Photo/videos submitted by Shawna Manning

"Traffic was at a standstill and we ran down Camp St high fiving other fans stuck in their cars all the way to Bourbon St. (about 4-5 blocks) Most cars were blowing their horns and playing the Ying Yang Twins Song, Halftime really loudly." – Shawna Manning

VIDEO CLIPS

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Written by Dave Price

"Who dat? Who dat? Who dat say dey gonna beat dem Saints? Who dat? Who dat?"

Win or lose, they've been chanting 'Who dat' for 43 years, and now, fans of the New Orleans Saints finally have a chance to watch their team play in The Big Game Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV.

No wonder the sight on Bourbon Street was so wild after Garrett Hartley's 40-yard field goal lifted the Saints to a 31-28 overtime victory against the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC championship game and gave the Saints their first Super Bowl berth. Even in Carson City, longtime fan Craig McEwan had a hard time curbing his excitement after watching the game on television.

"That game was just tremendous," said McEwan, who has lived in Carson City since 1997 and now operates Superior Physical Therapy with his wife, Cindy. "It all came down to the coin toss because you knew the team that got the ball first in overtime was going to win, and for once, luck was on their side. And even when they lined up for the (Hartley) field goal, I still wasn't sure it was going to happen. I've seen it happen too many times where they've been so close so many times of reaching their goal and just fallen short."

Remember, this is a team that played its inaugural NFL season in 1967 but had to wait until 1987 before experiencing a winning record and trip to the playoffs. It wasn't until 2000 that the Saints even won a playoff game.

In 1992, the Saints appeared to have a commanding 20-7 lead midway through the second half against Philadelphia, only to see the Eagles score 29 unanswered points to pull out a 36-20 victory. Furthermore, the Saints were knocked out of the playoffs by Minnesota on two previous occasions — 44-10 before a packed house at the Superdome in 1987 and 34-16 in 2000.

There have been many more losing seasons along the way, but the Saints have always had their loyal fans. That loyalty appealed to McEwan, who grew up in the Eastern Sierra but scrapped his loyalty for the Rams and switched his colors to black and gold in 1985.

"My nephew was living in New Orleans at the time, and I didn't want to be accused of jumping on a bandwagons, so I just grabbed on to the Saints," said McEwan, who attended and played football at Coleville High in the 1970s and later went to U.C. Davis.

"If you've ever been to New Orleans, those people flat-out love it there. Even after Katrina and all that, they won't even consider living anywhere else, that's how much they love it. And they love their Saints."
Never mind the oddsmakers, who list the Colts as 5-1/2 point favorites.

"I think the Saints will win it. I think they're the better team," McEwan said. "They have a lot of guys who have the savvy from playing eight or nine years, and this is their big opportunity. I think they're a more experienced group of players than a lot of people give them credit for."

Peyton Manning?

"That is the No. 1 factor that is inescapable," McEwan said. "He's similar to Favre ... no matter what the score is, until the clock has run out, you haven't won the game."

It would be great to see a close game on Sunday. McEwan is just hoping for one thing.

"If the Saints win, I just hope they do it in regulation," he said, adding with a laugh. "I was so drained after the Vikings game. I might have a heart attack if they go into overtime again."