A UK fan's view
Hey everyone, I just found this website recently so thought I better join in!
I've been a fan of the Saints since the 91/92 season, the year of the 7-0 start and first ever division title, (and the playoff loss to the unmentionables…) so I haven't just jumped on the bandwagon!
I finally got the chance to go to a game for the first time last month, as myself & my girlfriend came over for the Eagles game - I don't think I could have picked a better first game! The whole day was absolutely amazing & I nearly lost my voice, but it was worth every penny though and I'll be coming back again every year from now on!
I think it's great that the team are getting some attention for the right reasons and they're even getting noticed over here now. On TV over here on Sundays we basically get a choice of 2 games at 1pm ET and 2 games at 4pm ET, and this week the TV channel had a 'fans vote' where viewers got to pick the games - and yep, you guessed it, they picked the Saints-Steelers game (I only voted once, so it wasn't all down to me!). This will be the 4th time they've been shown live on UK TV this season, or 5 if you count the Monday Night Massacre which was shown on a different channel, (& which I got up for at 1.30am UK time so I could watch it!) which probably matches the total number of times they've been shown in the last 3 years. Originally they showed the Saints cos of all the hype surrounding Reggie, but now we've proved we're a legitimate team we're getting some proper attention for a change.
Hopefully this increased exposure will generate some new fans, cos there aren't many Saints fans in the UK that I know of. In fact, I was trying to find a UK fans website when I stumbled across this site! If we do get some new fans, hopefully they won't just jump off the bandwagon sometime down the line when things get tough again (which hopefully won't be for a good few years yet!) and will stick with the team, as I did during the late 90's.
Back in 1991 I had no knowledge of the Saints history or reputation, but they looked like a good team & they weren't one of the 'big name' teams either, as it seemed at the time everyone who liked American Football over here was a fan of either the Bears, Dolphins, 49ers, Raiders or Redskins, so that was another reason I chose the Saints as my team. The TV coverage back then was pretty much non-existent, something like 3 hours of highlights a week and that was it. No live games other than the Super Bowl. Therefore keeping up with the team in those pre-internet days was pretty hard, but I kept an eye out for results & went to school & then work slightly happier if the Saints had won the night before.
It seems we're still not getting everyone's respect in the US though, after reading various articles and comments on this site. But that's fine by me and it seems the team aren't bothered by it either, if everyone keeps expecting us to lose then it just makes that chip on our shoulder even bigger & makes the players more determined to prove everyone wrong.
Being realistic, I know it's unlikely we'll win the SB this year, but if we can keep the players & coaching staff together for a few years I really believe we'll be legitimate contenders for the forseeable future.
Although Payton, Brees and Colston have been getting most of the plaudits, I think the whole franchise has done tremendously well to turn things around after what happened last year. I was seriously concerned for the future of the team after reading various news reports online & hearing that Benson was trying to move the team to San Antonio, but after visiting last month I don't need to worry any more as the city simply won't allow the team to leave, even if Benson wanted to. And after following the team from afar for 15 years I now feel like a 'real' fan after going to a game & visiting the city and as I've already said, I'll be coming back every year from now on.
Well I think I've gone on long enough for now, so just time for a prediction - Steelers 20 Saints 23
GO SAINTS!!