If the Saints Win Sunday (1 Viewer)

[Joe Bryant]

If the Saints win Sunday, it'll be one step closer to one of the storybook teams in all of sports history.

It seems to me that no matter whether it was the Patriots or Colts in the Super Bowl, if they played New Orleans, it'll be that one city vs the rest of the world. I'd imagine most any NFL fan that wasn't a dedicated fan of New England or Indianapolis would be pulling for New Orleans in the big game.

You see it that way?

I almost feel bad for whoever had to play New Orleans. If they lose, it'll be the whole world cheering your loss. If they win, it'll be the bully taking a "hollow" win from Cinderella.

If New Orleans makes it, has there ever been a Super Bowl with a more lopsided fan support?

J

 

[Evilgrin 72]

Nationwide, probably not.

In the stadium itself, they'll be hard-pressed to outdo the Steeler fans that flooded Ford Field for that game. That was essentially a home game for Pittsburgh, I'd never seen that before to that extent in the Super Bowl.

 

[mcjc4]

Nationwide, probably not.In the stadium itself, they'll be hard-pressed to outdo the Steeler fans that flooded Ford Field for that game. That was essentially a home game for Pittsburgh, I'd never seen that before to that extent in the Super Bowl.

Nationwide, probably not?What are you talking about? So there were alot of people from Pittsburg in Detroit Feb. of last year. WOW, I guess that would be an upgraded vacation destination for people from Pittsburg.The rest of the country was not rooting for the Steelers last year. Nor were they rooting for the Seahawks. It was probably on paper one of the most blah,blah,blah Superbowls in recent years. Combined with the fact that is was being played in Detroit just added the festival like atmosphere the rest of the country felt. The Bus at home was the only mildly interesting story of the whole week. If Manning is playing against the team he grew up rooting for, trying to secure his place in history, I am sure there will be alot more intrest and excitment. Even the Patriots looking to win 4 in the last 6 would throw those who have no real alliance to NO to be pulling even more for them to stop the BB and his no name dynasty.

 

[Evilgrin 72]

If New Orleans makes it, has there ever been a Super Bowl with a more lopsided fan support?

Nationwide, probably not.

RIF, dude.

 

[PatsWillWin]

I think there would be a considerable amount of rooting for Peyton Manning to get his SB ring.

 

[BassNBrew]

I definately will be rooting for whoever the Saints' opponent is. Hopefully the Bears pummel them this weekend and we don't have to hear about one of the most corrupt and filthy cities for two weeks.

 

[B-Deep]

IF the colts could make it that would be interesting. While there are a lot of manning haters, there are a ton of people who love him. Colts vs Saints would be a very interesting superbowl.

If the pats made it then it would be pretty lopsided. For various reasons the legion of patriot haters is growing daily. The main reason is probably that people are sick of seeing them in the Bowl. So if it was pats v saints I am certain the overwhelming public opinion would be pro saints, the colts would keep it a bit closer, but the saints story is still just too good for most.

 

[SuperJohn96]

So if Peyton finally wins, and he does it over New Orleans, the P.M. haters will have even one more reason to hate him (beat the Saints), although they will have one less (wins SB).

Also, it would have to be at least a little bittersweet for Peyton to beat the Saints in the Super Bowl.

I am sure if he was guaranteed a win, he would choose to beat the Bears than have to steal it from the Saints.

 

[Joe Bryant]

So if Peyton finally wins, and he does it over New Orleans, the P.M. haters will have even one more reason to hate him (beat the Saints), although they will have one less (wins SB).Also, it would have to be at least a little bittersweet for Peyton to beat the Saints in the Super Bowl.I am sure if he was guaranteed a win, he would choose to beat the Bears than have to steal it from the Saints.

Agreed. If Manning were to win Sunday, playing New Orleans in the SB would be a nightmare scenario. J

 

[redman]

Maybe not if it's against Indy. I could see people pulling for Manning, but you're right, Manning wouldn't want to be against NO.

 

[Evilgrin 72]

What are you talking about? So there were alot of people from Pittsburg in Detroit Feb. of last year. WOW, I guess that would be an upgraded vacation destination for people from Pittsburg.The rest of the country was not rooting for the Steelers last year. Nor were they rooting for the Seahawks.

