Saints Gab

Wow! Words still can not describe the feeling still..I don’t think the magnitude of winning the Super Bowl has sunk in yet completely.

It has been a wild last couple of days. I watched the game at a bar called Rendezvous with my best Saints fans friends, guys I’d go to Hornets games with, hang out and do guys stuff, and yes, spend hours and hours at Deanie’s after Saints games. And then suddenly all of us guys reduced to tears after the Porter Pick-6.

The hour long walk to the French Quarter afterwards was worth it. The scene was crazy, but controlled. There was nothing but love in the streets, love for our team, love for our city. People randomly hi-fiving each other and chants of “Who Dat!” filled the streets. The cars horns honking I’m sure lasted well after I left. I didn’t walk on Bourbon St., but you could hear the crowd miles away. Random second lines filled the street as musicians came out of seemingly nowhere and provided music and a beat for festive fans.

I was one of the few people who did have to work Monday, and I woke up at my friend’s house still a little groggy. Yes, I was late. I had been clocked in for only five minutes when my boss and I decided we were going to catch the team’s arrival at the airport only a couple of miles from where we worked. Sure, we waited for nearly three hours, but it was well worth it. We even made the local news while we were at it. An attempt to make a wave happen only lasted about a quarter mile.People parked on the interstate ramp near us and waited for the parade there!

We started walking away from the parade, ready to go back to work, but still in high spirits. Suddenly, a fellow Who Dat runs towards us, warning us that Head Coach Sean Payton was on his way..hoisting the Lombardi Trophy from his sun roof. After a mad dash back to the parade, we make it back just in time to see the Lombardi Trophy peering from the top of Payton’s car. That moment made the three hour wait and our cold feet and hands worth it.

It took us about an hour to drive the two miles back to the Pontchartrain Center to begin our preparation for a luncheon Tuesday. It was a good time, listening to the radio and listening to so many great stories on the radio from a happy and grateful city. We ended up working late, till about 10:30 PM..just in time to make it home for Drew Brees’ appearance on David Letterman’s show.

Tomorrow is the Saints victory parade. I’d say we could easily get 300,000 people downtown for the parade. I hope to be in that number, but remember, I got to work.

I hope they are fast eaters.

Rachel Nichols interviews Saints players and reports on the community’s response to the team’s first title.

The Saints’ victory over Indianapolis in the Super Bowl was watched by more than 106 million people, surpassing the 1983 finale of “M-A-S-H” to become the most-watched program in U.S. television history, the Nielsen Co. said Monday.

Compelling story lines involving the city of New Orleans and its ongoing recovery from Hurricane Katrina and the attempt at a second Super Bowl ring for Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning(notes) propelled the viewership. Football ratings have been strong all season.

“It was one of those magical moments that you don’t often see in sports,” said Sean McManus, president of CBS News and Sports. Nielsen estimated Monday that 106.5 million people watched Sunday’s Super Bowl. The “M-A-S-H” record was 105.97 million.

The viewership estimate obliterated the previous record viewership for a Super Bowl—last year’s game between Arizona and Pittsburgh. That game was seen by 98.7 million people, Nielsen said.

The “M-A-S-H” record has proven as durable and meaningful in television as Babe Ruth’s record of 714 home runs was in baseball until topped by Hank Aaron. Ultimately, it may be hard to tell which program was really watched by more people. There’s a margin for error in such numbers, and Nielsen’s Monday estimate was preliminary, and could change with a more thorough look at data due Tuesday.

“It’s significant for all of the members of the broadcasting community,” said Leslie Moonves, CBS Corp. CEO. “For anyone who wants to write that broadcasting is dead, 106 million people watched this program. You can’t find that anywhere else.”

Our Friends at TMZ sent us the following today about some issues with the Saints website:

Hours after the New Orleans Saints put a hurtin’ on the Indianapolis Colts last night, “Who Dat” nation put a serious hurtin’ on their team’s online shop — crashing the website with a massive amount of traffic.

TMZ spoke with an employee for the team shop, who told us from the minute the Super Bowl ended, it’s been “crazy and overwhelming.”

The shop has since gone back online — but the team is warning fans that Super Bowl merchandise may take several weeks for delivery due to “high demand.”

It was the signature play of Super Bowl XLIV, as Louisiana native clinched the New Orleans Saints first ever Super Bowl title with a 74-yard pick pocket of Peyton Manning that went the distance to give New Orleans a 31-17 lead in the fourth quarter. It was a lead that would stand out, and one that Porter says came with plenty of study.

“It was great film study. We knew that on third-and-short they stack, and they like the outside release for the slant,” Porter said. “It was great film study by me, a great jump and a great play.”

Porter jumped in front of Reggie Wayne, and there was little question that the moment he had the ball in his hands that he was going to go the distance for the two touchdown lead. “When I saw my blockers in front of me and only Peyton (Manning) and the offensive linemen left,” Porter said. “I cut back and ran it in.”

While Drew Brees was the MVP, and rightfully so, it was Porter’s play that will get replayed time after time as the play that brought the city of New Orleans their first title. “It means so much,” Porter said. “Words can’t describe how much this means for New Orleans. I am a Louisiana native, and this is real big.”

Rachel Nichols reports on the celebration in New Orleans following the Saints’ 31-17 victory in Super Bowl XLIV.

The New Orleans Saints can forever put away the paper bags.

