Bleeding Green on Poydras
By Robert Witkowski
Crossing the street toward Champions Square, Keith Brown defiantly wore his green heart on his Jalen Hurts-jersey sleeve—even while holding the hand of his partner proudly wearing her black-and-gold Alvin Kamara jersey.
"I love [the Eagles] because they were tough, nasty and grinded it out," explained Mississippi-native Brown who now coaches football for local youth.
His partner, also from Mississippi, said her love for the Saints seemed a birthright, mostly due to the fact that "my parents came to a game on their wedding night."
When asked which one expected to win, they each smiled.
"Fly, Eagles, Fly," Kieth sang, his team down 1-1.
"Geaux Saints!" his partner, who's Saints went into the match 2-0, replied.
The couple was not alone as the Philly flock migrated toward the New Orleans Saints' storied stronghold, seeming to evenly mix the black-and-gold clad locals with continued waves of emerald green northeasterners.
Brooke and Chelsea from Philadelphia fearlessly wore their emerald green Philadelphia Eagles official football jerseys on Poydras St., steps from the Caesars Superdome Sunday morning.
"We'll try to go to one away game a year," Chelsea giddily confided. "I've been in New Orleans a couple times, but never in the Superdome and wanted to come down for this one."
But what made the carpetbagger fan the most excited was "how it's right downtown—it's wonderful!" Like the Crescent City's walkable sports complex, Philadelphia has its sports venues clumped within the City of Brotherly Love's limits, but unlike New Oreleans' walkable Dome, the Philly fans need to travel seven miles outside their center city. "Yeah, " Chelsea admitted, "It's a downside for us."
Knowing she would not be getting a cheesesteak at this game, Brooke was hopeful, "still waiting for some gumbo, or maybe a crawfish fries?"
Return of the King
Regardless of affiliations, the entire Dome erupted as the New Orleans Saints former Championship quarterback Drew Brees took the field. Respected as one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, football fans rose to their feet in recognition of his impending induction into the Saints Hall of Fame. Excitedly running around his former "office floor" after the coin toss, he simulated spiking the ball to signal the "WhoDat Chant" by the rambunctious crowd.
Although the Eagles initially got the ball, the Saints quickly took over with a drive on their first possession. Falling short of the goal, they made a field goal instead, and held their early 3-0 lead through most of the game. But if there were any doubts about Philadelphia being in the house, the screaming Eagle fans made themselves known early in the fourth quarter.
Let the Battle Begin
When Philadelphia's Saquon Barkley broke out for a 65-yard touchdown dash to cap a 82-yard Eagles drive, the cheering almost sounded like a hometown crowd. The extra point by Jake Elliott gave Phille a 7-3 edge.
Down, but not out, the Saints responded, but still could not cross the line, sending Blake Grupe in again to close the gap to 7-6 with a 38-yard field goal.
Eagles drive fizzled with a 6o-yard field goal attempt that fell short, putting the ball back in Saints' quarterback Derek Carr's hands.
The Carr-Kamara-Williams Show came back strong as New Orleans again took lead, going into the two-minute warning at 12-7. Fans on both sides were equally frustrated and elated through injuries, incomplete plays, and missed opportunities.
Saints fan Jill Naulty was distracted from the action on the field at the one minute mark. "I heard the cheer go up and I thought for sure we had made another touchdown."
But much to the New Orleanian's disappointment, the deafening cheer that erupted throughout the Superdome, was from the throngs of visiting Philadelphia faithful. Eagles' Reed Blankenship snatched a pass from Carr and Philadelphia used the remaining seconds to sink their talons into the Saints with a touchdown and two-point conversion for a 15-12 heartbreaker for New Orleans.
But even defeated Saints fans embraced their out-of-town rivals with good humor and grace, with both teams exiting the Dome with 2-1 records.
"They just executed better than we did." Derek Carr admitted afterwards. "We just need to make some corrections and get ready for Atlanta."
And WhoDat Nation knows that visiting this rivalry in Atlanta may not be as welcoming.
