(an inspiring symbol of hope and resurrection the well compensated Reggie Bush)
Charles Star wonders “why does all of the coverage of the New Orleans Saints sound like reporting at the Special Olympics?”
I don™t want the pity party. I don™t want the bullshit story lines about the post-Katrina emotion and I don™t want every Saints fumble to be turned into a kidney punch for some poor blind woman in the 9th Ward who has nothing left but a beat up transistor and the voice of Hokie Gajan to get her through her bleak days.
I love this team. I was thrilled when we (yes, œwe, asshole) signed Drew Brees and even more thrilled when the Texans decided to whiff on the easiest draft choice ever. When I was asked at the beginning of the year, I said that if the schedule breaks right, the Saints could win 10 or 11 games. It sounded crazy at the time but I knew that it was true (I also said that 4-12 was possible and I™m not at all sure that was wrong either (see week 15)). Now that it has come true, now that the Saints are 10-5, I™d like to enjoy the success of my favorite football team. They are not a metaphor. They aren™t a metaphor this year; they are winning with good players. They weren™t a metaphor last year; they lost becuase their QB was functionally retarded.
It is really tiresome to have to listen to all the crap about destiny and rebuilding and, most of all, Hurricane Katrina. The devastation wrought by the hurricane is too serious to be reduced to cheap motivation for a football game and football doens™t have the necessary heft to bear the burden of Katrina.
I think Star makes an excellent point, and with the above in mind, perhaps Stuart Adamson’s estate can contribute mechanical royalties from the U2/Green Day cover of “The Saints Are Coming” to someone truly needy. Because I don’t think Aaron Brooks will be earning an NFL salary in the future.