Take that Katrina: Superdome re-opens
Date: October 17, 2006
Online Exclusives /Article
Jon Allred, Sports Editor

For the second time in 15 months, the roof of the Superdome in New Orleans almost came off. This time, though, it was because the New Orleans Saints’ defense blocked the Atlanta Falcons punt on their opening drive, 90 seconds into the game and fell on the ball in the endzone for a touchdown in the Saints first game back inside the Superdome since the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The party was on and the Saints would make sure the party lasted all night.

Acclaimed director Spike Lee, who watched the game from the Saints sideline, couldn’t have written a better script that this: New Orleans coming home and delivers, in emphatic fashion, what many consider the most significant victory in the Saints 39-year team history.

In an ear deafening return to the Superdome, which was spruced up with new scoreboards, bright video screens and plenty of fresh paint as a part of a $185 million renovation plan that was designed to keep the Saints from moving to San Antonio, Los Angeles or some other NFL deprived city, the Saints gave the city of New Orleans something to cheer about: an undefeated football team that hardly broke a sweat in a lopsided 23-3 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on ESPN Monday Night Football on Sept. 25, improving their record to a perfect 3-0.

The depressed region of New Orleans finally had something to talk about other than hurricane-related problems. Specifically, the Big Easy now has a legitimate playoff contender that is capable of causing headaches for the top powerhouses of the NFC. On this Monday night game, the Saints didn’t squeak by the Falcons or win on some fluke play, lucky bounce or blown call. They outplayed and outperformed Atlanta in every aspect of the game by pouncing on them from the opening kickoff.

To be fair to the Falcons though, they didn’t stand a chance as a Saints win seemed in the stars even before the opening kickoff. This was intended to be a showcase for New Orleans’ rebirth and the Falcons were psyched out before the opening kickoff, even if they don’t want to admit it.

After a Super-Bowl like pre-game show that included performances by music super groups U2 and Greenday, the Saints wasted no time turning their welcome-home party into Mardi Gras. The Falcons’ first drive went three-and-out and Saints special teams enforcer Steve Gleason sliced through the middle of the Atlanta offensive line to smother Michael Koenen’s punt.

The ball skidded across the goal line, where Saints special teams’ player Curtis DeLoatch fell on it for a touchdown, the first given up by the Falcons this season. Just like that, the Saints sent an emphatic message to the NFL and the entire country: the city of New Orleans and the Superdome are open for business. DeLoatch would then run over to the stands and point to the sellout crowd of 70,000, all dressed in Saints gold and black, as if to say, “Take that, Katrina!”