Hatred strikes me as one of the few signs of life remaining in the world. This is another thing about the world which is upside-down: all the friendly and likable people seem dead to me; only the haters seem alive.
Walker Percy
Any Saints fan 40-plus remembers when they became a Falcon hater like it was yesterday.
It was Nov. 12, 1978, when New Orleans Saints fans discovered the kind of true happiness that only the hatred of a bitter rival can produce.
With the Saints still in playoff contention on that fall afternoon 31 years ago, Archie Manning and a stubborn defense held the Steve Bartkowski-led Atlanta Falcons at bay for 59 minutes.
The Falcons had closed the gap to 17-13 on a Hascal Stanback touchdown run with 57 seconds to go. Then, the Saints took over presumably to run out the clock.
Legendary Saints radio Voice Wayne Mack , a Chicago native, had the call:
"With this big win, the fans will be dancing on the tables at Pat O'Brien's."
A melancholy Mack would say later, "I should have learned from the Chicago Tribune headline that proclaimed, incorrectly, the victory of Tom Dewey over Harry Truman in the presidential election of 1948."
On fourth and two, Saints coach Dick Nolan decided to run Chuck Muncie. The Falcons defense held. Then, Big Ben, and we're not talking Roethlisberger here, reared his ugly head.
With 19 seconds remaining, Atlanta QB Steve Bartkowski lined up in what came to be known as the Big Ben formation: three wide receivers on his right. At the snap, the receivers started flying toward the New Orleans end zone with seven defensive backs in hot pursuit.
Bartkowski launched a missile to the goal line and then everything seemed to move in slooooowwwwww motion.
Ten bodies collided around the ten yard line, like tourists at Mardi Gras fighting for a pair of beads flung from a Bourbon Street balcony.The ball seem to hang in the air forever.
It was then that diminuitive Falcons receiver Alfred Jenkins attained his moment of glory.
Jenkins caught his only pass of the afternoon emerging from the sea of bodies and darting into the end zone.
An eerie silence followed in the jam-packed Superdome. Kind of like one of those spooky New Orleans Victorian mansions on Halloween night.
The crowd sat in stunned silence enduring sheer agony no sports fans should ever have to endure but ultimately does.
Atlanta had won 20-17, cruelly dashing the Saints' playoff hopes.
A local radio talk show host printed up a batch of "I Hate the Falcons" t-shirts." The batch sold out in three days. Three decades later, mine still hangs in my locker. I sneer every time I look at it.
Two weeks later, the Saints traveled to Atlanta for a rematch.
Different city. Same creepy results.
With 53 seconds left and the Saints leading again 17-13, New Orleans went into the infamous, dreaded prevent defense. Bartkowski marched the Falcons to the Saints' 23 with 16 seconds remaining.
Deja vu all over again Rocky....ugggghhhhh.....Deja vu all over again....
Bartkowski fired to the end zone. Saints defensive back Ralph McGill intercepted.
Flag on the play!!! Oh My Sweet Jesus, you gotta be kidding me!!!!!
Referee Grover Klemmer called interference on New Orleans DB Maurice Spencer. Falcons receiver Dennis Pearson would admit later he didn't feel a thing. Two weeks later the league office informed the Saints that Klemmer blew the call.
Same spooky final score: Falcons 20 Saints 17.
New Orleans States-Item sports editor Bob Roesler began campaigning for instant replay, a revolutionary idea in those days.
The following year, the two teams would meet again in the season opener.
"I'm tellin ya' Charlie....I'm a nervous wreck....this game is the greatest moment of our lives. There's never been a game like this."
Revenge was on everyone's mind when the Falcons came to New Orleans in September 1979.
Do you remember the 21st night of September?
Our hearts were ringing
In the key that our souls were singing
As we danced in the night,
Remember how the stars stole the night away
Ba de ya - say that you remember
Ba de ya - dancing in September
Ba de ya - never was a cloudy day
Yeah, it was Earth, Wind and Fire for the Saints in the Superdome that day. Alas, mostly fire.
We're going to send you the most entertaining New Orleans Saints articles, videos, and podcasts from around the web.
19 Comments
Loading more comments...
This comment and all replies have been deleted This comment has been deleted Undo delete