A morale boosting event

Last Sunday, an event occurred in this country which boosted the morale of the people. No, it was not another inspiring speech by President Obama, or a report showing a sharp plunge in the number of jobless. Remarkably, it was a sporting event which accomplished this. Until recently, the football team from the city of New Orleans, the New Orleans Saints, was a joke in the football league, being no match to the powerful teams from big cities like Boston and New York. Many called the team ‘A’ints’. Still the team maintained a loyal fan base -- although some fans had to watch their games wearing brown bags. The New Orleans Superdome, the home field of the team, became an icon of the Katrina disaster in 2005, when thousands of people gathered there for refuge as most of the city went under water. Finally, this year, 42 years since its formation, the persistence and hard work of the Saints paid off. They made it to the Superbowl, the finals of the American football. The team captured the imagination of the people in this country who are toughing it out under the severe economic downturn and joblessness. They wanted the Saints to win the Superbowl although the team was given little chance against the formidable Indianapolis Colts. Over 100 million people watched the game, making it most watched TV event ever in USA. The game started with the Colts taking a commanding 10-0 lead. The sports announcers started proclaiming the demise of the Saints since in the history of Superbowl (44 years) only one team had ever come back to win after trailing so many points. This did not appear to daunt the Saints. They hung in there, made a few gutsy plays. and gradually broke through the Colts defense to win the game 31-17. This thrilling win of a ‘poor’ team overcoming numerous obstacles, gave people something to cheer about, and optimism about their future -- although may be temporary.