Friday, October 14, 2011

Who Dat?



Most everyone is familiar, at least in passing, with the good, the bad, and the ugly of New Orleans Louisiana, but for me the phrase love is blind fits to perfection! I was born in Baton Rouge Louisiana and have spent some of the most memorable times of my life in New Orleans, from times spent there with family when I was just a child, to wild times spent with friends when I was a teenager, to recent family trips with my husband and teenage daughters, the city has had something to offer at every stage of my life.
This city that owns my heart has seen its share of ups and downs; from the unimaginable devastation of hurricane Katrina to our unbelievable high when after 43 years our beloved Saints won the Super Bowl and I was lucky enough to be staying in the French Quarter when as one Times-Picayune reporter put it, “Who Dat nation reached the promised land”! A city that celebrates every day was already kicked up a notch with Mardi Gras celebrations under way and the streets were packed with a sea of people in black and gold. From black and gold clothing to beads to boas everyone carried the Saints with them that day and you couldn’t pass a fellow fan in black and gold without being asked “Who Dat?” or hearing "Who dat? Who dat? Who dat say dey gonna beat dem Saints?" The city that is always alive with music was more often than not pumping tribute songs to the Saints from the traditional “When the Saints Go Marching In” to the “Black N Gold (Who Dat)” song.  It was an atmosphere so unbelievable that words cannot really do it justice and that was all before the Saints had even won!
When the game ended with our Saints beating the Colts 31-17 the city exploded in euphoric rejoicing. Crowds cheered, cried, chanted, ran, jumped and hugged strangers in the streets, horns blared and the Who Dat Nation was one. It was unimaginable joy and triumph that swept the city that night and for as long as I live I will never forget the feeling. You would be hard pressed to look at a paper or a magazine about that day that does not show Bourbon St or the people celebrating the Saints victory in the French Quarter because while the Super Bowl may have been in Florida it was the Saints home town that won that night and it was a cities heart that rejoiced at a win that was a long time coming.
That day my daughters got to experience the city in a way that they will never forget and the love I have for it is now very much a part of them. I cannot imagine another day in New Orleans that will match that one but that doesn’t mean we will stop trying!

2 comments:

  1. That's a pretty awesome story! I couldn't imagine what it was like down there, with that going on. I always love hearing about where people were when some iconic sporting event was going on. It makes me think of what I was doing at that time. Glad other people in your family got to share in the experience.

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  2. What an awesome experience! I visited New Orleans once and loved the vibe the city has!

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