The Steelers have a massive national fan base, the Seahawks don't. I imagine that the overall rooting interest of the American public was more in Pittsburgh's favor. However, the casual fan who had no dog in the hunt last year will likely gravitate towards New Orleans this year. So, nationwide, no, I don't think there has ever been a bigger favorite than New Orleans would be this year. However, if New Orleans manages to pack more fans into the stadium than the Steelers did last year, I'd be highly impressed. That's all I'm saying.You also can make a point without denigrating the city and/or people of "Pittsburg." (sic) Stay classy, bro.

 

[BassNBrew]

So if Peyton finally wins, and he does it over New Orleans, the P.M. haters will have even one more reason to hate him (beat the Saints), although they will have one less (wins SB).Also, it would have to be at least a little bittersweet for Peyton to beat the Saints in the Super Bowl.I am sure if he was guaranteed a win, he would choose to beat the Bears than have to steal it from the Saints.

Agreed. If Manning were to win Sunday, playing New Orleans in the SB would be a nightmare scenario. J

You can't be serious??? Manning would be estatic about making the big game and could care less who he plays. Maybe I'm misintrepreting your comment.

 

[psychobillies]

Joe, Let's not get ahead of ourselves. We're just trying to take it one game at a time.

 

[mad sweeney]

At the stadium, it would be hard to outdo the Steelers last year where they sold yellow toilet towels in the stands like cotton candy. If it's the Pats, there'll be plenty of NE faithful who are used to making the trip down south. And of course the Saints are already pretty close, plus general FL fans will be doubtful to cheer for their division rivals. Colts or Pats I think the Saints win the fan support.

Nation wide I think there will be more mixed support. There sems to be an undercurrent of loathing for the city of NO and the hype the Saints have gotten this season. Just like Manning and Favre have detractors because of all the media hype, the Saints will have a lot of people rooting against them simply because they are tired of hearing about Katrina and dikes and rebuilding and such. And there will be the Manning haters too. It will be support by attriton, with national support going to who people loathe less!

A good thing that comes from this matchup could be a renewed charity effort to NO and other Red Cross sites and such. It's easy to think that since it happened a year ago that everyting's fine now and this attention could surge the pocketbooks.

 

[SuperJohn96]

So if Peyton finally wins, and he does it over New Orleans, the P.M. haters will have even one more reason to hate him (beat the Saints), although they will have one less (wins SB).Also, it would have to be at least a little bittersweet for Peyton to beat the Saints in the Super Bowl.I am sure if he was guaranteed a win, he would choose to beat the Bears than have to steal it from the Saints.

Agreed. If Manning were to win Sunday, playing New Orleans in the SB would be a nightmare scenario. J

You can't be serious??? Manning would be estatic about making the big game and could care less who he plays. Maybe I'm misintrepreting your comment.

I am not doubting that Manning's first priority is to him and his team's goal to win the Super Bowl, regardless of who he plays.But you can't deny that growing up with your Dad at the helm of the sad sack Saints and you grew up there and cheered for them when there was little to cheer, and then to see the destruction of the city to now, where (if) the team finally makes the Super Bowl it so badly deserves, and Peyton's goal is to be the QB to take that all away from them?He will still love winning (if they do) but he won't take any pleasure in seeing New Orleans come so close.You are in a dream world if you think he doesn't care about the Saints being there.Business is business, but he is still a human being. It can't/won't be easy emotionally.

 

[Hamstring]

I'm a Bear fan and was sick of the Saints after Week 1. I tend to turn and eventually hate what the sports media blows way out of proportion. Like the Monday night victory. The Saints are doing well, but they act like the Saints are some poor struggling franchise. They are all millionaires who had their house fixed first because the NFL is freakin loaded.

I sympathize with the community, but the city won't get any better or fixed faster if the Saints score one more point.

 

[BassNBrew]

So if Peyton finally wins, and he does it over New Orleans, the P.M. haters will have even one more reason to hate him (beat the Saints), although they will have one less (wins SB).Also, it would have to be at least a little bittersweet for Peyton to beat the Saints in the Super Bowl.I am sure if he was guaranteed a win, he would choose to beat the Bears than have to steal it from the Saints.

Agreed. If Manning were to win Sunday, playing New Orleans in the SB would be a nightmare scenario. J

You can't be serious??? Manning would be estatic about making the big game and could care less who he plays. Maybe I'm misintrepreting your comment.

I am not doubting that Manning's first priority is to him and his team's goal to win the Super Bowl, regardless of who he plays.But you can't deny that growing up with your Dad at the helm of the sad sack Saints and you grew up there and cheered for them when there was little to cheer, and then to see the destruction of the city to now, where (if) the team finally makes the Super Bowl it so badly deserves, and Peyton's goal is to be the QB to take that all away from them?He will still love winning (if they do) but he won't take any pleasure in seeing New Orleans come so close.You are in a dream world if you think he doesn't care about the Saints being there.Business is business, but he is still a human being. It can't/won't be easy emotionally.

Then why did Manning play for UT???

 

[mcjc4]

What are you talking about? So there were alot of people from Pittsburg in Detroit Feb. of last year. WOW, I guess that would be an upgraded vacation destination for people from Pittsburg.The rest of the country was not rooting for the Steelers last year. Nor were they rooting for the Seahawks.

You also can make a point without denigrating the city and/or people of "Pittsburg." (sic) Stay classy, bro.

You are correct, unfair and uncalled for.

 

[snogger]

If it is Colts vs. Saints I'll be torn for who to cheer for so whomever wins will be good. Manning and Dungy both will be good story lines and will draw enough fans..

I'd say Saints would out number Colts fans 75 to 1.

If it's Pats vs. Saints than yes I agree, Saints fans will out number Pats fans 1,000 to 1 easily..

 

[gump]

Joe -

Check out my thread regarding sales numbers so far for apparel:

http://forums.footballguys.com/forum/index...howtopic=301090

These numbers are also growing for Colts and Pats faster than for Saints.

One of the reasons for these lopsided sales is that there are retailers in Florida, Texas, Ohio, Michigan, Tennessee, Carolina, California, etc...that are willing to carry Champ product for the Colts and Pats...but not the Saints.

The fanbase of both Indy and NE is larger, and most expect plenty of bandwaggoners for either. Retail does not expect the same reaction if the Saints win.

I think there will be as many people pulling for the AFC team as the Saints, if not more.

 

[Kleck.]

First and foremost I want to see a good game, other than that I honestly don't know who I would be cheering for to win.

The Saints winning would be an amazing feel good story, but making it as far as they have is already a great one. Nothing can replace the loss many have suffered in that region, and if a Super Bowl win helps lift their spirits even more, how could I not be happy for them?

New England winning another one and extending their greatness would also make me happy to see as a fan of the game. Winning 4 Super Bowls in this decade are you kidding me! That is simply awesome, how could I not appreciate seeing that?

Indy, aka Peyton Manning, finally getting a ring and breaking away from the "Marino" talks would be another great thing to see. I'm a huge fan of individual accomplishements as well. I've never liked the Dolphins, but I always rooted for Marino. Same thing with Indy and Manning. I was extremely happy to see Bettis get his ring, and I'd feel the same way to see Manning get one too.

Then we have the Bears. It would be hard to root for them as a Packer homer, but I respect their history and the great rivalry us Packers and Bears fans share. If a Super Bowl win helps build the rivarly even more, I could appreciate it. Damn it would suck to hear the gloating from Grid, but I could tolerate it as they would still have one less ring than the Packers. It would also make for better trash talk too, and it would show the dominance of the best division in football, the NFC North!

 

[trader jake]

I'd like to see the Saints make the Super Bowl but I know that we'll all be subjected to endless Katrina stories. Not interested in two weeks of that again.

 

[guderian]

I'm a Bear fan and was sick of the Saints after Week 1. I tend to turn and eventually hate what the sports media blows way out of proportion. Like the Monday night victory. The Saints are doing well, but they act like the Saints are some poor struggling franchise. They are all millionaires who had their house fixed first because the NFL is freakin loaded.

I sympathize with the community, but the city won't get any better or fixed faster if the Saints score one more point.

However, the Saints winning has kept the spotlight on what is going on in the city. Many are tired of hearing about Katrina and think that things down here are good because the feds promised a bunch of support and funding. When the Saints are in the media occasionally the topic will turn to the on-going struggles of the city and the fact that things down here are still dire. Roughly once a week or so you'll see articles on ESPN or other sports sites about the city and that is solely because the Saints are winning. There was a very good article on Deuce taking an ESPN reporter through the city at the end of the article the reporter asked "what can I do to help? and Deuce answered "you're helping by writing about it."BTW, if you dislike the way the "sports media blows way out of proportion" why not take it out on the media?

