I couldn't really relate to how big of a deal this is until I talked with my roommate Will... a lifelong Saints fan. He couldn't speak about it because he couldn't think of any words to describe how he feels. It's that big of a deal. The diehards can't grasp that their team is playing for the NFC championship.... and a trip to the Super Bowl. The only thing I can compare it to is when KSU beat Oklahoma to win the Big 12 title. I couldn't believe that we had done that.
Also, the folks who aren't football fans... now are. People are wearing Saints gear, every body's talking about it. Until now, when you started up casual conversations with people, the conversation would drift to hurricane talk. "You get any damage?" "How are things now after the storms?" ... etc.
But now, the talk everywhere is "Can you believe the Saints?"
The words "Saints" and "Super Bowl" are now in the same sentence and it's not the punchline of some lame football joke.
And it's not just about a football team having a great season, it's SOOO much more than that. It's the rebirth of a way of life, a culture. Sure, people have moved back, rebuilt and started life again down here. But the Saints have brought the fun, relaxed and amazing way of life back to this area. Events like Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest have helped, but those were annual, expected events that have happened for years. This is the Saints' first trip EVER to the NFC championship.
And it's cool to be in the thick of it all.
Anyway... I thought I'd pass along a few more photos from the game.
1. Reggie Bush jumping over a tackle... with QB Drew Brees making a block. Misty and I are in contact with Reggie Bushes personal photographer. She's making a book of his Rookie season and needs photos. How cool would it be to be published in a book that only Reggie Bush has?
2. Drew Brees celebrating after the final snap on Saturday. The photo agency I shoot for during the games picked up this photo... and Sports Illustrated often picks up images from that agency. So here's my dream... This photo on the cover of this weeks Sports Illustrated. It's ideal. Plenty of room for a headline and teases. A nice spot in the corner of the photo for the mailing label. "SPORTS ILLUSTRATED" would look great going behind the players. It's perfect. But that's just me dreaming.
3. Eagles quarterback Jeff Garcia walks off the field after shaking hands with Drew Brees. I think this is about the time I was on TV. I've been told by a few people that they saw me on TV after the game. Also, this shows how crazy it is on the field after the game. I didn't get in there close, so I took a "look at how much media is on the field after the game" photo.
4. It's a must... last game in the dome this season. Funny Story: When we checked in at the media table to get our passes, the guy said "lets see, the Houma Courier, two writers and one Photographer. Is that right?" and we said it was. Then he asked of the three of us, who was in charge. The two writers looked me and said "I guess Matt's in charge." I nodded and agreed thinking I'd have to sign something or that we were in trouble. But he tossed a black Saints hat at me. It had the Saints logo on the front and says 2007 NFC divisional playoffs on the back. It's good to be in charge sometimes.
