New Orleans Saintsation: ‘We’ll Go All the Way, But…’
By Steve Mazzucchi
Esquire
With New Orleans one win away from the Super Bowl, a living part of its home-field advantage is rolling her eyes at Kim Kardashian. Brett Favre? Not so much.
They lost three straight to close out an otherwise miraculous regular season, but after a 45-14 divisional playoff romp over the Cardinals, it seems like everything’s coming back together for the Saints. Drew Brees is tossing TDs left and right, Jeremy Shockey and Marques Colston are catching them, Reggie Bush is dancing past defenders, and even the D is stepping up. Lombardi Trophy, anyone?
Maybe. And if so, second-year Saintsation Amanda will be leading the celebration. This Mississippi native studied drama in New York, then moved to New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina. “After the storm, I wanted to help in any way possible,” she says. “I loved the city, and I knew it would come back stronger than ever.” Now she acts, helps with her family’s real-estate biz — and shakes just a bit in her leather boots at the prospect of taking on the Minnesota Vikings with the livelihood of a city at stake. Even with the NFC title game hours away, though, she’s already prepping to represent her NOLA in next weekend’s Pro Bowl. “I can’t wait to go to Miami and show them what the Who Dat Nation is all about,” Amanda says. Cautiously optimistic, she reveals how the Saints might just march into town a week later.
ESQUIRE: The Saints are one of five teams without a Super Bowl appearance. How certain are you that will change this weekend?
AMANDA: We’re taking it one first down at a time. It would mean a lot to this team and this town if we had the opportunity to go, but we have to focus on Sunday. Everybody’s got to bring their A game. It’s going to be tough, but I believe in our team.
ESQ: What is it that makes the top-ranked Saints offense go? Magic?
A: Drew Brees. He’s the best QB in the NFL. He’s always thinking — he and Sean Payton are very smart and methodical about what they do. It’s not just the athleticism of our players, but also the intelligence. We also have depth. There’s no one receiver or running back you can focus on — you never know who’s getting the ball.
ESQ: Vikings defensive end Jared Allen may wear jorts, but he also has fourteen-and-a-half sacks. How critical is it for the Saints O-line to keep him away from Brees?
A: It’s very important, and we’re going to do it. We’re expecting the Vikings to put up a good fight, but we want to give Drew the opportunity to do what he does best. I can’t even imagine the preparation going into this game.
ESQ: Meanwhile, can your up-and-down defense handle the Vikings second-ranked offense? And who’s more dangerous — Brett Favre or Adrian Peterson?
A: Our defense got off to a great start, then we had a lot of injuries, but now we’ve got a lot of guys back. With the bye week and a good win last week, we’ve come back strong, and the postseason is a whole other season. Darren Sharper’s been on fire — I think he’ll be key in this game. Favre’s more dangerous, because he’s well-seasoned, so to speak. You can’t underestimate experience.
ESQ: Got a hunch which Reggie Bush we’ll see this weekend… the one who ran all over the Cards, or the one who disappeared against the Bucs?
A: I think the Reggie Bush we all love is going to show up. He was extraordinary last game, and Sean Payton says he’s looking really good in practice. All that fancy footwork is starting to pay off.
ESQ: Better celebrity fan: Minnesota’s Prince or your own Kim Kardashian?
A: I don’t pay attention to all that stuff. I’m glad she supports the Saints and comes to the games, but I don’t think it’s something the media should be focusing on. I know that’s a boring answer.
ESQ: If he were dating a local librarian, they probably wouldn’t.
A: True. That’s not a diss of you guys — she was on the front page of the Times-Picayune yesterday.
ESQ: How big of an advantage is it playing in the Superdome?
A: The dome is our home down here. I can’t even tell you how loud it is. We feel very comfortable in it, and it can be deafening, so it’s huge for us to have home-field advantage. And we’ve never hosted this game before, so that’s big for the city as well.
ESQ: Saints fans say “Who Dat?” And Bengals fans say “Who Dey?” Which came first?
A: “Who Dat?” definitely came first. I got in an argument about this, so I looked it up. It actually originated from minstrel chants, and it’s been around since the late 1800s. It was taken up by jazz and big band performers in the ’20s and ’30s. It was also used during World War II among soldiers flying under radio silence. It’s been around a long time, so we definitely claim it.
ESQ: If the Saints do win, who might they face in the Super Bowl?
A: Good question. It’d be really exciting to play the Colts, to see those two QBs go head-to-head. Peyton and Drew talk on the phone and share tips. I think the Colts, but anything can happen, and both the Colts and Jets are worthy opponents. Let’s just hope our team makes it that far.
ESQ: Anything we forgot?
A: I just want to say how on fire this city is. We have the Saints to thank, but it’s about so much more than football here. It’s about rebirth, spirit, and faith. I do believe it’s our time, and I do believe we’ll go all the way. But no matter what happens, it’s been the best season in franchise history, and incredible to be a part of it.
