Saints: NFC Champions

Some of my readers have been begging me for a post-NFC Championship game update, and I have been reluctant. How can I even begin talking about that win?? I shall give it my best.

The day started off at approximately 2:15pm. I decided I needed to get to the Lil Sports bar where I have watched 90% of the Saints games. I HAD to reserve the "Magic Booth" where I had watched the Patriots and Cardinals game, as I felt like it was lucky. Upon arrival I see that this old man carrying the NYTimes has taken my booth. I am CRAZY with panic. I decide that I needn't worry about the magic booth situation until we are approaching Saints/Vikings Game time.

My other friends arrive, and we settle in for the long haul. I have brought my laptop and books to ostensibly "do work" but...let's be honest...that work was never completed. Fans begin to trickle in, and my favorite character of the day arrives. Let's call him Equus. He is decked out in a blue horse-head hat and a Reggie Wayne Jersey. Like, his hat was shaped in the form of a horse-head. Just so we're clear about what we're dealing with here.

At first, Equus kept to himself and was rather quiet. Probably because the Jets were beating the Colts so violently. He actually didn't really come out of his shell until the 2nd half, when the colts were starting to make a come-back. At this point, Equus started pacing, and screaming, and attempting to take down anyone who crossed him. One such exchange:

Equus: LETS DO THIS SHIT LETS DO IT COOOOOLLLLLLLLLLTTTTTTTTTTSSSSSSSSS (Moves his head as if he is a horse about to "neigh")
Random Man: Maybe your team needs to score more points?
Equus: OH LOOK HERE. LOOK AT THIS. THE MAN IN THE EAGLES CAP WANTS TO SAY SOMETHING. GO EAGLES. GOOOOOOOOOOOOO EAGLES. WHERE ARE THE EAGLES? NOT IN THE PLAYOFFS COOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLTTTTTTTTTTTTSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS.

It must be noted that the day of the playoff games, the weather in Atlanta was TERRIBLE - it was raining, tornados were coming every which way, and (on occasion) the Satelite dish tv would cut out. Whenever the television service would cut out, Equus would start pacing about like a wild stallion trapped in a stable. Every once and a while he would run out of the bar into the torrential downpour. I surmised he was probably going to his car to do more cocaine, but perhaps wild horses must run free.

Once the Colts had sealed their Superbowl appearance, Equus REALLY let us have it. He started screaming "COLTS, COLTS, COLTS, COLTS, COLTS, COLTS, COLTS, SUPER COLTS SUPER BOWL COLTS SUPER COLTS COLTS COLTS LETS DO IT SUPERBOWL COLTS LETS DO THIS SHIT SUPER COLTS LETS GET IT ON NOW COLTS BOWL GAME TIME KICK ASS." Please keep in mind that the entire bar was silent, and he was screaming.

After game 1, I started to get antsy about game 2. The old man continued to sit at the magic booth. Finally, I approached him, and told it to him straight. I said, "Listen. This booth is sort of magic...and I sort of need to be sitting in it, because the Saints need to win, and they win when I sit there..so..either, can I sit with you, or can I have your table?" The old man looked at me with crazy eyes, paid his check, and left. The magic booth was mine.

I can't really remember specific details about the game, although I do recall there were more than several moments where I had to excuse myself to go stand outside in the pouring rain to collect my thoughts. I also had the distinct feeling that I was *probably* the only die-hard saints fan in there. This girl rolled in with a black and gold boa, but she had her back turned away from the screen. What a real Who Dont. I will now go through my favorite plays of the game:

The "he's SO going to get laid" Play of the Game
Garrett Hartley's 40yrd field goal, clinching the Saints appearance in the Superbowl. When I saw that tiny 23 yr old man get hoisted up on the shoulders of his teammates, I thought to myself, "This guy is gonna get some freaky t-o-n-i-g-h-t." Did anyone even know who Garrett Hartley was before this game? Girls all across New Orleans must have been swooning -- a football hero AND he's young? AND he's single?? Even older ladies were digging his vibe. My mom, in a euphoric scream, said, "I used to call Jeremy Shockey my future son-in-law, but I think it's going to have to be Garrett Hartley now!!!"

Most Hilarious Play of the Day
Did anyone catch when Reggie Bush crashed into the Saints mascot in a chaotic post-win fury? No? Here is a video.


Best Commentator Moment:
This is a close one. Jim Henderson's call on Hartley's Field goal is going to be the stuff of legends in years to come.

But I think an honorable mention has to go to the Minnesota Commentators for their reaction to the Brett Favre interception as the clock was winding down in the 4th quarter.

"BUT WHY DO YOU EVEN PONDER PASSING?" "THIS IS NOT DETROIT MAN. THIS IS THE SUPERBOWL."

Biggest Winners (Other than the Saints)
This award goes, hands down, to the Ying Yang Twins. As you should know from previous posts, "Halftime" by the Ying Yang Twins is the song played after every Saints touchdown. In the days leading up to the big game, the brothers Ying and Yang could be seen all over the local news, at clubs, and at tailgates. They even went so far as to produce a new Saints inspired music video.

Where had the Ying Yang Twins been before this?? Had anyone heard from them in the last...oh...3 years?? The crucial point has to be that the Ying Yang Twins are from Atlanta, and are Atlanta Falcons fans. The Falcons are arch-rivals of the Saints. But I am glad to know that at the end of the day, the Ying Yang twins hold allegiance to only 1 thing: the almighty dollar.