 

[guderian]

I'd like to see the Saints make the Super Bowl but I know that we'll all be subjected to endless Katrina stories. Not interested in two weeks of that again.

Sorry to trouble you. Try 16 months of living down here with a bunch of failed promises.

 

[ATC1]

I'm a Bear fan and was sick of the Saints after Week 1. I tend to turn and eventually hate what the sports media blows way out of proportion. Like the Monday night victory. The Saints are doing well, but they act like the Saints are some poor struggling franchise. They are all millionaires who had their house fixed first because the NFL is freakin loaded.I sympathize with the community, but the city won't get any better or fixed faster if the Saints score one more point.

I hear you man, I really do, but unless you go through it, then you have no idea. My entire family was relocated because of the hurricane. Do I want the media to shut up about it? Freakin yes! I don't want the Saints first trip to the SB, or even the NFC championship game to be because of a hurricane. Regaurdless of the storm, true saints fans have been waiting their entire life time for this season to come true. Take away the storm and it is still a great story. 3-13 last season, new coaching staff, biggest hyped player dropping to us, and we make it to the superbowl. Now on a side note. When I go over to my family's house which they evacuated to, I see a smile on their face that I have not seen in a very long time, and just thinking about it brings tears to my eyes. Yes, the depression was brought by a storm, but I can truely say that that the Saints have made my family happier then they have been in two years.

 

[Cajun Heat]

I'm a Bear fan and was sick of the Saints after Week 1. I tend to turn and eventually hate what the sports media blows way out of proportion. Like the Monday night victory. The Saints are doing well, but they act like the Saints are some poor struggling franchise. They are all millionaires who had their house fixed first because the NFL is freakin loaded.

I sympathize with the community, but the city won't get any better or fixed faster if the Saints score one more point.

I hear you man, I really do, but unless you go through it, then you have no idea. My entire family was relocated because of the hurricane. Do I want the media to shut up about it? Freakin yes! I don't want the Saints first trip to the SB, or even the NFC championship game to be because of a hurricane. Regaurdless of the storm, true saints fans have been waiting their entire life time for this season to come true. Take away the storm and it is still a great story. 3-13 last season, new coaching staff, biggest hyped player dropping to us, and we make it to the superbowl.

Now on a side note. When I go over to my family's house which they evacuated to, I see a smile on their face that I have not seen in a very long time, and just thinking about it brings tears to my eyes. Yes, the depression was brought by a storm, but I can truely say that that the Saints have made my family happier then they have been in two years.

That's the part that everyone is forgetting. The Katrina situation adds to the drama and emotion, no doubt. But it completely ignores the fact that Saints fans have endured 40 years of ineptitude and some awful football (with very few exceptions). This is by far the closest the team has ever come to the big game. The Saints have been the perennial sad-sack, underdog franchise, so I think they would have gotten more of the "casual fan" support anyway.

 

[3nOut]

I'm a Bear fan and was sick of the Saints after Week 1. I tend to turn and eventually hate what the sports media blows way out of proportion. Like the Monday night victory. The Saints are doing well, but they act like the Saints are some poor struggling franchise. They are all millionaires who had their house fixed first because the NFL is freakin loaded.

I sympathize with the community, but the city won't get any better or fixed faster if the Saints score one more point.

I hear you man, I really do, but unless you go through it, then you have no idea. My entire family was relocated because of the hurricane. Do I want the media to shut up about it? Freakin yes! I don't want the Saints first trip to the SB, or even the NFC championship game to be because of a hurricane. Regaurdless of the storm, true saints fans have been waiting their entire life time for this season to come true. Take away the storm and it is still a great story. 3-13 last season, new coaching staff, biggest hyped player dropping to us, and we make it to the superbowl.

Now on a side note. When I go over to my family's house which they evacuated to, I see a smile on their face that I have not seen in a very long time, and just thinking about it brings tears to my eyes. Yes, the depression was brought by a storm, but I can truely say that that the Saints have made my family happier then they have been in two years.

That's the part that everyone is forgetting. The Katrina situation adds to the drama and emotion, no doubt. But it completely ignores the fact that Saints fans have endured 40 years of ineptitude and some awful football (with very few exceptions). This is by far the closest the team has ever come to the big game. The Saints have been the perennial sad-sack, underdog franchise, so I think they would have gotten more of the "casual fan" support anyway.

