colterphoto1 Posted February 11, 2010 Share Posted February 11, 2010 Hi guys, got back home today and am totally worn out. I've now witnessed southern hospitality in everything from a relaxing tour of a plantation to a Super Bowl parade and it was an awesome trip. The city of New Orleans had announced a parade for the team for the Tuesday after the game so I elected to stay an extra day. Incidentally, Amtrak does not charge anything to change a reservation, even at last minute! I get the distinct impression that most of these folks would have been there win or lose. Drew Brees had been shipped from Miami to Disney World, to NYC on Monday, and now was back in N.O. I've been to some Indy 500 parades and seen others on tv, but nothing compares to what I witnessed on Tuesday night. Around here the performers dress up for a parade, I've never seen one where it's 'audience participation'. The amount of black and gold was stunning, the floats magnificent, the players celebretory but humble. The 8 of us (Dtels, daughters, kids, myself) arrived early enough to take in some of the sights of the French Quarter as we'd only hit Bourbon Street on Saturday night (with me in blue no less). Great architecture, gift shops, art galleries, eateries. Spent some time in quietude at the Cathedral, then off to the show. We situated ourselves in the large streetcar median on Canal St. at St. Charles. I was to find out later that this was a key point in the parade as the floats and bands started earlier by the Superdome for the reviewing stands. We were to see them some hour and half later as they rounded a tight turn and into a sea of screaming humanity. There were the obligitory police, fire and rescue squads preceding the parade and it took me a while to realize that after Katrina, these were not just marshals of the parade, but all of them heros just as big as the team was. When the first band and well-lit floats turned the corner, the crowd just erupted. Sounded like guns or thunder, the roar was just enormous. The second float carried three massive searchlights which straifed the high-rise buildings around us and confetti cannons created an immediate festive atmosphere. It was so intense I don't know how anyone there could not have had some tears of joy for the city, it's team, and the spectacle before them. Good fortune smiled on us as we were camped next to some very kind folks, some had driven more than 2 hours to be here, others let the kids in our group near the front for a good vantage point. A mother/son parade-veteran team brought a large stepladder and workbench, which they graciously let us use for photographing over the crowd. Even the wild Asian kids slamming shots from a soon-empty Crown Royal bottle were fun and polite although quite loud with their chanting. I think the Saints fans had on every possible numbered jersey in existence, and quite a few very inventive home-made outfits as well. Without going into details of the entire evening, all I can say is WOW! This city really knows how to throw a parade. Of course they're well practiced at it, but this event would have had only 2 weeks planning time (from the last playoff game). There were probably 20 high school bands, a dozen floats from various 'Krews' (Krew is a team that usually sponsors a single parade each during the Mardi Gras season). There was some really cool stuff like the kickers were in a float adorned with a gigantic high-heeled shoe lit with a bagillion tiny lights. Team members were grouped by squad on floats scattered through the two-hour route. The field goal kicker #5 even ran laps around the float giving high fives to the crowd. The kids in our group had been hollering 'WHO DAT' all day long and one was hit smack in the 'numbers' with a huge bundle of Mardi Grad beads by Drew Brees. In a tremendous display of humility, Coach Payton was on the final float, allowing his players to parade ahead of him. He blew kisses and held the trophy high overhead the entire route to great applause. Now I've got the shirt, the CD's, the beads, and some fantastic memories. Thanks Dtels and thanks New Orleans! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JL Sargent Posted February 12, 2010 Author Share Posted February 12, 2010 Really sounds like the parade/party was big fun. I'll be interested to hear how much dinero was brought into the city during and after the big game. Maybe crime took a dive with the Saints winning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JL Sargent Posted February 15, 2010 Author Share Posted February 15, 2010 I still can not believe it. The Saints actually won the Super Bowl. Who'd a thunk it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators dtel's wife Posted February 15, 2010 Moderators Share Posted February 15, 2010 I still can not believe it. The Saints actually won the Super Bowl. Who'd a thunk it? You aren't alone in your disbelief! We waited a long time for this, so did our children and our grandchildren![] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WS65711 Posted February 16, 2010 Share Posted February 16, 2010 Check this out [] http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-super-bowl/09000d5d8165aee5/Sound-FX-SB-XLIV-4th-Qtr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators dtel's wife Posted February 16, 2010 Moderators Share Posted February 16, 2010 If that isn't insight to Sean Payton's amazing coaching abilities I don't know what is. Payton's instincts enabled him to coach the Saints to victory. Listening closely to what Sean Payton was saying gives me a whole new perspective on his abilities and the future of the Saints' organization! If there are any doubts about who should have won the Super Bowl this video should put those to rest. WS, thank you so much for sharing this....it is awesome....I started crying all over again listening to Drew Brees and Sean Payton when they were hugging at the end. Thank you again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigStewMan Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 If there are any doubts about who should have won the Super Bowl this video should put those to rest. well, the Raiders won on superbowl sunday--three times. oh, i guess i should stop watching those 70s & 80s replays. no wonder kenny stabler looked so good for his age. