Good morning lovely readers,
This morning I am sharing a guest post my younger brother, Mark, wrote for me back in November. In light of the Saints’ win last night and the fact that they are going to the Superbowl, I am re-running this. As many of you know, I am from New Orleans. Mark still lives there. On the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina last August, I blogged about my family’s losses. You can view those posts here and here. Mark’s photos from his home are here. I have to say I think he’s written a really wonderful post, and I’m not even a football fan. But this is about so much more than football. Please read on.
___________________________________
There are a lot of places where the local sports team hasn’t “won the big one.” And in a lot of those places, fans still love their team, still cheer for them year in and year out, and they remain optimistic about “next year.” They want to feel what it’s like to win THE big game; to scream at the top of their lungs; to be filled with overwhelming happiness and euphoria, and to proudly raise their index fingers in the air while chanting their fight song or catch phrase. They don’t know what it’s like. They’ve seen it happen to other teams, but they can’t really understand. New Orleans Saints fans are the exception to the rule. See, even though the Saints have never won the Super Bowl, we know what all of those things feel like.
Hurricane Katrina did a number on the Superdome. It took about a year to repair the water damage from the storm and the destruction caused by the panicked crowd who stayed within the Dome without electricity or plumbing. I imagine it took a long time to remove the putrid smell of raw sewage and death. The Saints spent over a year without playing at home in the Dome.
On September 25, 2006, the Dome was finally reopened. That Monday night, the Saints took on the Atlanta Falcons as all of America watched (you DID watch didn’t you?). I’m sure your average out-of-towner thought, “Wow, I’ll bet the crowd will be excited.” They had no idea.
Picture losing everything. EVERYTHING. Your house destroyed. Your photo albums ruined. Your car totaled. Your job gone. Your friends and family scattered…or worse. Picture YOUR neighborhood, YOUR street, YOUR block…a post-apocalyptic nightmare.
Picture your voice cracking, “What?” as you are told that your insurance company won’t be covering your losses.
Picture hugging your best friend for the last time before she moves away…permanently.
Picture yourself attempting to comfort your child: “It’s going to be okay, honey. We’re going to get a NEW house, and you’ll have a NEW bed and NEW toys and NEW friends, and things will be better than ever.” Picture yourself doubting those words as they come out.
Picture trying to rebuild your home with your own two hands.
Picture the contractor you hired skipping town with your Road Home money.
Picture yourself sitting on a plastic storage container filled with the moldy, rotting remains of your life. Picture yourself crying uncontrollably.
Picture yourself emotionally exhausted. Picture yourself actually forgetting what it’s like to smile.
Imagine feeling those emotions…for a year.
(Don’t read the remainder of this until you’ve actually tried to picture these things.)
Now picture yourself finally getting some good news. Picture yourself hearing that your city’s team looks pretty good and they’re going to be able to play AT HOME for the first time in what feels like forever. You don’t even remember what it was like to tailgate or to have a party at your house. You can’t for the life of you even remember the last time you high-fived someone.
Picture yourself returning to the scene of so much pain, so much violence, so much uncertainty. When you walk through the turnstiles all you can hear is people say, “Wow, it looks like nothing happened here!” When you smell the hot dogs and popcorn, you think of MRE’s. You instinctively check the roof to make sure it’s fixed. When you walk to your seat you think, people died here.
You don’t quite understand it when the National Anthem plays and you can’t hold back the tears. You turn to the stranger next to you who is also wiping tears away, and you both laugh a little, take a deep breath and sigh.
The roar always starts near the Saints’ tunnel because the fans there can see the team when they line up before they take the field. But tonight, the sound is different…louder…more desperate. When the Saints make their first big play, you know you’re going to pump your fists and yell. That’s the conditioned fan response. It’s expected. It’s normal. You’re ready for some normalcy.
The Saints block a punt and return it for a touchdown.