Would Detroit get more of the "casual fan" support if they made it to the a SB?

 

[KarmaPolice]

If the Saints win the SB, I will be one step closer to believing a conspiracy theory that the NFL is rigged. First the Pats win after 9/11, and then the Saints win after Katrina?

 

[tipsy mcstagger]

New Orleans has a football team? Who knew?

 

[Joe Bryant]

Joe -

Check out my thread regarding sales numbers so far for apparel:

http://forums.footballguys.com/forum/index...howtopic=301090

These numbers are also growing for Colts and Pats faster than for Saints.

One of the reasons for these lopsided sales is that there are retailers in Florida, Texas, Ohio, Michigan, Tennessee, Carolina, California, etc...that are willing to carry Champ product for the Colts and Pats...but not the Saints.

The fanbase of both Indy and NE is larger, and most expect plenty of bandwaggoners for either. Retail does not expect the same reaction if the Saints win.

I think there will be as many people pulling for the AFC team as the Saints, if not more.

Hi Gump,I'm talking about fan support. I think that's very different from apparel sales. I'd say the vast majority of people that make up the SB audience on TV doesn't buy much if any NFL apparel.

J

 

[KarmaPolice]

I'd like to see the Saints make the Super Bowl but I know that we'll all be subjected to endless Katrina stories. Not interested in two weeks of that again.

Sorry to trouble you. Try 16 months of living down here with a bunch of failed promises.

And what exactly is the Saints going to/winning the SB going to do to help the area or build up some much-needed infrastructure? Just curious.

 

[sinatravolta]

I could be wrong - but I expect more people would be rooting for the Colts if it winds up being Colts/Saints. Or at least - it would not be particularly lopsided in favor of the Saints.

I mean - I'm glad the Saints are doing well. And sure - if it brings more attention to the plight of the city and gets more people to keep donating - that's great too.

But for most football fans - they've been following the Colts more closely than the Saints for a number of years - and it's been a story for years that the Colts and Manning are trying to get that "can't win the big one" off their back for a looong time. I'm not a Colts fan and don't particularly like them (nor dislike them), but I do want them to get that monkey off their backs.

The Saints - I think the media acts like this is a bigger story than it is. To me the bigger story is they've never succeeded as a football team and now they have the opportunity, rather than that winning the Super Bowl would somehow make up in part for Katrina.

 

[Two Deep]

I definately will be rooting for whoever the Saints' opponent is. Hopefully the Bears pummel them this weekend and we don't have to hear about one of the most corrupt and filthy cities for two weeks.

Now this guy knows what he is talking about.

 

[sinatravolta]

I do agree that Saints/Pats would be extremely lopsided in who people were cheering for. The rest of the country is tired of the Pats winning, and there's really no reason to root against New Orleans.

 

[Moldy Potato]

I'd like to see the Saints make the Super Bowl but I know that we'll all be subjected to endless Katrina stories. Not interested in two weeks of that again.

Sorry to trouble you. Try 16 months of living down here with a bunch of failed promises.

And what exactly is the Saints going to/winning the SB going to do to help the area or build up some much-needed infrastructure? Just curious.

Do you realize how important a football team becomes when it is the only bright spot you have?Will it help rebuild the city? Probably not. But it will certainly bring an INCREDIBLE amount of joy to a community that has had little to cheer for.

 

[guderian]

I'd like to see the Saints make the Super Bowl but I know that we'll all be subjected to endless Katrina stories. Not interested in two weeks of that again.

Sorry to trouble you. Try 16 months of living down here with a bunch of failed promises.

And what exactly is the Saints going to/winning the SB going to do to help the area or build up some much-needed infrastructure? Just curious.

Who said it was? Just curious.New Orleanians aren't sitting here hoping that the Saints are going to do well so that it will help us recover from Katrina. We also aren't sitting here hoping that people will root for the Saints. We aren't asking for the media to spin the Saints as a Katrina story. We aren't even asking for the Saints to be hyped. In fact, because of our history we prefer to fly under the radar and to be the underdog. We aren't starting the "Saints feel good story" threads and we aren't writing or producing the sports shows or talk radio. To us, there is our regular daily lives that always involves some impact from Katrina and there is the Saints--to us they are separate. If someone is tired of hearing about the Saints/Katrina hype, then why not take that up with ESPN and the other sports media? If someone is not interested in hearing about Katrina again, well we take offense at that for a variety of reasons that I don't want to get into.

