AMEN! Saints March to Super Bowl Win!

OMG! HOLY CRAP! Hell has frozen over. Pigs have flown. WHO DAT BABY?! SAINTS WIN!

Now that I have all of that out of my system, I want to tell you about my Super Bowl experience. I made the trip down to New Orleans to watch the game with friends and to be part of history. We arrived on Saturday morning the city was the craziest I have ever seen it (this includes Mardi Gras). People were everywhere, decked out in Saints gear. There was an energy in New Orleans; Saints fans knew we were going to win.

The pre-game video about the team, Drew Brees and New Orleans evoked more emotion than I thought would be possible. I think outsiders often forget that not only have people residing on the Gulf Coast heard the story of hurricane Katrina, we lived it. So as you can imagine I was not excited to see another sad mini- documentary, but this was different. For once a piece about the city after the hurricane was about the positive progress we have made such as schools being rebuilt, people moving home, and all the good work that Drew Brees has been a part of. What Drew and his wife, Brittany, have done for the people of New Orleans is something we will never be able to repay. They love our city, our state, our home almost as much as the natives! All I can say is thank you Drew and Brittany for helping to bring us back to life.

On that note, please understand, this season, this team and this game are not about Katrina. The 2006 Saints were about Katrina. That team gave a region what it needed most in one of its darkest times. They allowed us to hope again. This team, the 2009 New Orleans Saints are about something very different. They are about fan base that has stood by a mediocre team for 43 years. I will now get off my soap box.

There was magic in the dome from the very first kickoff of the season. This magic carried not just the team but all of the Who Dat Nation through the season in a way that most of us had only dreamed about. Starting the season perfect at 13-0, this Saints team was able to win by every way possible. They won with offense, they won with defense, they won with the running game, the passing game and even with special teams. All the while giving fans a few highlights they will never forget.

We all know about Drew Brees and his unbelievable passer rating of 109.6, Darren Sharper’s nine interceptions, and Reggie Bush’s high flying touchdown leaps. We watched as Jonathan Vilma, Will Smith and Roman Harper made it difficult for opposing offenses to find a rhythm and for rookie quarterbacks to stay on their feet. The Saints combined for 64 touchdowns for the season with ten different players catching passes for touchdowns and six different players rushing for touchdowns. Jeremy Shockey, Marques Colston, Pierre Thomas and Devery Henderson made us stand up, scream and high-five as they drove the offense down the field. We all held our breath as Garrett Hartley kicked what will now be the most famous field goal in Saints history.

Fans screamed from the moment the team took the field till the early morning hours of the next day. You could hear “Who Dat” echoing into the night.

The Super Bowl got off to a rocky start for the Saints, down by ten, but the fans never lost faith. We knew this was our team’s night and the magic that had carried the Saints through the season would not let us down. There was not a dry eye in the house as the final seconds ticked away in Super Bowl XLIV. The dream was complete and our beloved misfit team had done the unthinkable. The Saints had won the Super Bowl. The demons of old are gone. The spirits that had been haunting the Super Dome for so many years have finally been put to rest.

The game itself was so much more than I could have ever asked for. Sean Payton's play calling will be remembered as one of the greatest coaching jobs in Super Bowl history. Risky plays payed off and it was clear that the Saint's magic would not be denied. To beat the Indianapolis Colts by two touchdowns left no doubt who was the better team and finally quieted the naysayers. We belonged there and we proved it. The Super Bowl victory was a perfect ending to an incredible story; a story that I will be sharing with my children and grandchildren someday. I can say I was a part of the magic.

Jeremy Shockey, Soul of the Saints

It’s the divisional playoff game against the Arizona Cardinals and the camera pans to Jeremy Shockey. Injured on the sideline, he points to his head and rocks his helmet like it’s a baby. He mouthed the words, “use your head, take care of the ball,” to his teammates on the field. At that moment Jeremy Shockey officially became my favorite NFL player. I wish I knew why that moment stood out to me, but I have no idea. That seemed to be the moment I realized what Jeremy Shockey meant to his team, the fans and to me.

I can honestly say, when the New Orleans Saints announced Jeremy Shockey would be dressing out in the black and gold; I was not jumping for joy. Want me to list the reasons?

First, my boobs are big and jumping can be painful. Second, I felt that the last thing New Orleans needed was another bad boy coming to town to stir up trouble. I will now take my serving of crow, fried, with a side of remoulade.

We all know the story: Jeremy Shockey sits in a press box with a broken leg watching his team, the New York Giants win the biggest game of the season, without him. After the 2007 Super Bowl he seemed to be biding his time till the Giants could work out a trade with someone. Turns out that someone would be the New Orleans Saints.

So what was New Orleans getting out of this deal with the New York Giants? A former first round pick in the 2002 NFL draft from the University of Miami, a four time pro-bowler and he had the bad-ass reputation to go along with all of it. The rumors of Shockey being a Giant distraction far over shadowed his career accolades.

I will admit, the only reason I was excited about Jeremy Shockey was because the blonde hottie was on his way to Louisiana to be eye candy for every female Saints fan. Thanks to a misdiagnosed hernia injury, that’s all he was his first season in New Orleans; a tight end with a great tight end that smiled pretty in pictures.

Now, all of that has changed. Any Who Dat can tell you that Shockey is a large part of this team on and off the field. This Saints team is different from the others. I don’t say that because they are winning, I say that because this team is a family.

What does Shockey mean to the Saints? He is the embodiment of the new attitude that resonates within the Super Dome; an attitude that has changed players and the entire Who Dat Nation. He has more fire on the sidelines, no matter if he is in pads or not, than any other player. When something goes wrong, Shockey is the first one there with words of encouragement to lift his team. In the NFC Championship game, Reggie Bush fumbled the ball on the 10 yard line. Bush made his way to the bench where Shockey was quick to be at his side with words of encouragement. This behavior has been the norm for him all season. I don’t remember this Shockey from the New York Giants. That would be because this isn’t the same Jeremy Shockey that played football in a Giants uniform.

We all know Shockey is an asset on the sidelines, but when he is on the field, the demeanor of the entire team changes. With the ball in his hands, Shockey is dangerously good. The opponent’s defense is forced to cover him at all times, often opening up other opportunities for the Saint’s offense. Look at the facts: the Saints record for the 2009 season with Shockey in the lineup, 15-0 and the Saints record without Shockey in the lineup, 0-3. The team plays better with him on the field. A healthy Shockey throughout this season has been the spark that New Orleans needed.

The New Orleans Saint, Jeremy Shockey, the one we watch on Sunday night, is a new person. He seems to have found a family with the Saints. So this weekend, Shockey will be right where he belongs, in Miami, on the field at the Super Bowl, dressed in Saints pads. He will hopefully bring the Lombardi Trophy home, to New Orleans for the first time. Win or lose, one thing is clear, moving to New Orleans has revived Jeremy Shockey’s soul and I for one cannot wait to see what the future holds for one of the best tight ends in the NFL.