New Orleans - Signs of the Saints secured in place, and traditional floats transform into those worthy of bearing champions. Float builder Barry Kern says, "The floats are being loaded right now. This is the first time you are going to see the Endymion Grand Marshall float, next to Bacchus King float, next to Rex Jester float, next to the Orpheus Smokey Mary."
It is a parade of firsts. The first time floats from competing krewes will team together. The first time snagging specialty throws will not be as important as catching a glimpse. Kern adds, "I think people are going to be there to see the players more than to catch the beads."
Susan Mahnke is a life long Saints fan who says, " I heard that they were giving out tickets for the stands. I came down to get them, but by the time I got here the tickets were already gone." Mahnke stood in line at the dome Monday hoping to get some of the 1000 seats in the grand stands that the mayor's office made available. Then stood in line again when rumor spread that more tickets were coming. There were no more stand tickets, but her family will be in that number cheering on the entire Saints staff, 250 strong, who will ride in the parade.
Kern says of the parade preps, "The New Orleans Police Department, the fire department, the city, the one thing we know how to do, they can say anything they want to about us, the one thing we know how to do is put on a parade." New New Orleans can add football to the list of what the city does best.