Sunday night in Miami, they not only answered all those questions, they took their place as the best team in the National Football League. Led by a great outing by the games MVP, quarterback Drew Brees, the Saints beat the favored Indianapolis Colts 31-17 to win their first ever Super Bowl trophy.

Brees tied a Super Bowl record with 32 completions, the last a 2-yard slant to Jeremy Shockey for the winning points with 5:42 remaining. The defense put the game away the following drive for the Colts, as cornerback Tracy Porter stepped in front of wide out Reggie Wayne and took back a pick 74 yards for the game clinching score to ice the win.

“We just believed in ourselves and we knew that we had an entire city and maybe an entire country behind us,” Brees said. “What can I say? I tried to imagine what this moment would be like for a long time and it’s better than expected.”

Colts QB Peyton Manning was 31-for-45 for 333 yards with one touchdown and one interception. The Colts seemed on their way to their second title in four years, as they led 10-6 at halftime, and then 17-13 with 6:15 to play in the third quarter after Joseph Addai went in from 4 yards out.

That’s when the Saints took over. Their offense took it down for kicker Garrett Hartley to nail a 47-yard field goal to make it 17-16. Then in the fourth quarter after Colts kicker Matt Stover missed a 51-yard field goal wide left, Brees and the Saints went on a 9-play, 59-yard drive that ended with Brees hitting tight end Jeremy Shockey with a 2-yard TD pass, then Brees hit Lance Moore with the two-point conversion, which at first was ruled incomplete, but then overturned.

The Colts drove to the Saints 26 before Porter picked off Manning for the game-clinching score. “It’s time for the Saints to celebrate,” he said. “It’s their field and it’s their championship.”

After two weeks of hoopla, preparation and celebration, the Super Bowl is finally here!

This celebration is 43 years in the making. This town will explode tonight win or lose..because we love our Saints. We are no longer NFL Follies material. We are New Orleans! This is a city that doesn’t mourn the dead..we celebrate life. And for the past five months, the Saints have embodied the spirit of the people. We have rebuilt a new New Orleans since Katrina and our NFL franchise rose from those ashes as well.

To all former Saints players, diehard Who Dats all over the world (yes, i’ve gotten comments from Malaysia), and former Who Dats who are no longer with us, thank you for your support. This is not only the Saints and New Orleans time to shine, but yours as well.

Have a good time. Be safe and enjoy..Let’s show the world we are a first class city.

I gotta feelin that tonight’s gonna be a good good night…

Hope to see everyone at the Super Bowl Championship parade Tuesday!

And if you need something to get your adrenaline going..

Game time is almost upon us..It’s time to reveal who our panel of experts predict the outcome of the Super Bowl..And the winner is….

Bengals Gab picks the Saints..It’s hard not to root for the Saints after what’s happened to the Zimmer family, of which father and son are NFL assistants with the Bengals and Saints respectively.

Dolphins Gab covers the Super Bowl from head to toe and predicts an interseting, exciting high scoring affair.

Our Saints guy Michael Bruck makes his pick, of course, but his reasoning may surprise you.

My reasoning is pretty stout, though. If you think, the Colts have had a breeze through the playoffs. The #6 seeded Ravens who shouldn’t have beaten the Pats? The #5 Jets who literally played their hearts out emotionally and physically against Benson and the Bengals and then against arguably the hottest team in the NFL (Chargers)? They stood no chance in the AFC Championship. They flew from Cincinnati to Sand Diego then to Indianapolis, ha!
The Saints, on the other hand, played the #4 Cardinals who just scored 51 points in their previous game, but that’s not the tough part. The #2 Vikings had beaten the snot out of the Cowboys in Round 2 and Favre seemed like he wasn’t going to be denied a Super Bowl ring. The Saints had to play a crazy game against a team that just wouldn’t go down it seemed. That’s why I’ve got OUR Who Dats 38-31.

Jeremy Fuchs of Giants Gab gives us his thoughts on the game…

This is a pretty evenly matched game. Both great offenses. Pretty good defenses. However, the injury to Dwight Freeney is a huge blow to the Colts defense. If he does play, he will have a hard time getting to Drew Brees. No pressure on Brees means he’ll have time to pick apart the defense. For the Saints, they’ll have to blitz Manning like there’s no tomorrow. Make him as uncomfortable as possible, and hope the pressure affects his passes. On offense, both teams will have to keep doing what they have been doing, although, on the Saints side, I would like to see Reggie Bush play like he did against Arizona. I think, however, that the Saints won’t be able to get a consistent pass rush on Manning, which gives Indy the slight edge.

This game could be great, and I’m definitely looking forward to it. FINAL SCORE: Colts 24, Saints 21

Mike Burke of EaglesGab gives his input on the big game.

Adam Warwas of VikingsGab shares his thoughts on the Super Bowl..

“The matchup between Jamie Sharper and Eli Manning should be a high-flying, high-scoring, and high-intensity game. While I think it may come down to the wire, I think the grass in Miami will hold Indy’s speed rushers at bay and that the more productive running game of the Saints will make the difference. I’ll say38-24, Saints win.”

Anthony Kuehn of Lions Gab explains why the Saints will win the Super Bowl.

In a week of many firsts for the New Orleans Saints, Rickey Jackson became the first Saints player to be voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The standout linebacker played from 1981-1993 as a member of the legendary “Dome Patrol” defense of the 1980’s with Pat Swilling, Vaughn Johnson and Sam Mills. The six time Pro Bowler finished his career with 128 sacks, which was the third highest career total at the time, and 8 Interceptions.