Brees has been QB for the Saints since... (2 Viewers)

[rail]

Dude was here before the first smartphones/iPhones were a thing.

 

[saint_drago]

Perhaps even too much so....as his retirement may leave a forlorn pit in the stomachs of those whom have relished in his success. As odd as it may be, I find myself in a mild melancholy shade of blue even though the days ahead are less likely to be as drought of wins as some of the days of my past that I was once welcome to endure.

The days ahead are going to look like a flippin dynasty compared to what the old timers endured. Before 1987 the team never finished above .500. Two decades of horrific football. In those 20 years the Saints finished with 5 or fewer wins a staggering 15 times! They won 4 or less 11 times.

It's hard for me to wrap my head around that kind of sustained futility. Since 1987 we've only had three such seasons in '96, '99, and '05. We went 3-13 each of those years. Hopefully we don't reach those depths of misery any time soon.

 

[BigOdin504]

My daughter was in my wife’s belly for the 06 season.
I always tell her that her 1st time in the dome was the opener after Katrina, Drew’s 1st home game too.

 

[SaintRob]

It really is astonishing how an entire generation has only known life with Drew. People who started kindergarten in 2006-2007 graduated high school with Drew Brees being the Saints QB the entire time. All the people born in the mid to late 00s, they only know the Saints as being a relevant team. A perennial contender.

I'm curious to see how these fans will react when maybe the Saints aren't so great. It will be hard on those who didn't live through Ditka. Or late Mora when he started phoning it in. Or Haslett's last year.

I think this is how a fan base is really created. Look at Dallas, Buffalo, or even the Browns. They have been through decades of irrelevance after being relevant for a period of time (a looong time ago for the Browns) but still have strong fan bases.

 

[ilvdsnts]

We’ve lived in 4 different houses, owned 2. Went from being a 35yo who had been married for 13 years with a 1yo to now i’ve been married 28 years with 3 kids, 16, 13, and 4. My kids only have memories of a Saints franchise that once won a Superbowl.

 

[0rion]

I was in my 30's....prime fighting shape back then. Now I get hurt making a sammich or digging a beer out of the cooler.

 

[LifeForceDave]

I'm from New Orleans but live in West Virginia now. Before Brees when someone asked me about football or when I said I was a saints fan I always got laughed at or "why?" as the response. Now I get "oh I like the saints too" as a response. I know its hard to see what he's done for the perspective of the saints on a national level when you're not in Louisiana or the surrounding areas, but we are no longer a team to be laughed at. As its been said, his legacy in my mind is so much more than what he has in the record books and the SB.

 

[Saint Jack]

I just started high school.

 

[jasonsw]

I've been married - 14 years married, 2 kids one just became a teenager - and Brees was QB during all of that

saw a twitter post saying Drew was the QB since the poster was 15 (and is now 30) - for whatever reason that put it in perspective. imagining how much someone's life changes from teens to 30s. and Drew was there the whole time

Cool. Same year as i got married also. Hard to believe we went through 3 presidents with Brees also. First Saints game wife and i watched was Aaron Brooks beating Carolina in 2005.

 

[jasonsw]

I'm from New Orleans but live in West Virginia now. Before Brees when someone asked me about football or when I said I was a saints fan I always got laughed at or "why?" as the response. Now I get "oh I like the saints too" as a response. I know its hard to see what he's done for the perspective of the saints on a national level when you're not in Louisiana or the surrounding areas, but we are no longer a team to be laughed at. As its been said, his legacy in my mind is so much more than what he has in the record books and the SB.

I remember before Brees only reason to root for Saints was cause of state pride.

 

[LifeForceDave]

I remember before Brees only reason to root for Saints was cause of state pride.

When I moved here as a kid in 87 there was nothing saints related. In fact I could probably count the number of times I saw people sporting saints stuff from 87-06 on one hand. Now I see stuff weekly.

 

[Saints123000]

I was 22 when Brees signed. Now I am 36. Other than this year, I have been in the Dome for every game he has played. It's been a hell of a ride!

 

[Mrpoplus]

I was in my 30's....prime fighting shape back then. Now I get hurt making a sammich or digging a beer out of the cooler.

Lmao man you made me spit my drink allover the floor . Now I gotta clean it up Dammit

 

[0rion]

Lmao man you made me spit my drink allover the floor . Now I gotta clean it up Dammit

I would probably pull some random muscle doing that too haha. I've been known to pull a muscle getting up from the recliner.

 

[UFCSaint]

I remember before Brees only reason to root for Saints was cause of state pride.

Now wait a minute.. we also had the longest field goal in NFL history, the Dome Patrol, 4 linebackers in the Pro Bowl, Peyton's father..and Morton Andersen