!) have been. So I guess New Orleans got its 2 or three days of fame.. Hope they milked this Super Bowl win for all the hype they could get out of it. It looks like honesty time is upon New Orleans again, cha-cha-cha-cha-changes………….. Time to face the strain…. cha-cha-cha-cha-changes……….. Written by
on 2/12/2010
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The Who Dat – Who Dat ranting on the local news is starting to take on the grating nature of ‘Barney the Purple Dinosaurs’ “I love you, You Love me, we’re just one big family” theme in a Red Beans ‘n Rice sort of way….. I am sure Washington is listening to us, and they are probably laughing their selves to sleep at the simplicity of it all… Consider this Steve; “HALLELUJIAH!!! A little ‘grease’ and the Who Dat’s have solved our problem and New Orleans is cured!!! Now we can get on to other business… And the $55.00 Super Dome Saints tickets fans used to enjoy? Thing of the past…. Value and appraisal Steve, value and appraisal. Average ticket prices… They stumbled around @ $55.00 for several years, went up to around, on average, $63.00 and will probably hit $70.00 and up next season. And fewer and fewer fans will be able to afford them. I am not going to get into the benefits that affordable high speed rail service to New Orleans could produce; y’all are too busy grooming a large medical based industry population at the taxpayers’ expense… And I know the little footballs those game little Women of the Storm passed around as novelty items in D.C. a week or so ago were well intentioned, but good intentions don’t pay the bills for costs that are anticipated to accrue. You see Steve, - - - in the words of Jim Morrison……… Well keep your eyes on the road and your hands upon the wheel…….. Keep your eyes on the road and your hands upon the wheel…. Or perhaps keep your eyes on the ball, or perhaps consider cause and effect, or value and appraisal, or the differentiation of wants vs. needs, or practicalities, or economics, or perhaps even more important being as none of those topics are subjects of interest to you, expand your forte a bit and take your eyes off the ball they expect you to play with. Louisiana is perhaps among the largest anal retentive news media regions in the nation. So self concentric that it does not take into account the pulse of the rest of the nation. Yes Steve, Washington is going to be watching us, and what Washington is going to be looking for is a return on the investment of federal tax dollars pumped into us…. They really expected a little more than a Super Bowl parade, and a little more than a finagled match…. You see Steve, the Saints ain’t putting no gravy on the potato’s the folks up in or around Indiana, or North Dakota, or Maine, or Washington, or California, or Delaware or anywhere else are contending with right now. Put a little bit of journalistic integrity into things and quit being so boursie…….. Written by
on 2/9/2010
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Thank you, Stephen, for a beautiful article. While we did not support Mr. Landrieu, we wish him well. The winds of change must be channeled throughout this city and this state and this nation. Indeed those winds of change were in the air for this state when Edwin Edwards was elected for the first time - just read his inaugural address. However, those winds eventually died and he is in prison. We are still reading his biography and were quite interested in the fact that a prisoner, who had been pardoned by him and released early, is asking the President to do the same for Edwards. Even Dave Treen did this before he died and Bush refused. Perhaps it is time that we start mending many fences that have been created over the years by hatred and politics. Written by RhettsWife
on 2/9/2010
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The Lakota Sioux and the allied Northern Cheyenne thought the same thing on June 26, 1876… And here it is 130 years later and they still wonder what was gained and what was lost. Enjoy the festivities, for the bells toll still reckons…. Written by
on 2/8/2010
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These historic magic 
