The Biggest Weekend in New Orleans Football History

Well, we're now almost 48 hours away from the biggest day so far in New Orleans Saints history.

And if we get there, our "Patron Saint" may not be pulling for them. How's that for potential irony?

But if there's one person I'm pulling for as much as the Saints this Sunday, It's Archie Manning. Mathematically, there's a 25% chance that the Saints will play the Colts in the Super Bowl. It's about time that good football karma catches up with the Manning family. The team he played for most of his career, his adopted hometown team, playing in the Super Bowl against his son.

I say that karma should hopefully catch up with Archie because he deserves a dream Super Bowl matchup after everything he and his sons have endured on the football field.

Take Archie and the Saints. The "franchise quarterback without a franchise." They give him some offensive weapons between 1978 and 1980, and the defense goes in the toilet. Then the Saints go back on the upswing in 1982, and Bum trades him to the Oilers for Leon Gray. The Oilers, a long-time contender, suddenly get old and go in the toilet. Then he moves on to Minnesota. Just in time to see them hit rock bottom.

Next, Peyton comes along. He goes to Tennessee, just in time to witness the rise of Steve Spurrier and Florida football. He gives the Vols an incredible winning record, but gets the "loser" label tagged on him because he can't beat Florida. In his defense, NOBODY was beating Florida then. He's in line to win the Heisman, but he sees that taken away by an overrated defensive player hyped to death by ESPN and ABC. Then he goes to the pros, and Tennessee finally wins the national championship the year he leaves. His first years in the pros are with Jim Mora (PLAYOFFS????), so you know he's not going to win any playoff games until Mora's gone. Then Mora leaves, and he gets the "loser" label tagged on him again because he can't beat the Patriots. He's already been compared to Dan Marino for his inability to lead his team to the promised land in spite of being the most talented quarterback on the planet.

And Eli hasn't won anything either. The image many Louisianians have of him is that of him tripping over his offensive lineman in the 2003 LSU game. LSU wins the game and wins the national championsip. Ole Miss never recovers. And now he's 0-2 in the postseason with the Giants, and many fans up there blame him for many of their problems.

So that's why I'm pulling for a Saints-Colts Super Bowl. That and the fact that I'm tired of the Patriots. And the fact that the Colts have two prominent LSU players (Joseph Addai and Booger McFarland) and one New Orleanian (Reggie Wayne) who had to deal with the tragedy of losing his brother in New Orleans earlier this season.

The Manning family should not go down as the most talented family of losers in NFL history.

And Archie, New Orleans forgives you if you have to pull for the Colts. I'll even wear my Peyton Manning jersey if the Saints don't get there.