John Carney drilled a 47-yard field goal with three seconds left, sealing a wild 23-20 victory in Carolina for the Saints’ opener. That kick did more than win a game; it pushed their winning streak to five games, including a 4-0 finish from 2004. But here’s the kicker, literally: this team is playing without a home, utterly displaced by Hurricane Katrina. They are the ultimate road warriors, somehow finding ways to win when their city is grappling with unimaginable devastation.
A City Drowned, A Team Orphaned
Seriously, the scene is something else. Special teams star Fred McAfee, looking out from his 15th-floor room at the Marriott Rivercenter in San Antonio, sees the picturesque River Walk. People strolling, cruise boats on the Rio San Antonio, arching limestone bridges,a truly great view. But moments before, he was glued to the news, watching disturbing video from New Orleans. The city known for Bourbon Street, Mardi Gras, and Super Bowls now has this “loathsome identity” after Katrina. National Guardsmen are evacuating folks, water hits the rooftops of thousands of homes, and major highway lanes at the I-10 and I-610 interchange are collapsed. McAfee called it “mind-boggling,” like watching “a science fiction movie.” Talk about a gut punch, right? The Saints escaped New Orleans hours before the hurricane hit, and now they can’t go back. Their stadium, the Superdome, might be destroyed, and their Metairie training facility is taken over by Federal Emergency Management Agency officials. They’re basically orphans, making San Antonio their likely headquarters for the entire 2005 season while NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue, owner Tom Benson, and various public officials figure out their long-term fate.
Finding Football Amidst The Chaos
So, you’ve got this team with no home, no facilities, and a city in ruins, yet they’re winning football games. That opener against the Panthers was insane. Some prognosticators actually picked Carolina to end the Eagles’ NFC supremacy, but the Saints, well, they just kept marching. That triumph, even if temporary, pushed aside some of those brutal memories of Katrina for both the team and their displaced fans. Left tackle Wayne Gandy summed it up perfectly: “We went out to give the people of New Orleans a break for three or four hours, and I think we found we had a break. From hurricane conversations, hotels, bus trips. We finally got to play football.” It’s pure grit, pure heart.
This is only the beginning of a crazy road show for them. Next up, they’ve got their “home” opener against the Giants, which has been relocated to Giants Stadium and rescheduled as part of a unique Monday night double-header. Can they keep this unbelievable five-game streak alive and continue to give their fans, wherever they are, something to cheer about? We’ll be watching.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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