saintsfan1976

If you can’t be in Sun Life Stadium in Miami for Super Bowl XLIV Sunday, Feb. 7, the next best place is certain to be the Big Easy.

No doubt, fans will be packed into every bar, restaurant and other venues in the French Quarter and beyond to cheer the home-team New Orleans Saints, going to the “big game” for the very first time to take on the Indianapolis Colts.

The New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation began compiling a list of local sports bars on its neworleansonline.com Web site last week. Among those listed are The Avenue Pub, 1732 St. Charles Ave.; Cooter Brown’s, 509 S. Carrollton Ave.; and Ernst Café, 600 S. Peters St. For the complete list, go to New Orleans Online - The City of New Orleans' Official Tourism Web Site.

The Prytania Theatre, 5339 Prytania St., showed the NFC Championship Game between the Saints and the Minnesota Vikings on its big screen, and it will be doing the same thing for the Super Bowl.

Admission is free.

If you’re planning to make a weekend of it, several hotels are offering deals and special packages.

Discounts include International House, 30 percent; Country Inn & Suites French Quarter, 20 percent; Ambassador; 40 percent; Le Pavillon, 25 percent; Queen & Crescent, 40 percent; Royal St. Charles, 30 percent; Hilton Garden Inn Convention Center, 20 percent; and Loft 523, 40 percent. Of course, these rooms are probably going fast, so check with the hotel on availability.

The Marriott, 55 Canal St., is offering the Saints Finish Strong package, starting at $179 per night. The package features overnight accommodations for stays Feb. 5-8, two Saints hats and a game day snack pack including a Saints cooler, beer and chips.

The Marriott’s 55 Farenheit Bar will be showing the game on its 9-foot by 12-foot screen, and on other TVs throughout the bar. There will be giveaways, prizes or drawings for every touchdown the Saints score, plus drink and food specials.

For more information, call (866) 530-3763 or go to New Orleans Marriott Hotel: A Luxurious Hotel in New Orleans French Quarter and use rate code SPE.

If you really want to splurge, you can reserve the Suite Super Bowl party package and stay two nights in the Ritz-Carlton’s Presidential Suite, 921 Canal St. The package for 10 includes complimentary parking, tailgate buffet party, black and gold Mojitos, and hangover remedies and Kir Royals the next day. The package is priced at $9,999 in honor of #9 Saints quarterback Drew Brees.





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breesfan27

My mom and I are throwing a Cajun themed Super Bowl party this Sunday. It's the closest thing to New Orleans that we have. Plus, Deadwood is having their annual Mardi Gras parades the night before, so I will have a piece of New Orleans culture with me this weekend. Can't wait!

Who Dat!