The 14th Anniversary of Super Bowl XLIV

I watched that Super Bowl in a bar in California where I watched all of the regular season and playoff games. I was surrounded by New Orleans expats, many of them much older than me, that took me in as one of their own over the prior few seasons. Their tears of joy and stares of disbelief showed how much this team meant them and how it was different for a New Orleans native than it was for a spiteful 49er hater from California. That game meant so much. I even gifted my Drew Brees jersey that I had loaned to one of the less fortunate friends to wear during the game so they could carry that with them forever. I brought home a package of Saints paper plates that I've been saving for the next Saints Super Bowl that seemed destined to come at the time, but never did.

That bar no longer exists, some of those people are no longer with us and I've lost touch with all of them over the years, but I can still feel their joy and I was honored to have shared that with them.