Op-Ed: Saints victory a long time coming

Yesterday's Super Bowl victory by the New Orleans Saints was more than another game, more than just a Super Bowl victory, more than a championship for a city recovering from devastation.

It was September of 2005 that saw Katrina rip through New Orleans. People huddled in the Superdome seeking refuge. A team that was nomadic for the season just trying to make a go of things and finishing the 2005 season 3-13. This is a team that has a winning record against just six teams, and only two of those are NFC teams, they are also even against four others. Ironically yesterday's Super Bowl victory against the Indianapolis Colts actually improved their record against them to 6-5. The following year the Saints were back home again trying to help rebuild a city and raise the spirits of the city. In doing so won their third division title and their first NFC South title. Suddenly the city was getting behind the team and then they were the recipients of loses on Christmas Day by the Dallas Cowboys to the Philadelphia Eagles to get the franchise's first ever first round bye. The Saints only other playoff victory had been a wild-card game and suddenly they had Philadelphia at home for a playoff game and they won 27-24 behind Reggie Bush and Drew Brees. The following week they had to go to Chicago to face the Bears and lost 39-14 in the NFC Championship game. The 2006 Championship game saw a young Saints team that was cocky and even arrogant fall apart to a good Chicago team. After some mediocre to two poor seasons to follow the Saints ran off 13 straight victories to start their 2009 season before going on a three game slide to end the season before they tore through the playoffs beating the Arizona Cardinals 45-14 and then the Minnesota Vikings in overtime 31-28. Both games were at home and the victory over the Vikings sent the city into the streets to celebrate doubling the number of post season victories in team history. Then yesterday they set history, after spotting the Indianapolis Colts an early 10 point lead they had to fight to maintain the lead after trailing at halftime. The Saints rolled the dice and started the second half with an onside kick showing their guts. What was demonstrated on Sunday during the Super Bowl was a coming of age of a team that has matured since their defeat to the Chicago Bears just three years earlier. Drew Brees, Reggie Bush, Sean Payton have matured into leaders of the New Orleans community and that has transitioned to the football field in their play, and their confidence as mature professionals. The New Orleans Saints are no longer the doormats of the NFL, Detroit has assumed that position.