One of my favorite memories of my childhood is going to the airport after Morten Andersen kicked a winning field goal in the last seconds of a game against the Falcons. It was probably 1983 or ’84. My whole family went, and I can remember my cousin Jennifer and I making signs with two paper plates, some tape and a couple of badminton racquets.We watched ourselves on the local news the next day, and I remember thinking we looked totally nuts. People were chanting “Superbowl SAINTS,” and yet we still had a losing record. But that’s what made it fun and what makes the SAINTS so special to this city.
No matter how badly the 49ers could kick our butts, there was always excitement, hope and sincere love and admiration for the team. I truly loved watching people like Archie, Morten, George Rogers, Hokie Gajan, Dalton Hilliard, Ruben Mayes, Dave Waymer, Brian Hansen, John Fourcade and, of course, that amazing defensive line of the late ’80s and early '90s. I like to think that the high we experienced that evening at the airport is what made my parents decide to start buying season tickets for the family. We had them for about 10 years, and I couldn’t think of a better way to bond with my family. It was like our Sunday religious experience. We yelled, danced, did the wave, prayed and cried – all as a family in Section 621. We listened to Jim Henderson and Buddy Diliberto on the ride back to Metairie, honking and waving our fists out the windows when we won, and listening in miserable silence to the interviews and replays when we lost.
It’s definitely more than just a game. It’s:
• Grabbing a pre-game lunch at the food court at the New Orleans Centre
• Muting the game on TV and turning up Jim & Archie on the radio
• Waiting for the jazz band to make it over to our section in the third quarter
• Reciting the omnipresent Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse ads on the jumbo screen
• Listening to my mom giggling like someone my own age about her time spent sitting next to Morten at Champion’s restaurant
• Watching fan after fan trip on the staircase on their way to the very top of the Superdome
• Seth Green performing enthusiastic “Cha Chings” on the field back in the heyday of those Rally’s commercials
• Watching strangers high-five and hug each other in the excitement of a great play
• Seeing my dad’s proud face when I spouted off football stats and my teen-age expert opinion
It’s New Orleans, and it’s everything I love about calling it my hometown.
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