You didn’t know it was going to feel like being born again. You weren’t prepared. No one else is either. The screams of 72,002 other people in the Dome feel like they could break levees. The tears could flood the streets. Every big play is like this. Every touchdown, every sack. You’ve known the definition of “catharsis” since 7th grade English class. You never knew its meaning until now.
Just when you think you have nothing left to give, it’s halftime and U2 and Green Day play a live rendition of “The Saints are Coming.” After the first line, “There is a house in New Orleans; they call it the Superdome,” you well up again. A minute later, Bono sings, “Living like birds in the Magnolia trees; child on a rooftop, mother on her knees; her sign reads ‘Please, I am an Americaaaaaaaaan!”
You weren’t prepared for that. The words ring in your head. The freeze-frame memories from a year ago come flooding back. You don’t hear the rest of the song.
You can’t decide whether what you’re feeling is sadness or happiness. You know no one around you knows the answer either.
After another half of complete euphoria, New Orleanians would be heard for miles, chanting “WHO DAT,” screaming at the top of their lungs, index fingers in the air. Sportswriters, coaches, and players would later say that there was no team, NO TEAM, ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD that could have beaten the Saints that night.
I want another night like that. I hope this is our year.
Thanks for re posting, this is so thought provoking even for those who might not be football fans.
As the Eagles were out of it this year :(, I turned my attention to the Saints since I hear a rumor that Drew Brees wears #9 in honor of Ted Williams. That won over this girl's SOX heart!
I am rooting for the Saints as well. For all the reason listed above and the fact that I love the heart with which they play.. period no other team like them
woo hoo!! goooo saints!
Way to go. That is a wonderful post.
Read this the first time, and still like it this time.
I'm rooting for the Saints for one reason.
Well, two.
One, it will make Ed mad if the Colts get beat,
and
If the Saints win, I get to say, "Well, the Cowboy's gave them their first loss."
Great post. Welling up as I read the first part, and the rest, too. As someone who went to one of the first NY Mets games after 9/11, by myself, because I HAD to GO, I kind of understand. Not to the same extent, but that feeling, that atmosphere, I can smell it in the air. Thank you for sharing, as I missed it the first time 'round. Going back to read more about your family and their experiences shortly. Sigh. Life is amazing, isn't it? And the world of sports can mean so much, even in the everyday world, so during times like these, reflecting on such sad moments, well, the good means even more!
This was so beautifully written. It is defiantely an out of body experience to walk back into a place with so many memories and have it be a different place.
Go Saints!
okay… you made me cry first thing monday morning…. very well written post. It's easy to forget what happened, posts like these are important for the reminders!
Erin- I just looked at the pictures from after the hurricane. I hadn't seen yours before. There's hardly words to describe. I mean I've seen many like them over the years since it happened, but it's amazing how each time I look, there's this pit in my soul that opens up again. What an incredibly helpless feeling. Living it, or having your family live it… I just can't imagine.
***Ally
And GO SAINTS!!
Wonderful post! I'm from New Orleans, too. Living in New York now, I've tried to convey to many why this is such a (dare I say) miraculous thing with the Saints and the Colts… the Manning legacy, the bittersweet road to recovery after Katrina, all of it.
So very great to find a blogger with some territorial kinship.
My older brother is also still in Louisiana, as well as many friends and other family in Slidell, around the New Olreans area, and places along the Gulf Coast in inner Mississippi that were devastated.
Winning is always nice, but sometimes it's a thousand times sweeter because of what we've endured on the way there.
Love and blessings to you, Mark and all your families.
Christine
GO SAINTS! I am so super happy for them. Almost as happy as I would be for the Chargers. Almost.
This gives me goosebumps. I'm gonna go read the other posts by your brother, now. I was rooting for the Saints too, and now I'm wondering if I'll be a Saints fan forever.
I remember this…it's a wonderful piece by Mark! We watched the game last night and had no loyalities (sorry, Patriots fan)until they mentioned the Saints had never beeen to the Superbowl. So then I awas all for them. And Brett Favre doesn't do a damn thing for me, either…
Not now, nor ever have been a Saint's fan (division rivals, you know) but they played their hearts out last night and it was a fantastic game to watch. Lots of back and forth. A well deserved win on their home turf. Congrats to all Saints fans!
