By Editorial page staff, The Times-Picayune
February 07, 2010, 10:15PM
Years from now, when the memories of Sunday begin to fade, New Orleans Saints fans will still remember where they were when cornerback Tracy Porter intercepted Colts quarterback Peyton Manning and returned the ball 70 yards for the decisive touchdown of Super Bowl XLIV.
MICHAEL DeMOCKER / THE TIMES-PICAYUNELarry Rolling of Covington, the sign man, and other Saints fans celebrate Sunday's win. As the score flashed 31-17 and the game clock ticked away, Who Dat chants began to fall like a shower over Sun Life Stadium in Miami and fans across metro New Orleans screamed, hugged and cried -- free at last from 43 years of frustrations.
The Saints, our lovable underdogs, are world champions.
New Orleans native Peyton Manning and the Colts played their hearts out. But they were no match for a squad that through this miraculous season carried the aura of a team of destiny. Fans across our metro area, the state and the nation can't express how proud we are of quarterback Drew Brees, the Super Bowl's most valuable player, and the rest of the team.
But this is especially gratifying for Southeast Louisiana residents. Sunday's game was about much more than Xs and Os for us, because since Hurricane Katrina the Saints are much more than just a football team -- they are a civic cause. The storm transformed our region into a metaphor for despair and tragedy in the eyes of the world, but the Saints gave us reason for optimism. They embodied our resilience and our unity. That's priceless for a region still in recovery.
"For the first time in almost four years, I finally feel whole again," wrote fan Latoya Melancon, speaking for all of us.
Coach Sean Payton said it best as he hoisted the Vince Lombardi trophy: "Everybody back in New Orleans gets a piece of this trophy."
Building an NFL championship team is a gargantuan undertaking. It requires vision and resources, the right mix of talent, serendipity and a dedication to be the best. Thirty-two franchises try every year, as the Saints had done unsuccessfully for more than four decades. But those past failures, monumental at times, are forever redeemed by last night's triumph.
Owner Tom Benson, owner/executive vice president Rita Benson LeBlanc, general manager Mickey Loomis, Coach Payton and everyone in the Saints organization deserve congratulations and heartfelt thanks.
Metro residents resolved to rebuild better after the storm and we remain a work in progress. But the Saints' success at reinventing themselves shows we can do it.
"Louisiana . . . and New Orleans is back," Mr. Benson said last night. "And it's showed the whole world."
Yes it has.
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