A Fan’s Notes

As Hurricane Katrina moved ashore, thousands in New Orleans sought refuge in the Superdome, the home of the New Orleans Saints.

Katrina’s winds tore at the Superdome, but the dome held and protected its precious cargo throughout the storm.

At first it was thought that the damage was superficial, but now it looks like man will have to finish what nature started.

The Superdome, like most of New Orleans, will have to be torn down.

The New York Giants have said that the Saints can play in the Meadowlands. The Saints may also play their home games at Louisiana State University or in San Antonio, Texas.

One thing is for sure, they will not play in New Orleans, at least not this season, and maybe never again.

New Orleans is a city that thrives on tourism and conventions, neither of which are expected to return to the city for several years.

With so many displaced citizens who are likely to start a new life somewhere else, the question the Saints have to ask themselves is can they afford to continue their franchise in New Orleans?

If the franchise is going to stay, New Orleans will have to build the team a new stadium.

New Orleans already has money earmarked for a new stadium, but many people question spending so much money on a stadium in a city that needs so much else.

The Saints owner met this week with National Football League officials to discuss the future of the organization and professional football in New Orleans.

Only time will tell.

As I drove to class every morning the last few days, I listened to this topic along with many others being discussed on ESPN radio.

I began to notice a pattern.

Again and again, as an introduction into every topic, commentators and their guests apologized for talking about sports in the wake of destruction left by Hurricane Katrina.

ESPN is sports, and when a story as big as Hurricane Katrina comes along, they have to find the sports angle on it.

This involves talking about the sports teams, both collegiate and professional, affected by the hurricane and the athletes who live or have family in the affected areas.

I don’t believe they need to preface every comment by apologizing for talking about something other than the horrors left by Hurricane Katrina.

Maybe what bothers people the most is the guilt, guilt in knowing that, as hard as it is to believe, life will go on, just as it did after 9/11.

Athletes will play sports, and we the fans will watch and cheer and celebrate every win like it is the greatest feat in all of human history and mourn every loss like it is the end of the world.

Sure, sports are entertainment and nowhere near the importance of all the stories coming out of New Orleans right now.

But sports are still what they have always been – an escape, and sometimes that just what people need.

As for the New Orleans Saints, they have a long season ahead of them, but they will play.

This is maybe the last season for the New Orleans Saints, but the city will be rebuilt. Once again, the Big Easy will emerge, and with it the Saints, or whatever team may follow, will play their games.

The fans will go to the stadium or sit around a television and watch and cheer and curse their team.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Sep 9 2005. Filed under Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry