NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Saints fans hugged, kissed, and spilled onto
the streets Sunday as a citywide party erupted after their once
woebegone NFL franchise defeated the Indiapolis Colts in the Super
Bowl.
French Quarter crowds, beefed up by tourists in town for
Carnival season and by those wanting to experience the euphoria of
a Saints victory, poured onto Bourbon Street to celebrate in a
scene that looked more like Fat Tuesday than a Sunday night. The
Saints won 31-17 in the franchise's first appearance in the big
game.
As a brass band played "When the Saints Go Marching In" inside
Irvin Mayfield's Jazz Playhouse, revelers jumped up and down, stood
on chairs and tables and waved black and gold umbrellas when the
Saints won.
"This is so awesome," said Darlene Milliet, as she hugged her
sister, Cindy Lasiter, both of them crying in the French Quarter.
"I can't believe it!"
"It's like a dream come true. It's just a dream come true,"
said Lasiter.
Vince Scanil, a Tampa Bay Buccaneers fan in town for an
anniversary weekend with his wife, said he remembered how special
it was when his team won their first Super Bowl, but it seemed
extra special for New Orleans, a city that suffered so much after
Hurricane Katrina.
"Our hearts pour out for them. What a great city to win it,"
he said as plastic beads swung from his neck and he watched
revelers. "It's a heartwarming thing, the Saints."
Trina Pearley-Brown was raised by her mother to be a Saints fan,
and she was carrying on the legacy even though her mother died
before Katrina.
"You can't describe it. It's so awesome. We've been waiting for
this for years," said 47-year-old from Gramercy, La. "It's means
so much to the city. They're back. They're alive."
It was a similar scene along a row of neighborhood bars and
restaurants on Maple Street, not far from Tulane and Loyola
universities, where college students and area residents, most clad
in black and gold, hit the street screaming and cheering. Fireworks
resounded and flares lit up the sky.
"House of the Rising Sun" blared from speakers at Bruno's
Tavern, where patrons sprayed each other with champagne and beer.
The victory capped a weekend of Saints-centered celebration
along Carnival parade routes. The spirit bled into the political
arena. The city had elected a new mayor Saturday, Mitch Landrieu,
and supporters prefaced his victory speech by chanting "Who Dat
Say Dey Gonna Beat Dem Saints."
The celebrations began hours before the game, as dogs dressed in
Saints jerseys and gaudy floats carrying masked riders provided a
rolling pre-game tailgate party for thousands as New Orleans
started partying long before the Super Bowl kicked off.
David Frazier and Daphne Naro, of the San Francisco area, were
among the parade goers along Canal Street at the edge of the French
Quarter. The game brought them back to New Orleans, Frazier's home
town.
"The Saints in the Super Bowl, man. That's a once-in-forever
thing," Frazier said.
In the French Quarter, the afternoon celebrations began with the
procession of the "Krewe of Barkus," a mini-parade for dogs. Dogs
sporting black and gold feathers, beads, sequins and Saints jerseys
marched with their owners through the Quarter.
One yellow labrador retriever walked the parade route past St.
Louis Cathedral dressed like Saints tight end Jeremy Shockey,
complete with stringy blond wig and fake tattoos running down his
legs below the No. 88 jersey.
"He has a laid-back surfer personality, like Shockey," said
Stas Zhuk, gesturing to 2-year-old Diego being walked by his wife.
"He's friendly to everyone."
They moved to New Orleans six months ago, "so we became intense
rabid fans in a short amount of time," Zhuk said.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
