The Resurrection of New Orleans

New Orleans Saints 31, Indianapolis Colts 17. Wait...what?!

Saints 31, Colts 17....

The New Orleans Saints, a team that has had over 40 years of overwhelming futility defeated the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday night to win their first Super Bowl title. Feb. 7, 2010 was the date. Super Bowl XLIV was the occasion. And boy, did the Saints rise to the occasion.

For a city that was 85-percent underwater in 2005, this was the night that told everybody “New Orleans is back.”

Even prior to the Saints' improbable win over a team that could and should have gone undefeated, even before Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans was not the friendliest of confines. For a city rich of history, it certainly had a past of being crime-ridden and abundant of poverty in some areas. Katrina magnified those problems and for a time turned New Orleans into an American owned third world country.

It was even more disheartening to watch the city's residents be displaced and called “refugees” by certain members of the media. Refugees? These were American citizens just like us.

Rapper and New Orleans native Lil Wayne was recently quoted (I'm paraphrasing here) saying that the United States has done so much for Haiti and that it is a phenomenal cause, but did not do nearly as much for his hometown.

That's certainly a fair assessment. If you don't believe me, watch Spike Lee's When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts. I could go on and on about FEMA's inadequacies, but then this would turn into a political column and we wouldn't what that now, right?

My point is the city of New Orleans has gone through hell and back before, during, and after Hurricane Katrina. To see the underdog and beloved Saints defeat Peyton Manning at arguably his most intense and “holy hell this guy has a killer instinct like Jordan, Magic, Bird, Montana” stage and his Colts is nothing short of remarkable.

Indeed, Manning was outplayed to an extent by Super Bowl XLIV MVP Drew Brees. Here's a guy that's 6-foot on a good day that was left for dead on free agency after the 2005 season. He was always questioned during his stint with the San Diego Chargers and when they finally made the playoffs in 2004, he won Comeback Player of The Year. Life was good for Brees, who also catapulted San Diego to a 12-4 record and an AFC West title. Although the team suffered an early exit from the playoffs courtesy of head-scratching coaching and (gulp) Nate Kaeding, the Chargers' future looked bright and has been for quite sometime.

Unfortunately for Brees at the time, a young Phillip Rivers was waiting in the wings after being drafted in 2004. Even more unfortunate, the Chargers didn't make the playoffs in 2005 and Brees dislocated his shoulder at the end of the season. It was reported he had serious rotator cuff damage that would jeopardize his throwing ability and potentially, his career. So when the Chargers low balled him in free agency and the Miami Dolphins opted to sign Daunte Culpepper (How did that work out them?), the New Orleans Saints took a chance on the Purdue alum.

In 2006, Brees threw a league-leading 4,418 passing yards, threw 26 touchdown passes to 11 interceptions with 96.2 passer rating. Not bad for a guy whose career was left for dead.

Brees was selected as the starting quarterback of NFC Pro Bowl team and was first runner-up behind his former teammate LaDainian Tomlinson. Ironically, both also were co-recipients of the Walter Payton Man of The Year Award for outstanding charitable and philanthropic efforts outside of the gridiron. It didn't stop there in 2006. Brees led New Orleans to their first ever NFC South title. Wait, there's more. With Brees under helm, New Orleans advanced all the way to the NFC Championship Game that postseason, but sadly came up short against the Chicago Bears.

The next two seasons, New Orleans missed the playoffs despite career highs from Brees, including coming within 15 yards (he had 5,069 passing yards) of Dan Marino's single season passing record. For Saints fans, it was a huge high in 2006 to big lows the next two years. Sure, the Saints weren't a completely horrendous team, but the franchise had missed the playoffs too many times to count for fans to stay patient.

For fans, it was like going on a date with a girl and getting super close to kissing her, only for something to go wrong (i.e. your friend runs into you in the parking lot, you say the wrong thing, you accidentally fart, you get nervous, etc.). So you might think “Hey, I'm straight player like Delonte West. I'll have my chance the next date.”