 

[BoulderBob]

ESPN and the NFL have taken plenty of notes from Vince McMahon and the WWF(E)...the slanted coverage of the Bears-Saints is a joke, but so is ESPN.

 

[guderian]

I'd like to see the Saints make the Super Bowl but I know that we'll all be subjected to endless Katrina stories. Not interested in two weeks of that again.

Sorry to trouble you. Try 16 months of living down here with a bunch of failed promises.

And what exactly is the Saints going to/winning the SB going to do to help the area or build up some much-needed infrastructure? Just curious.

Do you realize how important a football team becomes when it is the only bright spot you have?Will it help rebuild the city? Probably not. But it will certainly bring an INCREDIBLE amount of joy to a community that has had little to cheer for.

To me the success of the Saints is a symbol of what we can accomplish. One year ago many argued that the Saints would never play a game again in New Orleans. Well, we proved them wrong and defeated those that were trying to steal the franchise and we re-built the Superdome (with dedicated insurance proceeds for those who wrongly and cynically argue that we used other relief funds). Then they said we weren't going to support the team. Our response was to sell out the Superdome for the season. Not only did the Saints play here, they played well. To us, it's quite symbolic to defeat teams from major US cities that didn't have to confront the challenges of Katrina. To draw a comparison, it's like Lance Armstrong winning the Tour de France. He didn't just beat the other riders, he went through a battle with cancer AND beat the other riders. That gives hope to other cancer patients that, not only can they defeat cancer, but they can thrive after defeating cancer. So, I see the Saints success as a symbol of beating Katrina. The Saints' winning doesn't mean that we all beat Katrina, but it shows that Katrina can be defeated.

 

[BGP]

According to my statistics, if the Saints win the Super Bowl, they would be one of if not the worst champions in history. It would rank up there with the Jets winning Super Bowl III. That's not to say it can't happen, I'm just describing the magnitude of it.

+ The Saints lost 2 of 3 heading into postseason, so there goes the momentum arguement.

+ They've only played one playoff game and beat a good Eagle team.

+ Now they are facing the cream of the crop in the NFL as long as they are alive most likely.

 

[Gottabesweet]

Yes

All the women will want the Saints because of the Hurricane and watching stories about it on Oprah.

Go Pats vs. Bears!

 

[NEUPJ]

In the stadium itself, they'll be hard-pressed to outdo the Steeler fans that flooded Ford Field for that game. That was essentially a home game for Pittsburgh, I'd never seen that before to that extent in the Super Bowl.

The year before, the number of fans that showed up for Philly vs the number of NE fans had to be 3:1 or 4:1. There were almost no Pats fans that I saw at that game. At the same time, there are so many corporate seats that are empty for a good portion of the game or people who couldn't care less about the game, I'd say its difficult to compare any SB game to a "home game". Sound more like wishful thinking.

 

[ATC1]

According to my statistics, if the Saints win the Super Bowl, they would be one of if not the worst champions in history. It would rank up there with the Jets winning Super Bowl III. That's not to say it can't happen, I'm just describing the magnitude of it.+ The Saints lost 2 of 3 heading into postseason, so there goes the momentum arguement.+ They've only played one playoff game and beat a good Eagle team.+ Now they are facing the cream of the crop in the NFL as long as they are alive most likely.

+We gave away the game against CAR. What about the Bears lose to GB? +We only played one game because we have a #2 seed.+Isn't that the truth for all teams as you go deeper in the playoffs? Give me a break! Great posting Guderian!

 

[guderian]

According to my statistics, if the Saints win the Super Bowl, they would be one of if not the worst champions in history. It would rank up there with the Jets winning Super Bowl III. That's not to say it can't happen, I'm just describing the magnitude of it.+ The Saints lost 2 of 3 heading into postseason, so there goes the momentum arguement.+ They've only played one playoff game and beat a good Eagle team.+ Now they are facing the cream of the crop in the NFL as long as they are alive most likely.

