What the Saints win means...

**Re-posted from OnlineSportsGuys.com**

After the New Orleans Saints won the NFC Championship game two weeks ago, I posted a story about the reaction of my wife (The Lovely Bride), a lifelong Saints fan. I spoke about the tear in her eye when the clock struck zero and the game was over. That paled in comparison to the emotions of last night's Super Bowl.

((TLB still can't believe it//Courtesy: My Cellphone))

TLB had gone to great lengths to prepare for the game. Immediately after the NFC Championship game, she ordered the T-Shirt...not only for her, but for me, a lifelong Miami Dolphins fan. TLB had planned for a week to make a big pot of Gumbo, not from a mix or package mind you, no, she was making Gumbo and making it from scratch.

Me, I had to work in the morning. I, however set the tone for the day early. On my way home, I went to Popeye's (closest thing we can get to spicy food in Cincinnati) and got some Chicken and Red Beans and Rice.

So, the day progressed and we for the most part. Ok, me, for the most part avoided the 32 hour long CBS Pregame sponsor fest. She however started in mid-afternoon while trying to put together the Roux, an major ingredient in the Gumbo.

So, we sat down to finally watch the game...well I did. TLB couldn't watch it much early. Had a hard time, not wanting to look up as if she still couldn't believe her Saints were there. By the end of halftime she was ready. When the second half started with an onside kick...she screamed. Yes, TLB knows her football pretty well and like me and most others, were stunned that Sean Payton and the Saints had the balls to make that call.

I guess the realization of what was happening finally sunk in on the Tracy Porter interception return. She jumped from the couch faster than the cat ever could and screamed at the top of her lungs. Mind you it wasn't a "Wooooo!!!!!"...it was "OH MY GAWD, OH MY GAWD, OH MY GAWD!!!!!!!!!!!!!". I was both happy and scared, you know, I had that "Oh I hope the neighbors don't think we are fighting and call the cops thought".

As the 2-minute warning quit, TLB turned and had to ask "Can they (the Colts) still come back?", "No dear, it isn't likely". "Sure, we always find a way to lose like that". "Not this time, Payton Manning is good, but even he can't come back from that".

So the game ended and there we sat. After all the late-game yelling, she just sat there, crying, uncontrollably. Couldn't say anything, just cried. After a couple of minutes, TLB finally was able to call her mom in Lafayette, Louisiana and though I couldn't hear her mom, I'm pretty sure that the conversation was like this; "Oh my god!", mom-"Oh, my god", TLB- "Oh, my god, did you see it?", "Oh...oh my god".

Yes, they really did win. No, the earth is still here...at least today. As far as I know, we aren't in an alternate reality and yes, the Cubs haven't won the World Series in almost 100 years...but one of least likely World Champions of all-time are now World Champs. New Orleans and the state of Louisiana have been through a lot. But they are getting better...getting better all the time and now they can say they are getting better and have the best team in Football. Congratulations.

Here is some celeberation from Vimeo

Saints Superbowl Victory Celebration from Cottage Films on Vimeo.

Saints Win equals Happy Family

**Copied from a story I wrote on my other website http://onlinesportsguys.com**

No, I'm not talking about the Chinese Dish "Happy Family", I am talking about mine. My Lovely Bride (heretofore referred to as :TLB), was incredibly anxious pretty much this whole week in anticipation of watching her beloved Saints play in the NFC Championship game.

((Chelle and me at July 4th celebration in Decatur, Ga. 2009))

Why would she be anxious? Well, for starters, she is Louisiana born and bred. She is from Lafayette...about an hour west of Baton Rouge and home of the Ragin' Cajun's. TLB is a "Huge" football fan, particularly if it involves either LSU or the Saints. Which by the way, I don't have any problem with, we all should have wives who love football...it was a pre-requisite for me.

Anyway, we decided earlier in the week that we would watch the game, starting out at Buffalo Wild Wings about a mile or so from the house. We'd watch the first half from there, eating wings...well boneless wings and having a couple of beers. Second half, we'd head home and watch from the comfort of our living room couch. Unfortunately here in Cincinnati, there wasn't a ton of interest in the game. The crowd at Wild Wings had some Saints fan, but the place basically had emptied out after the Indianapolis game ended. That did make it easier to sit down though.

TLB was well behaved at the restaurant, showing restraint and mildly cheering when her beloved Saints did something good and making fun of Brett Favre with me when they didn't. The first half didn't determine much, we paid our check and headed home.

Now, once we got home and the second half started...it was on. TLB was on everything. When the Saints scored...huge high pitched squeals of delight. When they couldn't recover the multiple Vikings fumbles...she shouted "JUST FALL ON IT!!!!!". It was quite a sight and all I could do to keep from laughing.

I actually did something pretty cool during the second half of the game. I had my laptop computer fired up and was on Twitter (follow me at osgphil). I am following a bunch of the National Sports Writers and other Sports Guys and it was really interesting reading there observations...actually in a lot of cases it was pretty damn funny, I highly recommend it. We really enjoyed hearing the commentary about Favre.

So, the yelling and screaming at the TV continued into overtime, though not before I got tackled myself when Favre threw his late game INT. It didn't end until the game did. When it did, that is when I realized just how significant the Saints win was. They are a team that an entire state identifies with. With all that they have been through, all they have suffered and as bad over the years as they have been, the people of Louisiana identify with them. They live with them, they die with them. Good, bad they are always behind them. It really hit me there at the end and made me realize all of this when I looked over at TLB and she was crying.

Check out this video made driving around after the Game on Bourbon Street: Thanks You Tube