Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulez! New Orleans Faithful Fuel the Fun

Officially, you can now say the days of brown bags used as masks have past in the Superdome.

Long past have the days when the latest "America's Team" was better known as the New Orleans Ain'ts; the Saints have finally made it to the greatest stage in the NFL.

However, more importantly, the Saints' magical season continues to take the pain away from many faithful fans who have struggled in the years following the devastating Hurricane Katrina, which ravaged the city of New Orleans.

Unless you have been unconscious since September, you have seen what this team has done for New Orleans. They have brought hope and joy to those who consider the Saints closer to a religion than a professional football team.

Not only have the Saints brought the fans joy, they have successfully resurrected the city of New Orleans, and it is about time the world saw what the city is all about.

Known most for Mardi Gras, New Orleans is a fun-loving city that prides itself on its local culture, including its Saints.

The Superdome has had its roof blow off before, but last night, the roof was rockin'. The New Orleans fans have established a new level in the way a team is supported. Never has the crowd been so involved with the game.

This season, it has seemed like there was a giant party going on in the stands, all while a football game is being played. Rarely throughout the 2009-10 season have the fans in the Superdome been quiet, and by quiet I mean keeping it to a "dull" roar.

Watching the playoffs, and throughout the regular season, it is and was hard to not try and join in on the fun, hoping to fuel the Saints to victory.

Sports are about having fun, and that is what the city of New Orleans knows best. They are rubbing off on the team, Drew Brees in particular.

If you saw Brees during his tenure in San Diego, he was a very good quarterback but he just seemed a little off. Maybe he was just getting used to the NFL style of play, maybe he was too tense; whatever it was sure seemed to change the day he got to New Orleans.

He has flourished under Sean Payton, all while making stars out of his receivers.

The easiest way to see what this means to the players, besides the countless interviews asking how this city has helped charge this season, listen into the pregame huddle which Brees leads.

Brees has adopted a US Marine Corps cadence, giving it his own little twist. As he yells, the rest of the team responds.

Brees: 1; Team: 2
Brees: Win; Team: For You
Brees: 3; Team: 4
Brees: Win; Team: Some More
Brees: 5; Team: 6
Brees: Win; Team: For Kicks
Brees: 7; Team: 8
Brees: Win; Team: Great
Brees: 9; Team: 10
Brees: Win; Team: Again
Brees: Win, Win, Win, Win! All: Again, Again, Again, Again!

This pregame chant gives many who have experienced team sports the chills, and gets his team ready to go win football games. All for the fans who have followed the Saints from the rough times, to the glory that is within their grasp.

It is the fans who have truly inspired this team, who have kept them going when they were running out of gas.

It is a shame that there just can't be one more game in the Superdome this year, because as a sports enthusiast, it is amazing to see how that city responds to its beloved football team.

However, it won't be a shock when the "Who Dat Nation" rolls into Miami looking for its first taste of Super Bowl glory.

Come Feb. 7, an opponent with some New Orleans ties will try to stop the army of black and gold from claiming the title.

But for Peyton Manning, it is hard to stop an army that continues to grow.

So on that fateful night in February don't be surprised if you hear the phrase "Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulez" (Let the good times roll) echoed from South Beach to the bayou if Brees and the boys can bring the Vincent Lombardi Trophy back to New Orleans.

If it happens, the good times will not stop in New Orleans, and the fans will finally get what they have waited so long to get, a championship in the Big Easy.