After 40 Years, The New Orleans Saints Will Reach The Promise Land

Like the biblical journey of the Israelites in the desert, the New Orleans Saints have been wandering in the NFL wasteland for 40 years. It has been a tough slog with very little manna from heaven to quench the thirst of long suffering Saints fans. As Saints coach Sean Payton aptly described, Saints fans have been through “thick and thin, a lot more thin than thick.” But now, after 40 years, as the Israelites finally reached the Promised Land, will the often lampooned and lowly New Orleans Saints actually reach the Super Bowl? It seems that the stars are aligned for this team of destiny.

It all started when the City of New Orleans was officially granted an NFL team at a league meeting on November 1, 1966, All Saints Day. Because of the holiday and the strong Catholic traditions of New Orleans, it was only natural that the team was called the Saints. Local fans assumed that with such a name, the Saints would go marching in to the Super Bowl in short order. Well, not quite.

The next season, the Saints fielded their first team and in their opening game at old Tulane Stadium, John Gilliam ran the kickoff back for a touchdown. It was a great way to begin their inaugural season in the NFL. Unfortunately, the team lost the game and finished the first season with a 3-11 record. Many more losing seasons followed as the team under the ownership of John Mecom churned through nine unsuccessful head coaches. Of course there were some highlights, especially the record setting 63 yard field goal by Tom Dempsey in a 1970 game against the Lions, but it was mostly a difficult period for fans.

In 1985, New Orleans native and car dealership owner Tom Benson purchased the Saints and promptly hired a competent coach, Jim Mora, who holds the record for most wins in team history, and Jim Finks as General Manager, who led the Chicago Bears to the Super Bowl and was eventually inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame. This management team turned around the fortunes of the team and by 1987; the Saints finally enjoyed their first winning season and made their first playoff appearance. Mora and Finks led the team to three more playoff appearances in 1990, 1991 and 1992, but, unfortunately, no playoff victories.

Eventually, Mora resigned in the middle of the 1996 season, ultimately unable to move the team to the next level of competition. After a disastrous three year experiment with Mike Ditka as coach, Benson hired former Saints Assistant Coach Jim Haslett as Head Coach. Haslett revamped a team that finished 3-13 and made them a 10-6 playoff team in 2000. Finally, in the first round of the playoffs, on December 30, 2000, against the St. Louis Rams in the Louisiana Superdome, the Saints won their first playoff victory 31-28, leading to pandemonium in the Crescent City. Unfortunately, over the next five years, the Haslett led team was not able to return to the playoffs.

With such a scant history of success, it is amazing that the team is still in New Orleans, still representing hope to fans and poised to reach the ultimate prize, the Super Bowl. After Hurricane Katrina hit the City of New Orleans in 2005, many commentators predicted the Saints would leave the area forever. Owner Tom Benson arranged for several of the games to be played in San Antonio and there was a true feeling of gloom in New Orleans about whether the team would remain in the Crescent City.

What a difference a year makes! Now, the Saints are a bright spot in the recovery, in fact the brightest spot. After the 2005 season, positive things started to happen for the New Orleans Saints. The team brought in a new free agent quarterback, Drew Brees, drafted a star running back, Reggie Bush, and hired a new head coach Sean Payton, who instilled a creative offense, discipline and a no-nonsense attitude. The excitement about the team grew and it led to amazing ticket sales. In fact, prior to the opening game of 2006, Saints fans sold out the Louisiana Superdome for the entire season, meaning that all 68,354 seats had been purchased, eclipsing the previous record by 15,000.  

The astounding ticket sales showed the world that the Saints fans are the best in the country, the most loyal and the most supportive. It was only one year after many “experts” were questioning whether the area could support a professional sports franchise. What other city would strongly support a team that has been wandering in a desert of defeats for 40 years? Throughout their history, the Saints offered an example of futility and ineptitude unmatched in the world of professional sports, as even the Chicago Cubs won an occasional playoff game. Despite their woeful past, Saints fans stuck by their team and showed remarkable perseverance.

This year, the Saints fans were finally rewarded for their devotion with an incredible season. The team finished 10-6, won their division and beat the Philadelphia Eagles 27-24 last week to earn their second playoff victory, but, more importantly, their first trip to the NFC Conference Championship.

After 40 tough years in the NFL desert, Saints fans finally see an oasis on the horizon, the Super Bowl. There is just one more hurdle, defeating the Chicago Bears in the Windy City on Sunday. But, this team of destiny has a cool breeze leading the way and their own burning bush, so the Bears don’t have a chance.

Instead of being cursed and delivering heartache, this year, the Saints have delivered hope and joy to a city desperately in need of some good news. A trip to the Super Bowl would provide a storybook ending to this charmed season. After Katrina and 40 years of losing, Saints fans unquestionably deserve a trip to Miami. The Super Bowl would mean a tremendous amount to Saints fans, not only due to the recent tragedies, but, also because the team is deeply ingrained in the heart and soul of New Orleans. Truly, the Saints epitomize the City of New Orleans. On Sunday, Saints fans across the nation will be loudly cheering for not only their football team, but for their beloved city as well.    Go Saints! Go Saints!