Yesterday I listened to three guys blast Sean Payton, Drew Brees, Tom Benson and the entire Saints franchise. I tried tuning them out but it was impossible to ignore their continual use of “they suck,” “fluke,” “overrated,” “undisciplined,” “entitled,” “unfocused,” “doomed” and “heartbreak.” I know it was just reactionary guy talk, and they needed to vent about Sunday’s game. But they were so incensed and took the loss so personally that I had to do a few double takes to make sure the guys weren’t assistant coaches or players’ relatives.
Maybe I’m not plugged in yet to the extent of football fan passion. I mean, I know locals love all things Saints, but it’s fascinating to see just how integral the Saints are to their daily lives. It’s almost as if the pulse of the city beats more quickly when the Saints are winning and flatlines when they’re not.
The Saints’ current predicament almost compares with the city’s record, post-Katrina. When the Saints headed to the Super Bowl last year, New Orleans was the most glorified city in the country. Everyone wanted to know about the city; everyone cared about the recovery process. Countless documentaries aired on the city’s school system, the state of levee repairs, new restaurant openings and more. But if the team continues its downward slide, I fear national media will stay away and return only for the kickoff of next year’s hurricane season. That is, of course, if no other disaster befalls New Orleans in the interim.
On a micro-level, fair-weather fans represent some of the unfavorable parts of American culture. We want it “on demand,” “your way,” on the fastest bandwidth, all the time. Sometimes we only see the short-term perspective and look for the quickest route to success. When fair-weather fans get hysterical and erratic two weeks into a football season, it makes me wonder how they respond in situations of greater gravity. The lack of loyalty and patience begs the question of whether we as a society can appreciate anything for its enduring long-term value.
But then again, who cares what folks outside of Louisiana think about the Saints, right? As long as the team’s true fans stay true, the Saints will turn it around this year. And if for some reason they don’t, hopefully locals won’t get depressed to the point that the city skips a few beats.
The Saints need what the city of New Orleans needed shortly after Katrina: strong believers. Plenty of people were ready to write off the city after the storm, just as many around the country have dumped the Saints just five games into the season.
New Orleanians have always been believers. Now it’s the time to share those emotional strengths with the Saints.