1. No momentum? Lost 2 of 3? Well so much for the "statistics" since our second and third stringers played all but one series of the Carolina game. If you exclude the Carolina game, the Saints won 5 of their last 6 by a combined score of 174-87. That included defeating 3 playoff teams--Dallas (42-17), Giants (30-7) and Philadelphia (27-24). That's no momentum? 2. What is your point about playing only one playoff game? I haven't seen you use that as an argument against the Bears. They beat a lower seeded team that wasn't as hot as Philadelphia was and they needed overtime to do it. Why is that a negative for the Saints? BTW, the Seahawks lost 4 of 5 going into the playoffs and needed a flub by Romo to get to the Bears. The Eagles were on a six game win streak when they got to the Saints. 3. The Bears are the cream of the crop in the NFC, but IMO, not the NFL. Still, what does that mean if we beat them?

 

[BGP]

According to my statistics, if the Saints win the Super Bowl, they would be one of if not the worst champions in history. It would rank up there with the Jets winning Super Bowl III. That's not to say it can't happen, I'm just describing the magnitude of it.+ The Saints lost 2 of 3 heading into postseason, so there goes the momentum arguement.+ They've only played one playoff game and beat a good Eagle team.+ Now they are facing the cream of the crop in the NFL as long as they are alive most likely.

+We gave away the game against CAR. What about the Bears lose to GB? +We only played one game because we have a #2 seed.+Isn't that the truth for all teams as you go deeper in the playoffs? Give me a break! Great posting Guderian!

Well, the Bears season-long stats are clearly more impressive than the Saints. So I'm saying that there's really no momentum arguement to be made in the Saints favor to cvercome that. If you want to argue both clubs are playing with similar momentum, that favors the Bears.

 

[Evilgrin 72]

In the stadium itself, they'll be hard-pressed to outdo the Steeler fans that flooded Ford Field for that game. That was essentially a home game for Pittsburgh, I'd never seen that before to that extent in the Super Bowl.

The year before, the number of fans that showed up for Philly vs the number of NE fans had to be 3:1 or 4:1. There were almost no Pats fans that I saw at that game. At the same time, there are so many corporate seats that are empty for a good portion of the game or people who couldn't care less about the game, I'd say its difficult to compare any SB game to a "home game". Sound more like wishful thinking.

Go back and watch last year's game (rent the NFL Films video) and listen to the crowd in that place when they announce Franco Harris during the pre-game ceremony and he whips out the towel and starts waving it. Look at the stands right before the game and listen to the crowd when they announce each team and then tell me it wasn't like a home game for Pittsburgh.They had more and more vocal fan support in that game than either the Jets, Jags, or Chargers had playing against Pittsburgh in their OWN stadiums in games I attended.

 

[Swamprat]

I'd like to see the Saints make the Super Bowl but I know that we'll all be subjected to endless Katrina stories. Not interested in two weeks of that again.

Sorry to trouble you. Try 16 months of living down here with a bunch of failed promises.

And what exactly is the Saints going to/winning the SB going to do to help the area or build up some much-needed infrastructure? Just curious.

Saints homer and New Orleans area resident here.The Saints winning the Superbowl won't do anything to help the infrastructure. But the Saints playing in New Orleans this season and winning has given a lot of people a 3 hour break from what they have been dealing with for almost a year and a half. Once the game is over, they get back to rebuilding their homes and trying to get their lives back to normal, or the "new" normal.Another thing the Saints in New Orleans has done has brought some tourism back to the city. I would like to thank the fans of the visiting teams for coming to New Orleans for a few days. I'd especially would like to thank those fans of the visiting teams who came down early and helped clean and gut some of the damaged houses. We cannot thank you or anyone else who has spent time with the clean up and rebuilding enough for your help.

 

[kupcho1]

I'd imagine most any NFL fan that wasn't a dedicated fan of New England or Indianapolis would be pulling for New Orleans in the big game.

If the Steelers aren't in the Super Bowl, then I root for the conference.

 

[Skeetcher]

Allow me to join those who are dispelling the myth that all the neutrals are pulling for the saints. I have no rooting interest but will be a huge Bears fan on Sunday afternoon....

As far as i'm concerned, the biggest surprise from reading this thread is that so many others appear to feel the same way.

Lets leave the touchy-feely stuff for Oprah, disapoint hacks across America and root for an early end to the fairytale

 

[BassNBrew]

Well, we proved them wrong and defeated those that were trying to steal the franchise

One thing is for sure, New Orleans knows stealing franchises.

 

[BassNBrew]

Glad Joe started this thread. Listening to GridAss crow for a year sure beats enduring the Katrina rehash.