The New Orleans is celebrating Saints’ Victory

Returning from Miami after a 31-17 Super Bowl victory over the Indianapolis Colts, the New Orleans Saints were welcomed by thousands of cheering fans who decked in black-and-gold lining the road. They were welcoming the champions and greeting a team of heroes who have kept hope alive in this city.

Wearing Saints jerseys, they just came from the all-night party celebrating the Saints’ first Super Bowl victory in 43 years of history. At first fans even had trouble believing the win, but soon threw a huge “Lombardi Party” with pride and ecstasy. Four years after the Hurricane Katrina flooded 80 percent of the city and destroyed thousands of homes and small businesses, something really worth excitement really happened. Long-suffering fans throughout the city shot off fireworks, danced in the streets and second-lined down the St. Charles Avenue streetcar tracks.

“After Katrina everyone was hurting,” said Derek Stevens, 27, who was still on Bourbon Street at dawn. “The Saints was the one thing we had that was positive, that made us hopeful.”

Yeah, people in New Orleans seemed crazy all the day and night, but everyone aware of the pain they suffered understands their feeling and knows they should be so.

Lawmakers approved final step to keep Saints in New Orleans

Louisiana lawmakers approved Friday a lease arrangement as the final step of a financial deal to keep the Saints in New Orleans.

The lease arrangement will have the state renting downtown New Orleans office space from team owner Tom Benson as a measure to funnel money to the team for direct cash subsidies from the government is limited.

Thus, with a 10-2 vote of senators and a 17-7 vote of House members agreeing to the lease, the deal was finalized between Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal’s administration and the NFL team to keep the Saints in Louisiana through 2025.