Oh when the Saints...

[stogie bear]

Oh when the Saints...

Traffic ground to a halt, and not even Brees was spared the hassle. He finally made it to the Superdome two hours before kickoff, only to find he didn't have a spot to park. He pulled his car up onto an island and appeared ready to leave it there until police and parking officials yelled at him.

They eventually found a place for him to go, and he drove off to the cheers of fans.

Inside the Superdome, it was more happy bedlam. Every seat was filled 30 minutes before the game began, and fans danced and sang while U2 and Green Day rocked out. High up on the facade below the top deck, a simple black and white banner read, "Thank You America! New Orleans & Saints Are Here To Stay!"

I lived in New Orleans on two seperate occasions (Canal Street and Metarie) and I loved the atmosphere on gameday when The Saints were in town....

This news story brought the whole city and atmosphere back to me! And after tonights sensational win against the much favoured Falcons I am indeed a happy man and I don't ever take for granted my lucky life and having been allowed to experience the American dream for myself.

[Guest]

I was in NOLA a couple of weeks ago volunteering.

We were gutting houses that had been flooded.

[Leather303]

I just spent 10 days working in "Nawlins"

One mile in almost any direction of the Superdome is still pure devastation. Homes still with boats on the roof, miles and miles of total devastation. Many areas still no electricity.

185 million to rebuild the Superdome though!

[Ladyboy_Loser!]

Yeah, fucking amazing. Only in America. Getting the Superdome up and running takes precident over providing basis services to those who are still without. But what the hey, it makes people feel good about themselves and their city doesn't it and really that's all that counts these days. Oh and of course with the Superdome up and running all those displaced people can go there to watch a football game, sorry I just realized that the cost of admission is something they can dream about affording. Yeah, what a great country.

[stogie bear]

While it is probably true that The Superdome has had a makeover with money that could have better spent on other things it's also important that the city starts somewhere. The Superdome is the only pro team venue in Louisiana. There's no baseball, no hockey and no basketball (anymore.) The symbolistic value of The Superdome is enormous.

You could make the same argument that way too much of New Yorks resources have been tied up trying to re-build the Twin Towers and some of that could have been spent on cleaning the streets or housing the homeless! And what about the arch in St Louis? Couldn't they have found something more altruistic to spend that money on?

The Superdome is a landscape feature that unites all of the people of New Orleans and Louisiana and to be honest the amount spent on The Superdome is really a spit in the sea compared to the needed funds to kick-start the city and surrounding areas and bring them back to any kind of normalcy.

Some of these comments seem a bit like sour grapes to me.

It also helps that The Saints crushed Atlanta and are one of the few unbeaten teams remaining in the league!  

[Guest]

why in the hell do you want to rebuild something thats is well below sea level? on top of it all the majority of the people i have had the unwholesome pleasure of meeting would just get the hell out of houston and go anywhere else beside texas. pure useless lazy trash that does not want to work. and thats holding back on my true feelings...plus why do i as a taxpayer have to pay to rebuild the trashes homes??? our crime rate has hit the highest in years. murders are up, gang fights in the highschools, everywhere there is a high concetration of refugees you have a crime spike. on top of all this HPD has to put satellite stations in the area just to be able to respond to other areas in timely a manner.

please the symbolistic value of the super dome. where a little girl was raped. no one saw anything. people robed no one saw anything. people acted like pure animals in that hell hole. i wasn't there but one of my coworkers was. people where fighting each other for food,water or just out of anger with each other.

thats it for my rant just glad i live in a zone controlled yuppie hell neighborhood in houston with little to no apartments for the NO trash to move into.

[PigDogg]

(stogie bear @ Sep. 26 2006,13:42) This news story brought the whole city and atmosphere back to me!

New Orleans is one of the best cities on the planet!

Hey Stogie, did u lock yourself in your room till Mardi Gras was over like u do with Songkran?

[stogie bear]

Yes I did!

I worked on Toulouse Street in a restaurant called "Ralph & Kakoos" just opposite The Brewery and they closed during the worst of Mardi Gras so I just holed up at home. Never did go to the Mardi Gras all the times I lived and travelled there.

[katoeylover]

(stogie bear @ Sep. 26 2006,18:33) It also helps that The Saints crushed Atlanta and are one of the few unbeaten teams remaining in the league!  

I think you hexed them Stogie Bear!!!

[stogie bear]

Both sides in that contest should be ashamed!