Geaux Saints!

You may have heard about a big football game this Sunday. One of the teams in it is an outfit that fled its city for greener pastures and is now successful in its new home.

And the other stayed put, even though it had reason to flee. Its stadium was a wreck. Its city was a wreck.

But the team stayed and is a huge part of community.

That's one reason to embrace America's team, the Saints.

The city of New Orleans needs something good to happen. Winning a Super Bowl isn't going to repair the damage from the storm or really do anything tangible to assist the on-going rebuilding effort down there. But it can't hurt.

I visited New Orleans three years after the storm and it was starting to come back. Still, huge parts of the city were devastated. But the people of New Orleans are tough folks. And they are perhaps the friendliest and most hospitable people you'll ever meet.

One of my favorite places there is a restaurant called Dookie Chase's, a soul food joint. Leah Chase, in her 80s, runs the place and the food is spectacular. And Leah is one of the nicest, sweetest women you'll ever meet. She stayed during the storm and cooked for rescue workers. She's an amazing person.

To give you an idea what this all means to the city, check out Mark Lorando's excellent piece in the New Orleans Times-Picayune.

It begins:

"Dear Miami,

"The Saints are coming. And so are we, their loyal, long-suffering and slightly discombobulated Super Bowl-bound fans.

"While there's still time to prepare -- although a few hard-core Who Dats will begin trickling in Monday, most of us won't arrive until Thursday or Friday -- we thought we'd give you a heads-up about what you should expect.

"First things first: You need more beer.

"Yeah, we know. You ordered extra. You think you have more than any group of humans could possibly consume in one week. Trust us. You don't."

The city is a special place, even more special because of people like Leah and the rest of the survivors of the storm. They are tough, fun-loving people.

So on Sunday, I'm going have some gumbo and drink a toast to the city of New Orleans.

And pull for the Saints.