neugey

Hi guys, I am a Saints fan currently living in Omaha, Nebraska. I've read the forum casually for a few years now but have started to read it regularly this year due to the hiring of Coach Payton and the acquisitions of Reggie Bush, Drew Brees and others. The fan interaction is interesting in the forum and I'd like to put my 2 cents in about the direction of the Saints. I'm really looking forward to this season.

Here's a brief story on how I became a Saints fan. Growing up in Sioux Falls, SD , I really didn't care a great deal for the game of football outside of playing catch with my friends. Why didn't I care for football? Maybe part of it was resentment - almost all the guys on the HS football team acted like self-righteous jerks and lost a lot of games - they seemed like hypocrites. I've been a big Lakers fan since childhood and had always loved basketball more. Also, South Dakota doesn't have a Div I football team to rally around and I had no interest in the Vikings.

I went to Dakota State University in Madison, SD and started getting into football when all the guys in our dorm would hang out and watch MNF. I started to really understand football and became enamored with the strategic aspects of the game. The next progression for me was to become a fan of an NFL team. The regional teams didn't fit well - the Vikings didn't interest me, Packers fans creeped me out, Broncos fans were too arrogant, didn't like the Chiefs colors, the Bears were too close to MJ and the hated Bulls. I liked the Cowboys, especially Emmitt Smith and their style of play, but they were starting to get too cocky, Michael Irvin annoyed me and I didn't want to pile on the bandwagon. Kind of liked the Raiders, but did I really want to put money in Al Davis' pocket? I started to notice the Saints - always loved their colors and uniforms and the Dome Patrol defense was exciting to watch. Sam Mills and Renaldo Turnbull were two of my favorite players. Jim Mora was a no-nonsense coach, but one who didn't seem to be too full of himself. Several other factors also came into play - 1) I was getting into Blues music and I read about how a lot of the great Blues players came from NO - especially Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters. 2) I was developing a taste for cajun food - gumbo, jambalaya and red beans and rice, 3) I was intrigued by the culture of NO - Mardi Gras and the French Quarter. It seemed like the polar opposite of South Dakota.

Becoming a Saints fans was an avant-garde choice and I liked the shock value of telling people in the Midwest that I liked the Saints. I guess I've felt for these and many other reasons certain forces pulled me toward the Saints - maybe there is a voodoo spell at work .

Anyway, I look forward to continually posting here. Cool site!