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Saturday, August 27, 2011

Vivienne says Who Dat!!!

Well, after a few months of lock-out, the players are back and therefore it is at last football time again!

NFL has not been something I cared much when I first came to US. It took a while for me to get all the rules and even than, I was not ready to sit in front of the TV for 3 hours for 30 minutes of action. Especially because I didn't really have any teams to care for.

Than, something horrible happened to my wife's hometown in the August of 2005.

Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans and it hit it hard. New Orleans was devastated and Superdome was badly damaged, and New Orleans Saints had to relocate and they were not able to play any of their game in their home stadium. Saints had a horrible season in 2005 and finished the regular season with a 3-13 record.

As almost all the horrifying things that try human beings' will to survive and prevail, this negative brought a huge positive... That was only possible because of extraordinary people...

In 2006, Saints hired Sean Peyton as their head coach and got San Diego Chargers' quarterback Drew Brees. With the exceptional leadership skills shown by these two men, Saints made it to the playoffs that year. Here they are...

2009 Super Bowl winners Drew Brees and Sean Payton of New Orleans Saints in Oxnard, CA

After that season, I had a team that I cared for in NFL, and that changed everything about the way I look at this game. I didn't care they have never won the Super Bowl in their 40+ years of NFL history. It was a team that I was able to identify with, and to root for. And that 2006 season was one hell of a year for the Saints, although they came a game short of playing the final.

Drew Brees of New Orleans Saints stretching

Sean Payton of New Orleans Saints in Oxnard, CA

Of course, as all the football fans know, 2009 was the year when The Saints beat The Colts and reached to their first Super Bowl victory.

So "our" Saints were in California for a preseason game this week and we went to see them practice and introduce them to Vivienne.

Vivienne and Jen watching their favorite team practice

Saints owner Tom Benson saluting the fans. Although there were a lot of controversies around a potential permanent relocation of the team to San Antonio following Katrina, Saints' fans are grateful for Benson keeping the team in New Orleans.

New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson saluting the fans

Saints in action.

New Orleans Saints' quarterback Drew Brees practicing in Oxnard, CA

Click on the picture to see the larger picture

New Orleans Saints' practicing in Oxnard, CA

Vivienne is so grateful to her uncle Joe who took the initiative to get all the signatures for her first Saints cap: Pierre Thomas, Marques Colston, Chris Ivory, Malcolm Jenkins, Jimmy Graham, the very awesome and always smiling rookie Joseph Morgan, Drew Brees and many more...

New Orleans Saints' running back Pierre Thomas signing Vivienne's hat

New Orleans Saints' wide receiver Marques Colston signing Vivienne's hat

New Orleans Saints' running back Chris Ivory signing Vivienne's hat

New Orleans Saints' safety Malcolm Jenkins signing Vivienne's hat

New Orleans Saints' tight end Jimmy Graham signing Vivienne's hat

New Orleans Saints' wide receiver Jason Morgan signing Vivienne's hat

New Orleans Saints' quarterback Drew Brees signing Vivienne's hat

Here is Vivienne's hat after all the autographs.

New Orleans Saints' running back Pierre Thomas signing Vivienne's hat

I will leave you with VivoşMinnoş, wearing her hat proudly!

New Orleans Saints' running back Pierre Thomas signing Vivienne's hat

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