Our Beloved New Orleans

Whether or not you are a fan of football... whether or not you know who Drew Brees is... whether or not you spend your Sunday afternoons screaming at the TV with the remote in one hand and an ice cold beer in another - you simply must be touched by the spirit of Louisianans as we have rivaled around our beloved Saints. Much like LSU fans during a championship season, this state has shown unbelievable pride in our team who successfully scored a seat in the Super Bowl 2010 for the first time in franchise history.

After the devastating hurricanes a few years ago, so many things have suffered here. I moved home to Louisiana, a state I love for so many reasons, about a year after those hurricanes and STILL today - the clean up and rebuild continue. Budget concerns and a multi-billion dollar deficit are hurting education and healthcare in Louisiana. People are leaving this state and never returning. But as the New Orleans Saints season kicked off with back-to-back-to-back-to-back wins - there was an overwhelming sense pride building. People started wearing black and gold. I must admit - I bought my first Saints shirt this season. People would nod and smile at me... and I knew it was because of my shirt! Some people would say, "Who Dat!"

For those of you who don't know about the chant "Who Dat" - it started in the jazz and big band days in "Nawlins"... when they started chanting "Who dat say dey gonna beat dem Saints? Who dat? Who dat?" Don't you love it?

So whether or not you love the Saints or are just enjoying the spirit of the state of Louisiana (like me), it feels good to be proud of our state. Laissez les bon temps roulez!