Who dat playin' in the Dome again? Who dat?? Who dat???

[thatcrazycajun]

My beloved home city has reached another milestone in the long path to recovery from the Katrina floods: yesterday, after a breakneck-paced refurbishment program that got it ready ahead of schedule, the Louisiana Superdome opened again in New Orleans for the first time since those infamous five days last year when it became the ninth circle of Hell for stranded, homeless local residents. With help from the National Football League, a star-studded reopening was staged featuring megastar rock bands U2 and Green Day, followed by the first NFL game in the Dome in over a year, in which the restored-to-their-home-turf New Orleans Saints played the Atlanta Falcons. And, wonder of wonders, the Saints actually won -- dominated, in fact, 23-3. Canada's National Post newspaper has an excellent report on the history-making (in more ways than one) game here.

And yes, I know that large swaths of the Ninth Ward are still desolate and deserted, and many evacuees have still not been able to return home, and many of those that have are still struggling. But ask around New Orleans among the locals, and two out of three will tell you that this game did make a difference, in the city's morale if nothing else. Tourism is the city's main industry, and professional and collegiate sports teams are a big part of that. For the first time in living memory, every Saints home game is sold out in advance. (Bear in mind, this team used to be the Chicago Cubs of the NFL, nicknamed the "Ain'ts" -- as in "ain't worth nuthin" or "ain't winning" -- and fans used to show up for home games with paper bags over their heads. And just last year, they were a dismal 3-13 on the season.) Come January, the Sugar Bowl will return to the Dome as well, having changed name sponsor yet again (from USF&G to Nokia to, now, Allstate insurance). Bit by bit, step by step, New Orleans is coming back.

Comments

[brithistorian.livejournal.com]

I've never been a big football fan (despite my long exposure growing up), but I was glad to see the Saints back in the Dome. And I was particularly glad to see that someone in the NFL's scheduling office had sufficient sense of drama to be sure that their first home game back was against the Falcons. After that, the fact that they won was just icing on the cake. Maybe the flood washed away the curse! ;-)

[tovahs.livejournal.com]

You do know that All HELL is going to freeze over now. 3 wins for my poor Saints.

[thatcrazycajun.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I think Ol' Scratch is definitely placing bulk orders for long johns to be shipped down there about now... :-)

[redaxe.livejournal.com]

Heh. For those of us who assert that Hell is already at almost absolute zero, here comes the thaw!

[one-undone.livejournal.com]

Good Lord, but my mama (still back in N.O.) was so superstitious about that game, she refused to turn on her TV, and my sister had to keep calling her to tell her to turn it on for the instant replays! She wrote me an email today IN TEARS over the win. My best friend (also still in N.O.) HATES football (as do I) but she called me last night PISSED OFF because Atlanta made 3 points! I mean she was FURIOUS! She was on the phone YELLING at me, and I'm like "since when do you care? Since when do you even WATCH football?" and she's like, "Oh, but Noo, this is *different*, this is the first game back at the DOME, and this is ATLANTA, we GOTTA beat their asses! It just wouldn't be RIGHT! Know what I'm sayin'? We had people *dyin'* in that Dome last time they were there and now we gotta WIN!" I could see the feral gleam in her eye from all the way up here in Minnesota.

It was kinda scary, really...