The faithful fan base has been anything but that this offseason. When you’re as optimistic about the team as I’ve been, you’re pejoratively referred to as a sunshine pumper - and as a woman I’ve had the additional “honor” of at least one poster wondering if I’m this positive about the Saints because sleeping with someone on the team/staff.
I’m going to level with you here: I’ve loved this team my whole life, even when it was tough to watch. My childhood spans the Mora and Ditka years, Haslett was the coach during my bridge into adulthood, Payton was hired the year I finished college. Those first three coaches played to some mighty empty Superdome Sundays, some of which I’d gone to as a United Way kid because a car dealership or local bank would buy enough tickets to avoid a blackout then donate a chunk of them to our chapter. The only period of time our fans ranked as best and loyal were during the rebirth of the region, because Saints football was a uniting force confirming that we were both alive and resilient. The winning helped, but we shouldn’t trick ourselves into believing this is a fan base that has always shown up no matter what. Hard times, volatile economies, and bad football defined the first half of the Saints’ existence in some measure or other. We’ve always been a good party, but that happens with our without football as the backdrop.