Cheers to the 2009 New Orleans Saints

Written by Les East Tuesday, 03 November 2009 16:20

Saints News

Several years ago, when the San Francisco 49ers were a perennially elite team and the New Orleans Saints, well, weren’t, I was asked about the rivalry in a television interview.

I invoked the television series “Cheers,” in which the gang at Cheers, a bar in Boston, had a rivalry with a competitor, Gary’s Old Towne Tavern. The staffs at the two bars would compete in bowling, basketball, practical jokes, all kinds of stuff.

The Cheers gang was the one you instinctively rooted for, but they nearly always lost because Gary and his group were always better – a better-fortified organization that was always one step ahead of Sam and the gang at Cheers.

Back then I said the Saints were Cheers and the 49ers were Gary’s Old Towne Tavern. Well, guess what, New Orleans. The 2009 New Orleans Saints have become Gary’s Old Towne Tavern and each week a different team gets to play the part of Sam and the gang at Cheers.

New Orleans is the better-fortified organization that is always one step ahead, sometimes several steps ahead. Just ask the Lions, Eagles, Bills, Jets, Giants, Dolphins, and Falcons. They’ve each had a turn as Cheers, but let’s focus on the Falcons. They were the most recent victim and let’s face it – if you’re a Saints fan and you get to be Gary’s Old Towne Tavern, there’s nobody you’d rather cast as Cheers than the Falcons.

That’s exactly what you got in New Orleans’ 35-27 victory over Atlanta on Monday night in the Superdome. Saints fans have seen this game countless times before, only with the Saints on the short end of the score.

Whether it was a perennially superior divisional opponent such as the 49ers or Rams, a non-divisional NFC power such as the Giants, Eagles, Bears, or Vikings, or even an occasional AFC stud such as the Patriots, Dolphins, Steelers, or Broncos, you’ve seen the Saints get countless doses of what the Falcons got Monday night.

You’re playing a team that admittedly is better than you overall, but one that you’re competitive enough with that you can beat them if you play really well. Then you go out and play well, but have a few slip-ups along the way and suddenly you’re seething about a loss that didn’t have to be, and you’re not quite sure how you lost.

You begin the game with a near-perfect touchdown drive, then watch your opponent answer with an 80-yard touchdown drive during which it is 2-for-2 on third-down conversions.

Your defense comes up with a huge play, a fumble return for a touchdown to regain the lead, and your opponent immediately responds with another 80-yard touchdown drive, during which a second-and-17 is overcome as though it were second-and-1.

You watch the opposing quarterback (Drew Brees) just throw the ball up in the air for a jump ball and you watch one of his receivers (Marques Colston) turn it into a touchdown. You watch that receiver make another leaping catch and you watch the tight end (Jeremy Shockey) make a leaping one-handed catch and you watch two other receivers (Devery Henderson and Robert Meachem) make other acrobatic catches and you wonder why your team can’t stop any of these seemingly long-shot plays. (It’s because you’re Cheers and they’re Gary’s Old Towne Tavern).

You endure another 80-yard touchdown drive, but you take solace in the fact that you’re fixing to go into halftime down only seven. Then your quarterback throws a pass to one of Gary’s DBs (Jabari Greer) and he zips into the end zone for a 14-point halftime lead.

But it’s still OK because you score a third-quarter touchdown to get within seven, then you’re at their 7-yard line ready to tie the score, which you apparently do on a touchdown pass. But instant replay shows it wasn’t a TD and you settle for three. (Gary always gets those calls.)

Now it’s the fourth quarter and you recover a fumble and suddenly you’re at Gary’s 10-yard line. But Gary’s linebacker (Jonathan Vilma) tips the ball and it goes right to one of Gary’s cornerbacks (Tracy Porter) for an interception. (Gary is soooooooooooooo lucky.)

As if three 80-yard touchdown drives weren’t enough, Gary goes on an 81-yard touchdown drive to take an 11-point lead.

But there’s still hope as you drive to a field goal and recover an onside kick in the final minute. Alas, Gary (Darren Sharper) picks off another pass and you lose – Gary 35, Cheers 27.

You took the ball away four times and lost, and that’s really, really hard to do. You ran the ball well and you had every chance to win the game, but somehow you didn’t.

You scratch your head. Then you realize you lost because they’re Gary’s Old Towne Tavern and they’re one step ahead and this is what happens to Sam and the gang at Cheers.

Next up, Carolina. Welcome to Gary’s Old Towne Tavern, table for 45 please.


(Les East's blog was named "Best Sports Blog by the Press Club of New Orleans.)