Extra Point: Saints' success sounds familiar
Ryan Papaserge
Issue date: 2/5/10 Section: Sports
Two days from now, the New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts will meet at Sun Life Stadium in Miami for Super Bowl XLIV.
For the people of New Orleans, it will be a major moment in their recovery from the Hurricane Katrina crisis - a recovery in which the Saints have played a pivotal role.
After Hurricane Katrina left the Louisiana Superdome, home of the Saints, in a state of massive disrepair, the NFL moved the team's home games to Baton Rouge, La. and San Antonio for the 2005-06 season.
When the team came back to a repaired Superdome for the following season, each home game was sold out, and a raucous crowd provided enough energy to help the team win the NFC Championship for the first time.
Sound familiar? It should.
In the wake of the St. Bonaventure men's basketball scandal, members of the team voted to forfeit the final two games of the 2003 season - on top of a postseason ban enforced by the Atlantic 10 Conference.
While Bonnies fans had to suffer through the three-year tenure of Anthony Solomon, Bob Lanier Court is now usually packed for each home game, as the program slowly returns to respectability.
It may be a stretch to compare these two situations and find similarities; I agree. After all, many people in New Orleans lost everything they owned, while the Bona Bubble suffered a tarnished public image and dealt with a sub-par basketball team.
A deeper look into the record books, however, indicates more similarities between the two teams.
In the 42-year history of the Saints, the franchise has seen just nine winning seasons and a pair of NFC Championship berths. This year's team finished with a franchise-record 13 wins and earned their first-ever Super Bowl bid.
Meanwhile, last year's men's basketball team finished with 15 wins, the most since the 2001-02 season.
On the field, the revitalization of the Saints began with the 2006 free agent signing of former Chargers quarterback Drew Brees, who has arguably reached the peak of his career wearing the team's famous black and gold. Supported by 2006 draft picks Reggie Bush and Marques Colston, Brees has helped the Saints produce one of the greatest offenses of all time.
Meanwhile, Bonnies coach Mark Schmidt's staff discovered Canadian center Andrew Nicholson in 2008. In just a season and a half, the A-10 has already awarded numerous honors upon Nicholson, and his presence is slowing returning St. Bonaventure to the national consciousness.
In both cases, a loyal fan base has stuck by a team that holds a community together, and is slowly being rewarded for its fandom.
An editorial in the March 14, 2003, edition of The Bona Venture may best summarize both situations:
"So our team quit the rest of the season.
That's done.
We will not quit on them."
Sunday, a city that refused to quit on its beloved football team, even in the face of its own tragedies, may finally be able to write its storybook ending.
e-mail: papaserj@sbu.edu
For the people of New Orleans, it will be a major moment in their recovery from the Hurricane Katrina crisis - a recovery in which the Saints have played a pivotal role.
After Hurricane Katrina left the Louisiana Superdome, home of the Saints, in a state of massive disrepair, the NFL moved the team's home games to Baton Rouge, La. and San Antonio for the 2005-06 season.
When the team came back to a repaired Superdome for the following season, each home game was sold out, and a raucous crowd provided enough energy to help the team win the NFC Championship for the first time.
Sound familiar? It should.
In the wake of the St. Bonaventure men's basketball scandal, members of the team voted to forfeit the final two games of the 2003 season - on top of a postseason ban enforced by the Atlantic 10 Conference.
While Bonnies fans had to suffer through the three-year tenure of Anthony Solomon, Bob Lanier Court is now usually packed for each home game, as the program slowly returns to respectability.
It may be a stretch to compare these two situations and find similarities; I agree. After all, many people in New Orleans lost everything they owned, while the Bona Bubble suffered a tarnished public image and dealt with a sub-par basketball team.
A deeper look into the record books, however, indicates more similarities between the two teams.
In the 42-year history of the Saints, the franchise has seen just nine winning seasons and a pair of NFC Championship berths. This year's team finished with a franchise-record 13 wins and earned their first-ever Super Bowl bid.
Meanwhile, last year's men's basketball team finished with 15 wins, the most since the 2001-02 season.
On the field, the revitalization of the Saints began with the 2006 free agent signing of former Chargers quarterback Drew Brees, who has arguably reached the peak of his career wearing the team's famous black and gold. Supported by 2006 draft picks Reggie Bush and Marques Colston, Brees has helped the Saints produce one of the greatest offenses of all time.
Meanwhile, Bonnies coach Mark Schmidt's staff discovered Canadian center Andrew Nicholson in 2008. In just a season and a half, the A-10 has already awarded numerous honors upon Nicholson, and his presence is slowing returning St. Bonaventure to the national consciousness.
In both cases, a loyal fan base has stuck by a team that holds a community together, and is slowly being rewarded for its fandom.
An editorial in the March 14, 2003, edition of The Bona Venture may best summarize both situations:
"So our team quit the rest of the season.
That's done.
We will not quit on them."
Sunday, a city that refused to quit on its beloved football team, even in the face of its own tragedies, may finally be able to write its storybook ending.
e-mail: papaserj@sbu.edu
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