“Aints” No More!

The New Orleans Saints have finally rid themselves of the “Aints” monicker, after a thrilling Super Bowl XLIV upset over the Indianapolis Colts, with a 31-17 victory.

To better understand the magnitude of the Saints Super Bowl triumph, It took the Saints 43 years to reach the NFL’s apex. However, for Saints fans (Especially those living in New Orleans) it’s been a long tumultuous, frustrating, catastrophic, and sometimes comical 4 decades of NFL futility.

It all began in 1966 when the NFL granted the city of New Orleans an NFL Franchise. The Saints began play in the 1967-68 season winning only 3 games that season which was then an NFL record for most wins by an expansion team. By 1980 fan morale hit an all-time low when the Saints began that season losing their first 14 games, prompting A local sportscaster to urge fans attending home games to wear brown paper bags rendering the word “Aints” over their heads.

From 1967-1987 the Saints had finished a regular season no better than .500 only making the playoffs once in that 20 year stretch. Furthermore it wasn’t until the 2000-2001 season that the Saints finally tasted their first post season victory by knocking off the heavily favored St Louis Rams quaterbacked by the now retired Kurt Warner, only than to lose the following week to the Minnesota Vikings.

By 2005, disaster striked the Saints and the city of New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina ravaged the entire city, turning the Saints current home The Superdome as a ”Shelter of last Resort” for thousands of displaced residents. Due to the damage caused by ”Katrina” The 2005-2006 season saw the Saints play most of their games on the road; the majority in San Antonio. Moreover during that season current Saints Owner Tom Benson rubbed alot of Saints fans the wrong way by flirting with the idea of permanently relocating the franchise to San Antonio. Benson’s actions drew plenty of crticism and anger from then New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin calling Benson’s actions shameful and disrespectful to New Orleans fans who have supported the team for nearly four decades of mostly losing seasons. However Benson was successful in negotiating a lucrative deal with the help of state officials to keep the Saints in New Orleans, which includes a very near future 320 million dollar facelift to the New Orleans Superdome. After all the trials and tribulations the Saints have endured over their 40 plus years of existence, they’re may not have been a more deserving North American professional sports franchise that was in dyre need of a championship victory than the New Orleans Saints.

- Cleone Jacob