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JL Sargent Posted February 17, 2010 Author Share Posted February 17, 2010 Speaking of NFL football. Wish I was the Raiders kicker. Anybody else notice the $$$ Janikowski got in his new contract? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CECAA850 Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 Speaking of NFL football. Wish I was the Raiders kicker. Anybody else notice the $$$ Janikowski got in his new contract? I think it was the same as the punter. 16 big ones. Of course they ARE the 2 best players on their team. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JL Sargent Posted February 17, 2010 Author Share Posted February 17, 2010 I don't see the logic in the Raiders thinking on this one. Since when does a kicker make a difference in loosing by two touchdowns? Just seems like they have more pressing matters than having the best kicker...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CECAA850 Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 I don't see the logic in the Raiders thinking on this one. Since when does a kicker make a difference in loosing by two touchdowns? Just seems like they have more pressing matters than having the best kicker...... Logic and Al Davis have very little to do with each other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arky Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 Logic and Al Davis have very little to do with each other. Yeah & McFadden is stuck somewhere in la la land. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stormin Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 This thread reminds me of the Energizer Bunny.[] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JL Sargent Posted February 17, 2010 Author Share Posted February 17, 2010 This thread reminds me of the Energizer Bunny. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stormin Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 This thread reminds me of the Energizer Bunny. Who are you Ludwig van Beethoven? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JL Sargent Posted February 17, 2010 Author Share Posted February 17, 2010 Nah, not that good. I just thought a little music would be nice with the wine.[] Although I was pulling for the Saints, I really thought Payton Manning and the Colts were gonna beat them by at least the spread. The chips absolutely fell the Saints way. If you play that game 6 times I suspect the Colts win 5 of them. It was just a magical day for the Saints. I was totally floored by the whole deal. Next year it will be the Colts against ???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stormin Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 Nah, not that good. I just thought a little music would be nice with the wine. Although I was pulling for the Saints, I really thought Payton Manning and the Colts were gonna beat them by at least the spread. The chips absolutely fell the Saints way. If you play that game 6 times I suspect the Colts win 5 of them. It was just a magical day for the Saints. I was totally floored by the whole deal. Next year it will be the Colts against ???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CECAA850 Posted February 18, 2010 Share Posted February 18, 2010 You know you're from Louisiana when... -Your sunglasses fog up when you step outside, even in December. -You reinforce your attic to store Mardi Gras beads -You don't look twice when you see pink flamingos in yards of nice subdivisions during Mardi Gras. -You save newspapers, not for recycling but for tablecloths at crawfish boils. -Your ancestors are buried above the ground .. -You drink Community Coffee, have tried Starbucks, but don't see what all the fuss is about. (YEAH!!!) -You take a bite of five-alarm chili and reach for the Tabasco . -Every once in a while, you have waterfront property . -You sit down to eat boiled crawfish and your host says, 'Don't eat the dead ones,' and you know what he means. -You don't learn until high school that Mardi Gras is not a national holiday. -You push little old ladies out of the way to catch Mardi Gras beads. -Little old ladies push YOU out of the way to catch Mardi Gras beads . -You believe that purple, green , and gold look good together. -Your last name isn't pronounced the way it's spelled. -You know what a nutria is but you still pick it to represent your baseball team.. -Your town is low on the education chart, high on the obesity chart and you don't care because you're No. 1 on the party chart. -Your house payment is less than your utility bill. -You know that Tchoupitoulas is a street and not a disease. -Your grandparents are called 'Mam-Maw' and 'Paw-Paw..' -Your Santa Claus rides an alligator and your favorite Saint is a football player. -You cringe every time you hear an actor with a Southern or Cajun accent in a 'New Orleans-based' movie or TV show. -You have to reset your clocks after every thunderstorm. -You're walking in the French Quarter with a plastic cup of beer. -When it starts to rain, you cover your beer instead of your head. -You've eaten at one or more of these restaurants, AND know how to pronounce them: Prejeans, Tu Jac's, Gallatoire's, Ralph & Kacoo's, Brunet's, or Mulatte's. -You eat dinner out and spend the entire meal talking about all the other good places you've eaten. -You call home just to find out what your momma'nem are having for supper tonight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JL Sargent Posted February 18, 2010 Author Share Posted February 18, 2010 I think your dead on with most of that stuff. My wife is from Lake Charles. We drive over regularly. Maybe you went to Vallier's Home Decor in Beaumont? That was my Bro-n-law. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CECAA850 Posted February 18, 2010 Share Posted February 18, 2010 I think your dead on with most of that stuff. My wife is from Lake Charles. We drive over regularly. Maybe you went to Vallier's Home Decor in Beaumont? That was my Bro-n-law. I've lived in Beaumont for 30 years, but I've never heard of Vallier's. Of course, if you walked around in my house you could tell that I haven't spent a lot of time with interior decortors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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