01-13-2018, 03:30 AM
In some respects, Minnesotans and New Orleanians live parallel existences.
You travel between the Twin Cities. We travel along the Twin Spans.
The Mississippi River begins in your state and ends in ours.
In 2016, you lost music legend Prince, while we lost music legend Pete Fountain.
The roof of your old Metrodome was partially destroyed by snow. The roof of our Superdome was partially destroyed by a hurricane.
Running back Adrian Peterson spent 10 years with the Vikings and what seemed like 10 minutes with the Saints.
But there are differences.
During football games, you blow a Gjallarhorn, an instrument of Norse legend whose name translates as the distinctly unmusical-sounding “yelling horn.” We groove to the decidedly more melodic Mardi Gras anthem “Second-Line, Pt. 1.”
We prefer ice in our drinks, not coating our eyeballs.
In short, you get cold, while we get crunk.
At first glance, naming a landlocked team the Vikings makes about as much sense as naming a team that plays within staggering distance of Bourbon Street the Saints.
But Minnesota is stocked with Scandinavians whose ancestors were actual Vikings. And Saints fans have historically spent a lot of time praying. For far too many seasons, divine intervention was our team’s only hope.
The Saints posted several decades' worth of pitiful records. The Vikings, by contrast, have consistently rung up impressive win totals during the regular season.
But you inevitably lose the games that matter.
And at least two of the most bitter losses were in New Orleans.
In 1974, you triumphed in two playoff games outdoors in the frigid cold of your hometown, only to blow Super Bowl IX against the Steelers at Tulane Stadium.
Overall, I suspect any Vikings fan would gladly trade your four Super Bowl losses for the Saints’ single Super Bowl appearance/win.
And we all remember how the Saints got to that Super Bowl — by beating the Vikings in an NFC Championship Game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. When Garrett Hartley’s field goal sailed through the uprights in overtime on Jan. 24, 2010, New Orleans was thrown into a state of ecstasy. Minnesota was thrown into an all-too-familiar state of despair.
You’re no doubt eager to avoid another disaster. But be warned: Saints fans, players and coaches are hyped.
Check out the viral video of the Saints locker room celebration following last Sunday’s gutsy playoff win over the Panthers. Buff men are transformed into a scrum of giddy schoolboys by the sheer exhilaration of a hard-fought, down-to-the-final-play victory.
Coach Sean Payton, in his rhythmically challenged way, led his players in a goofy, utterly un-self-conscious dance. A clip of the scene inspired local musician Shamarr Allen to write a song. His “Hit the Sean Payton” has subsequently inspired even more dancing citywide.
Could your head coach bust a move like that? Probably not. And “Hit the Mike Zimmer” just isn’t as snappy.
No NFL team has ever played a Super Bowl in its home stadium. You’re two wins away from being the first.
Honestly, none of us expected the Saints to be one of your roadblocks. Certainly not after the Vikings and Patriots dealt Saints fans a double dose of pessimism early in the season.
But our young defense has jelled, and the team as a whole has filled the gaps left by injuries. Like the molten, liquid-metal “Terminator,” we’ve been damaged, only to re-form stronger than ever.
Drew Brees turns 39 on Monday. He’s nine years older than your upstart, similarly undersized quarterback, Case Keenum.
But Brees isn’t bound for the broadcast booth anytime soon. As the Panthers learned the hard way, you underestimate him at your peril. He carved up the Panthers like an ice fisherman filleting a walleye.
The Superdome was absolutely electric that night, and the city’s excitement level has only amped up since then. On Sunday, that electric charge will crackle up the Mississippi River all the way to Minnesota.
Provided, of course, your stretch of the Mississippi isn’t frozen.
Love,
The Who Dat Nation
http://www.theadvocate.com/new_orleans/e...69c88.html
You travel between the Twin Cities. We travel along the Twin Spans.
The Mississippi River begins in your state and ends in ours.
In 2016, you lost music legend Prince, while we lost music legend Pete Fountain.
The roof of your old Metrodome was partially destroyed by snow. The roof of our Superdome was partially destroyed by a hurricane.
Running back Adrian Peterson spent 10 years with the Vikings and what seemed like 10 minutes with the Saints.
Remember the last time New Orleans and Minneapolis squared off for a shot at the Super Bowl?
During football games, you blow a Gjallarhorn, an instrument of Norse legend whose name translates as the distinctly unmusical-sounding “yelling horn.” We groove to the decidedly more melodic Mardi Gras anthem “Second-Line, Pt. 1.”
We prefer ice in our drinks, not coating our eyeballs.
In short, you get cold, while we get crunk.
At first glance, naming a landlocked team the Vikings makes about as much sense as naming a team that plays within staggering distance of Bourbon Street the Saints.
In playful exchanges on Twitter, New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu and Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey have raised the stakes in the Saints' Sunda…
The Saints posted several decades' worth of pitiful records. The Vikings, by contrast, have consistently rung up impressive win totals during the regular season.
But you inevitably lose the games that matter.
And at least two of the most bitter losses were in New Orleans.
In 1974, you triumphed in two playoff games outdoors in the frigid cold of your hometown, only to blow Super Bowl IX against the Steelers at Tulane Stadium.
Overall, I suspect any Vikings fan would gladly trade your four Super Bowl losses for the Saints’ single Super Bowl appearance/win.
And we all remember how the Saints got to that Super Bowl — by beating the Vikings in an NFC Championship Game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. When Garrett Hartley’s field goal sailed through the uprights in overtime on Jan. 24, 2010, New Orleans was thrown into a state of ecstasy. Minnesota was thrown into an all-too-familiar state of despair.
You’re no doubt eager to avoid another disaster. But be warned: Saints fans, players and coaches are hyped.
Greg Olsen hurt the New Orleans defense in a way few tight ends have this season.
Coach Sean Payton, in his rhythmically challenged way, led his players in a goofy, utterly un-self-conscious dance. A clip of the scene inspired local musician Shamarr Allen to write a song. His “Hit the Sean Payton” has subsequently inspired even more dancing citywide.
Could your head coach bust a move like that? Probably not. And “Hit the Mike Zimmer” just isn’t as snappy.
No NFL team has ever played a Super Bowl in its home stadium. You’re two wins away from being the first.
Honestly, none of us expected the Saints to be one of your roadblocks. Certainly not after the Vikings and Patriots dealt Saints fans a double dose of pessimism early in the season.
But our young defense has jelled, and the team as a whole has filled the gaps left by injuries. Like the molten, liquid-metal “Terminator,” we’ve been damaged, only to re-form stronger than ever.
Drew Brees turns 39 on Monday. He’s nine years older than your upstart, similarly undersized quarterback, Case Keenum.
But Brees isn’t bound for the broadcast booth anytime soon. As the Panthers learned the hard way, you underestimate him at your peril. He carved up the Panthers like an ice fisherman filleting a walleye.
Most concerning team stat for Saints: Vikes 2nd ranked run DE, Vikes 2nd ranked pass DE, or Vikes 3rd Down ranking (3rd on O, 1st on DE)?— Ins…
Provided, of course, your stretch of the Mississippi isn’t frozen.
Love,
The Who Dat Nation
http://www.theadvocate.com/new_orleans/e...69c88.html
![[Image: 31035384.jpg]](https://memegenerator.net/img/instances/31035384.jpg)
