The roads I take...

I almost can't believe it - even though I really do believe in the New Orleans Saints.

When they Saints go marching in.... Too bad I can' beam over and be on Bourbon Street this night. It surely is being flooded - by cheers this time, by partying, by celebration. The "fleur de lis" made it to Football heaven!

This is a victory not only for an astonishing team, it is a victory for the whole city and people people who cherish it, restore it and rebuild it by investing their hearts in it. I've been there, and I felt what a great city it is. And I'll come back, that's a promise.

In the end, Peyton - that son of New Orleans area who has grown to be one of the greatest quarterbacks up there in Indy - could not outcoach and outcall Mr. Payton. The coach on the field needed to give in to the team he usually cheers for, a team with many great people - Payton, Bush, Porter, Vilma, and of course their own quarterback - they call him the Brees...

I'm not sure I really have fully realized that "my" Saints have actually done it and WON the Super Bowl in their first attempt ever to do so.

Who Dat!

I didn't tell this much around here, as I rarely talk about things here that have no connection at all to Mozilla, but here it is: I'm a huge American Football fan, and a proud member of "Who Dat Nation", i.e. a New Orleans Saints fan - the latter started a short time after Katrina, and last November, getting to know this city, it just intensified even more.

And I just watched the NFL conference championship games - while the AFC game was good, the NFC game of the Minnesota Vikings at the Saints was just awesome. I've been excited for a week about the great match-up this was to be, but the game itself was even better - always at the brink of turning around, getting fans like me shivering with excitement at the end, when it even went into overtime and had a few close calls.

Two teams playing each other that were known for great quarterbacks and great offenses - but the game showed what the regular seasons shadowed, and that is how great both defenses can actually play. Yes, I mean both. Until the last second, any team could have come out as the winner, and both played great football. The was the quality of a game that I love watching football for, and that I'd love to see at a Super Bowl - and that just might come up in two weeks.

And the great NFC champion that could come out ahead is not just a team, not just Drew Brees, Reggie Bush, Sean Payton, and a lot of other players, coaches and other staff - that champion is the whole city of New Orleans. The Saints have said a number of times that they are playing for this city, most of the players and staff are actively supporting a lot of efforts for rebuilding this city, helping with all the recovery activities, playing in the Superdome that served as an emergency shelter 4.5 years ago and winning this championship for the city on exactly the same ground. This is a sign for the whole Gulf Coast Region. Great things can happen there.

This is the first time this team earned its entry into the Super Bowl, where it will play in two weeks time - in Southern Florida, not too far from the very same Gulf of Mexico. Their opponent is another tough nut to crack. I hope it will be a spectacular and fun-to-watch game, whoever wins in the end - those games are what I love football for - even though a Saints win would be icing on the cake for sure.

Who Dat!