But what if that next date never came? What if it what seemed meant to be with that beautiful girl was indeed just an aberration? But how could that be?

I mean you went on three dates. Got to know her prior to those dates as well. Now you're back at square one. Perhaps, you said the wrong thing (been there). Maybe she wasn't your type (been there). Hell, she led you on (definitely be there)! Wait, there's more.

Maybe she just wasn't the girl you thought she was (i.e. instead of nice and wholesome, think "passed around more times than Paris Hilton/Lindsay Lohan at a rave" status).

How would you feel if you're that guy?

As I like to say, straight up trashy, homey.

The Saints fans for so many years, especially the last couple of seasons, they felt like they had a chance at the promise land...only to be teased. So maybe you do get that dream girl of yours, but then she breaks up with you abruptly and/or does something so dastardly that it breaks your heart. It looked like New Orleans was finally courting Lady Luck and then that chick straight up played them.

But not in 2009.

Head coach Sean Payton and Drew Brees revitalized New Orleans football in 2006 and were determined to do it again in 2009—and they did. The Saints went 13-3, albeit losing their last three games. That didn't stop them from defeating the Arizona Cardinals and Minnesota Vikings (who were QB'ed by two future Hall of Famers) in the playoffs to reach their first ever Super Bowl.

The critics came out of the woodwork again. The Saints defense isn't that improved (wrong). Peyton Manning is too clutch (Regular season? Oh HELL YEAH. Postseason? Not the best record in world outside of 2006.). Reggie Bush is overrated (True, but he is a great role player when utilized all-around. No way in hell is he an every down back. Even he would tell you that. I hope.). Austin Collie will be the Super Bowl MVP (Seriously?!). You heard it all.

The New Orleans Saints shut up the critics of their “vanilla” defense (I'll admit I had my doubts too). Tracy Porter intercepted Manning in the fourth quarter with about three minutes left that would ultimately prove to be the nail in the Colts' coffin (although Jim Caldwell already looks dead).

The Saints' Super Bowl XLIV victory will go down as the greatest feel good story in the Big Game's history. Think about it. Nobody thought Drew Brees had anything left in a tank to be a great quarterback after should surgery. Boy, were they wrong. People questioned Sean Payton's personnel-evaluating skills. Just look at Pierre Thomas and Marques Colston. I think he's done a pretty good job of developing those studs. People questioned New Orleans' defense, yet a defensive play was what iced the game for the Saints.

I'm not going to lie. I wanted the Saints to win because I felt for that city of New Orleans. I felt their pain and struggle, as we all did. I respect the hell out of the Colts and Peyton Manning in particular, but the Saints just out-coached and executed a lot better. Most importantly, they won their way.

An onside kick AND a two-point conversion in the third quarter?

Yeah, I haven't seen that before.

What I also saw was the genuine emotion on Brees' face when it sunk in that he was finally a Super Bowl Champion. Tears were streaming down his face as he held his baby son. His son was just looking at him, admiring his daddy. I don't mean to go sentimental on y'all, but that was a beautiful moment that showcases the emotion of a great player that has worked so hard for so long to get to where his team is at now. You have to appreciate that.

For the New Orleans Saints, Super Bowl XLIV shows that the biggest dreams come true. A quarterback that is a genuinely good man shows that nice guys that throw for a ridiculous amount of yards don't always finish last. A coach shows that being offensive minded doesn't mean you can't preach toughness and playmaking ability on both sides of the ball. A city that seemed in peril showed that if you believe in something so strongly and stay positive, good things will eventually come.

Who Dat Drew? Dat Drew is Drew Brees—Super Bowl XLIV MVP.

Who Dat Coach? Dat coach is Sean Payton—Super Bowl winning coach.

Who Dat Team? Dat team is your 2009 Super Bowl Champions—The New Orleans Saints.