NFL 2006: Saints excite and inspire their ravaged city
By John Pezzullo
PA SportsTicker Pro Football Editor
Three-time Pro Bowl running back Deuce McAllister knew all along what his team meant to the Crescent City. The rest of us found out in 2006.
The New Orleans Saints have never made a conference championship game in their 40-year history. Saints fans even resorted to wearing paper bags over their heads to hide their embarrassment during a 1-15 season in 1980.
All of that seemed trivial in the wake of the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina to the Gulf Coast region in the summer of 2005. For many, life in the “Big Easy” will never again be easy.
Some of the ravaged neighborhoods remain unoccupied with no clear plan for rebuilding. Yet the Saints have brought excitement and inspiration to a city in desperate need of both.
“Until you visit here or spend time here, you really don’t understand what the team means to the region,” said McAllister, who grew up in Mississippi. “It’s like you’re born with that black and gold in your blood.”
Last season, the Saints were forced to evacuate to San Antonio and rumors swirled that owner Tom Benson would make the move permanent. When the Saints played four home games at Louisiana State, the stands were more than half empty.
But Paul Tagliabue’s last great act as commissioner was to ensure that the Saints returned to New Orleans. And the fans and area businesses pledged their support for the franchise, selling out every home game.
The Louisiana Superdome, which served as a rancid refuge for some 30,000 evacuees during the deadliest storm in American history, underwent a $185 million renovation. And the team itself was remodeled.
The Saints came marching back to New Orleans with a new coach, a new quarterback and a Heisman Trophy-winning running back.
After working as an assistant under Jim Fassel with the New York Giants and under Bill Parcells with the Dallas Cowboys, Sean Payton was hired to coach the Saints, who were 3-13 last year. Payton immediately overhauled the roster, shipping out more than a dozen former starters.
But Payton’s best move was to convince general manager Mickey Loomis to sign free agent quarterback Drew Brees, who was a question mark after undergoing offseason shoulder surgery.
“It was kind of a new beginning for everyone here and I wanted to be a part of the revival of this city and this team,” Brees said. “So far, it’s just been great. You couldn’t ask for better fan support and our coaching staff has given us great game plans.”
Running back Reggie Bush fell into the Saints’ laps with the No. 2 pick in last April’s draft after the Houston Texans unexpectedly passed on the Heisman Trophy winner and selected defensive end Mario Williams.
Along with providing the Saints with a triple threat as a running back, receiver and punt returner, Bush has devoted time and money to at least a half-dozen charities throughout the community. His prominence in national ad campaigns doesn’t hurt the city’s cause, either.
“I look at me being in New Orleans as a blessing and as a way to give back,” Bush said.
What Brees, Bush and the rest of the Saints have given the community is a team on the verge of winning a division title.
That may not sound like much in a city that is in the early stages of an unprecedented rebuilding effort. Yet the Saints have stood out as one of the most recognizable signs of recovery.
If sociologists or legislators ever needed evidence of the attraction between teams and cities, they can marvel at New Orleans’ support of the Saints in the face of tragedy.
Who could forget the roar of the crowd in the Saints’ return to the Superdome on September 25?
Following an emotional pregame ceremony, the Saints sent the crowd into a frenzy just 90 seconds into the game when Steve Gleason blocked a punt and Curtis Deloatch recovered in the end zone for a touchdown.
“That block was about just believing it could happen and that’s what this season has been about, us believing this could happen,” Gleason said.
The Saints beat Atlanta, 23-3, that night to show they were legitimate playoff contenders.
On December 10, the Saints showed the country they were Super Bowl contenders with a nationally televised 42-17 thrashing of the Dallas Cowboys. Brees matched a career high with five touchdowns and surpassed 4,000 yards for the season.
“It’s been a special season and that’s what our fans deserve,” Brees said. “We owe it to them to have more special moments.”
It will be quite special if the Saints end it in Super Bowl XL in Miami. Of course, it would be fitting if the opponent is Brees’ former team - the San Diego Chargers.
