This weekend?s NFL playoff game between the New Orleans Saints and the Philadelphia Eagles is a huge event even without the backdrop of Hurricane Katrina's devastation: the Saints have never hosted a second-round playoff game.
And it will no doubt be a huge event right across the country, not just in New Orleans, as the Saints have officially (or unofficially, if you live in certain parts of Texas) taken over the title of ?America?s Team? from the Dallas Cowboys.
The match-up could rival, in atmosphere and symbolism, the Sept. 25, 2006 Monday night game when the Saints returned to the dome for their first true home game since Katrina hit on Aug. 29, 2005, ripping the roof off the stadium, which was used as a "refuge of last resort" for evacuees.
And the game is just one of four playoff tilts available for betting at www.betED.com. The Saints are heavily favored: www.betED.com has New Orleans at -240 (-5) (-110) U48.5(-110), while Philadelphia is +190 (+5)(-110) O48.5(-110).
No matter who wins, however, the game will be an emotional event, just like that Monday night game in September, when some fans cried when they saw the dome's sparkling, freshly painted interior, a stark contrast to the horrific images broadcast from that same spot when evacuees were stranded there for days, with no plumbing or electricity, while floodwaters swamped surrounding streets.
Thousands took the day off to join tailgate parties that spread for blocks around the stadium, and to watch free concerts on the plaza surrounding the dome.
Saints officials have worked to recreate the block-party atmosphere that accompanied the Monday night game. On Saturday, there will be free concerts outside, with the Steve Miller Band as the headliner. Miller is slated to sing the national anthem.
Saints players are thrilled the game is at night, as opposed to noon Sunday, when it sometimes seems fans are trying to shake off their recent slumber. The noise and energy of that Monday night game stood out to them as they reflected on the regular season, particularly the moment when Steve Gleason blocked an early punt and the Saints recovered for the game's first touchdown.
"We definitely fed off that," quarterback Drew Brees recalled. "We blocked that punt and fell on it in the end zone and that place just erupted. I've never heard a stadium sound like that."
And it will no doubt be a huge event right across the country, not just in New Orleans, as the Saints have officially (or unofficially, if you live in certain parts of Texas) taken over the title of ?America?s Team? from the Dallas Cowboys.
The match-up could rival, in atmosphere and symbolism, the Sept. 25, 2006 Monday night game when the Saints returned to the dome for their first true home game since Katrina hit on Aug. 29, 2005, ripping the roof off the stadium, which was used as a "refuge of last resort" for evacuees.
And the game is just one of four playoff tilts available for betting at www.betED.com. The Saints are heavily favored: www.betED.com has New Orleans at -240 (-5) (-110) U48.5(-110), while Philadelphia is +190 (+5)(-110) O48.5(-110).
No matter who wins, however, the game will be an emotional event, just like that Monday night game in September, when some fans cried when they saw the dome's sparkling, freshly painted interior, a stark contrast to the horrific images broadcast from that same spot when evacuees were stranded there for days, with no plumbing or electricity, while floodwaters swamped surrounding streets.
Thousands took the day off to join tailgate parties that spread for blocks around the stadium, and to watch free concerts on the plaza surrounding the dome.
Saints officials have worked to recreate the block-party atmosphere that accompanied the Monday night game. On Saturday, there will be free concerts outside, with the Steve Miller Band as the headliner. Miller is slated to sing the national anthem.
Saints players are thrilled the game is at night, as opposed to noon Sunday, when it sometimes seems fans are trying to shake off their recent slumber. The noise and energy of that Monday night game stood out to them as they reflected on the regular season, particularly the moment when Steve Gleason blocked an early punt and the Saints recovered for the game's first touchdown.
"We definitely fed off that," quarterback Drew Brees recalled. "We blocked that punt and fell on it in the end zone and that place just erupted. I've never heard a stadium sound like that."
