I have this decal in my car window.   I still feel all giddy and gushy when I think about the greatest season my team has ever had.   Waiting 40 years wasn’t so bad, just to have the celebration that ensued.

Seriously, Saints fans have always “partied like rock stars when we were the losers of the league,” so you can imagine how much fun it is to party with them when they win.

Believe was the word of the season.  Believe.

Last night, my son and husband headed off to the second high school game of the season.  Our child’s school has a fledgling team, fielded for the very first time this year.  They won their very first game last week.  An exciting way to start the season, yes?

While I stayed home nursing my sore back from all the painting I was doing, I remembered my last year of high school football.   I, too, attended a small Catholic high school, no more than 400 students any given year.  Naturally, we were not able to put together very many winning seasons.  That fall, late in the season, our team was 5 – 5, with one more game to go.

Believe was the word of the season.  Everywhere you went in the school, there were posters up that said “6-5, Believe.”     The players would touch the signs as they headed into classrooms all that week.   And, yes, we did have a winning season that year.

I think it meant as much to that team as last year meant to us Saints’ fans.

Thursday night is the kickoff.  Naturally, the NFL has jumped on the bandwagon along with all the fair-weather fans, and they are sponsoring a pregame PARADE in the french quarter.     I really don’t think the NFL version will ever be able to match the real deal, but what-ever.

My Jewish friends in New Orleans thinks its really kind that NFL is throwing them a Rosh Hashanah parade, but they’ll have to miss because of  Temple.

(This is not a Saints video, even though Pay-Pay is headlining in it! You ‘Bama fans might like the latter part an eensie bit.)

I have no words that convey how this video made me feel the first time I watched it.  It really touched me: the speech, the tender sounds of the song, the vignettes and moments of football history.   Even though football is its focus, the general idea of enjoying what you and supporting your team is timeless.

The weather here broke a few days ago. The low temperatures dipped below 70 for the first time in 45 days. There’s been a gentle breeze in the air, the highs are staying just off of 90, and the humidity is kind. I can feel football coming in; I can see myself sitting on the deck, while my husband grills burgers, awaiting the start of the next SEC matchup. I love this game.

It’s okay to dream big.

What’s not to like? I get tingly.

“Whatever achievements I’ve earned over the course of my life clearly have not been due to my abilities alone…”

I love to see tough men, moved to tears. (just after the 9:00 mark).

Take a moment to look back at the moment the superbowl win was secured by a timely interception.  Enjoy the moment.  Then get to the business of the future.  I am so grateful for having grown up in Saints Country.

Training camp for the NFL Saints is taking place in a staggeringly hot and humid climate. I also am living through an incredibly tortuous summer heat wave. But, I gotta hand it to these guys, practicing in long sleeves!

Image Credits: NFL.Com

I suppose I’ll stop bitching about feeling all sweaty as I ride around in my air-conditioned transportation machine.

One had the stomach bug (shared with me) and the other is just lazy.