We were in seminary and living in this city in 1967 when New Orleans was granted a franchise in the National Football League. A year or two earlier, I had worked at Tulane Stadium when the Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions (I’m pretty sure) played an exhibition game here to whet our appetites. I sold ice cream for Brown’s Velvet Dairy that night and still recall the enthusiasm of the crowd.
When we were awarded a team, the city went bonkers. A contest was held to come up with a name. Someone suggested SAINTS and had each letter stand for something, like Strength, Authenticity, Integrity–stuff like that. They played off the local anthem “When the Saints Go Marching In” which was (and is) played at most things around here.
In November of ’67, my family moved off to Greenville, Mississippi, to pastor Emmanuel Baptist Church. In those days of only three TV channels–and maybe one NFL game a week broadcast–we had one way of hearing the play-by-play, and that was to try to pick up WWL. Many a time, after Sunday dinner, I’d go outside and sit in the car and try to hear the game through the static.
Somehow I heard that middle linebacker Dave Simmons was a Christian and we flew him up to spend the weekend with our church, our youth, and–yep–our pastor. Dave and Sandy and I later were members of FBC Jackson MS together and came to a good relationship. He began King’s Arrow Ranch in South Mississippi for a ministry. Dave is in Heaven, but the ranch goes forward.
All of this is to say I’m a charter member of the Who Dat Nation. And now…after over 40 years of disappointments, hopes fueled and hopes dashed, after some of the sorriest coaches on the planet, after teams that were so bad fans wore bags over their heads and called themselves the Aints–after all that, now this.
Oh, Lordy, it’s sweet.
Continue reading →