What a great post.
I'm a Vikings fan but before the game started felt that it was the Saints night (and who doesn't like Drew Brees?!). Plus, it seems right that the two teams who were undefeated through so much of the season should be in the Superbowl.
Several times during the game I looked at the stands and would flash back to the images we saw on TV of the Superdome after Katrina.
I thought of you last night when the Saints won….
Read this the first time as well, it was and still is beautiful!
That was a great post then and a great post now. Who are the Saints??
That was a great post. Loved it even though I dont watch sports at all.
Oh man, I had serious tears in my eyes. I can't imagine the suffering your family went through – like so many others – it's just heartbreaking. But I'm thankful they're coming back from it.
His words were truly moving and really did make me think.
GO SAINTS!
GO SAINTS!!!! They're going to take it ALL!!
~WM
plain and simple THAT WAS AWESOME
GO SAINTS!
Although I'm not from Louisiana, my significant others family is. This is their team and I'm happily rooting along side of them!
The Saints definitely deserved to win for all the reasons above and because they've put forth so much heart to WIN this year.
They're going to take it home and there's going to be a lot of happy folks!
I wasn't coming around when you first published this and I'm glad you reposted it. Your brother is a gifted writer. But I don't care who wins the SB because I like both teams. It will be a fun game to watch.
This is a heart warming post! Very beautiful and well-written.
I'm glad the Saints beat the Vikings (who took down my Cowboys)
However, Hubby was born and raised in Indianapolis, so GO COLTS! 🙂
What a stirring post.
Fantastic post! Your brother is a great writer.
I was cheering for the Saints last night(more like cheering against the Vikes). Should be a great Super Bowl!
wow, very emotional. Thanks for sharing and I am rooting for the Saints..besides can't have Manning win.. yuck
GO COLTS!!!!!!!!!!!
I'im with you – I'm rooting for the Saints!
I cannot even imagine what new Orleans was like after Katrina. MY SIL lived there while going to Tulane Med School and they moved in June 2005…that was the lats time I was there as well. They still owned there house, but they were lucky…just minor damage. The destruction there was so immense, I am sure TV did not even do it justice.
New Orleans needs the title! Go Saints!
That was an exciting game, the Saints deserved to win it. Bourbon Street was wild after the game, the city is invigorated like the old days, and the Saints will come marching into the superbowl!
I hope they win.
Secretia
Loved it the first time I read and loved it again this time – brilliant!
This is a good re-post. I have a few friends from New Orleans who lost quite a bit during Katrina as well. I am totally going for the Saints!
I thought this was fabulous when I read it the first time. It is even better now!
That was amazing and very touching.
So beautiful…
I remember this post, it was great to read it again. I really hope they win the Super Bowl (when in Rome…) 😉 Go Saints!
I remember his post. He shares your talent for writing.
First time reading this one. Tears in my eyes.
I actually got a bit teary reading this. Sport is a powerful thing.
I thought it was great cheering with 50,000 others when my team knocked off an Aussie rules team on an undefeated streak of 19 (ironically, the opposition was the Saints).. but that.. that's powerful stuff.
I remember reading this the first time. I guess I'll have to pull for the Saints since none of my teams made it…
I'm from New Iberia, LA, our town was torn apart by hurricane Rita. Thank God my home was safe, but there were so many others that were destroyed! Staying in LA thorough both of those hurricanes was one of the most powerful experiences I've ever had! You'll never know the true determination of people until you go through something like this!
Your post was beautiful, and just shows the heart of the cajun people! I'll close by saying "WHO DAT?"
I loved this post when I initially read it, but now I love it even more! Your brother's words captured the emotions everyone felt so genuinely.
FREAKING BLACK & GOLD SUPERBOWL, ERIN!!! HOLY CRAP! WHO DAT!