The day of a big Saints game in New Orleans often feels like a holiday, with barely any work getting done.
On Monday, with the Saints’ biggest game in three seasons on deck, the city essentially made the holiday official.
The City Hall and other city offices located on Poydras St. near the Superdome will close early at 3 P.M. because of pregame preparations and anticipated traffic. Emergency services will continue to be provided.
There are plenty of great football towns, but the celebratory buildup to a big Saints game that envelops the entire city is unique. And a lot of fun. (Green Bay has to be the most similar.)
If the Saints make the Super Bowl, City Hall may have to shut down for a week.
I feel bad for the Saints fans. Truly. Brady and Belichick are gonna break their hearts tonight AND provide a blueprint for the rest of the league.
The Saints 09 season demise starts tonight.
A few thoughts.
1. Given the quality of government in New Orleans, closing down the city for the day is a public service.
2. This kind of stuff isn’t limited to New Orleans, it’s a Louisiana thing in general.
Whenever LSU has a huge game, such as their BCS bowl games in New Orleans, the state legislature adjourns early in order to attend and many courts will reschedule proceedings as not to fall on the day of the game.
Wow! That’s a big deal. Don’t welfare checks come out tomorrow? Guess they’ve already been mailed.
Easy to skip work when you still using that Katrina money.
You are welcome you bunch of freeloaders.!
signed
american taxpayers
Wow, making a holiday on the day they will get their first loss?? Dumb idea New Orleans. Should have kept it at just another game level. Do you guys think you made the SuperBowl or something already? Lots of ball left.
This is actually heart warming. At a time when there is so much bad news, it’s nice that football can help people get excited and enjoy life. Why not, good luck Nawlins.
This is pretty dumb, in my opinion. You don’t close government offices for a damn football game. Everyone knows New Orleans is a pit and the Saints are all they got, but let’s be reasonable here.
There’s nothing quite like the drunken, debauchery filled experience before a Monday Night game at the Superdome. Wish I could be there tonight.
I’m a little surprised that the city is closing early, especially considering the Patriots are also-rans who can’t win now that they can’t cheat anymore, they’re past their prime, will be heading for a first round playoff defeat, etc.
Hey, I know it is kind of early to say this, but I live in Jackson, Mississippi and I know how they get down in New Orleans.
Super Bowl falls during Mardi Gras – New Orleans in a Super Bowl, that falls in the middle of Mardi Gras! You talk about a party, you guys have seen nothing yet!
If that were to happen, then if they were to win!? Oh lord? The sin that would commence that weekend would be unheard of.
Funny – they still whine and act like they need our money but they won’t even put in an honest day of work? Surprise…
EricTheClown says:
November 30, 2009 12:21 PM
Easy to skip work when you still using that Katrina money.
You are welcome you bunch of freeloaders.!
signed
american taxpayers
********
Exactly.
It probably would have been cheaper just to move the people who didn’t have any damage and just let it fill with water.
they used their fema checks to purchase Saints season tickets.
This game is going to be on par with the SuperBowl. All Vikings fans will be watching this game tonight.
Black & Gold Superbowl! Let the debauchery begin. Seems there is more jealousy than debauchery. Dog us all you want, I didn’t take any government money Katrina. Don’t judge an entire region on a few jackasses. There were people from across the country that don’t live in Louisiana that were sued by the Govt for taking money that they didn’t deserve. I am sure there was at least one from your state. Who Dat!!!
@ Zygi
It probably would have been cheaper just to move the people who didn’t have any damage and just let it fill with water.
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And close the largest port in the nation, douchebag!!!!
I truly cannot stand the Pats or their douche coach, but I honestly hope they rip the Saints a new a-hole tonight.
This way they can get a head start of their other favorite passion……Looting.
I tried lobbying my boss for the rest of the afternoon too but this being New England we actually have work to do (not so much that I can’t log onto PFT).
hayward giablommi you know your football.
The Patriots are definitely also rans, 7-3 this year, and they havn’t been to the super bowl since 2007, I mean Bush was the president last time they made it to a super bowl. Your use of the spygate story is so refreshing and new, who cares if you dont use logic. Great job my man.
scomibord says:
November 30, 2009 1:14 PM
Black & Gold Superbowl! Let the debauchery begin. Seems there is more jealousy than debauchery. Dog us all you want, I didn’t take any government money Katrina. Don’t judge an entire region on a few jackasses. There were people from across the country that don’t live in Louisiana that were sued by the Govt for taking money that they didn’t deserve. I am sure there was at least one from your state. Who Dat!!!
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Dat be dat Drew Breeeeeeze! lol!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tonight begins the collapse of the Saints. They’re just like the Cowboys of 2007, riding high as the best team in the NFC, but completely lacking the championship experience from players or coaches to deal with that. And once they were “annointed” they hit a skid and were toasted by the #6 seed in the playoffs.
If they win, they will have peaked with this game, they’ll celebrate having beaten the Pats (just like Dallas beat GB), and then they’ll be vulnerable.
If they lose, they’ll be better off for it, however they’ll lose the #1 seed to the Vikings, and there’s no way in Hell, anyone is going to beat Favre’s team at home indoors.
Must be a mighty big hangover from that LSU overtime victory over Arkansas!
They need time to refurbish the buses, you know, the dozens of buses that were lined up in a parking lot but couldn’t be used to evacuate residents from Katrina.
great post stetia. Echoes my thoughts. And as you said,if the Vikings stay healthy and get dome home advantage? Can’t see anyone stealing it from us. Favre and his supporting cast will not be denied at home.
City Hall is directly across the street from the Dome. Traffic will be a nightmare and City Hall is closing its offices 2 hours earlier than normal. Not that big of a deal fellas.
First of all, New Orleans City Hall is just a couple of blocks from the Superdome and traffic before a Monday Night game is horrendous, so shutting down City Hall at 3:00 instead of 4:30 or 5:00 is not a bad idea. City workers can get home and fans can get to the game. It’s not like another hour or two of “work” would actually get done today anyway.
Second, about 25% of the comments so far on this site have been tasteless references to Hurricane Katrina. (This goes along with the tasteless signs I saw at the Saints vs. Giants game just after Katrina and the similar signs I saw at the NFC Championship game in Chicago.) Do you people even know that approximately 1,800 people died as a result of that NATURAL disaster? What if a similar flood or a tornado, earthquake, fire, ice storm or blizzard totally devastated your home city and surrounding area? What if 1,800 people died as a result? Do you think tasteless jokes would be funny then? And on the “bailout” of New Orleans, the City was devastated because of poor planning on all levels and total malfeasance on the part of the United States Army Corps of Engineers and their poorly maintained levee system and Navigation Channel (MRGO). Absent the total screw up by the Corps over the last few decades, New Orleans would have survived the hurricane. And, by the way, New Orleans is the most important port city in the country. It had to be rebuilt.
Finally, Saints fans are very passionate about their team and want to have a little fun for a change backing a winner. This is a huge game for the Saints. I don’t know if they will win, but I do know that a win tonight would be something special for the team and for the city.
GO SAINTS!!!!!!!!!!!
@ SF Saints Fan – As a talker of trash, I fully agree about talking Katrina is low class. I wish the worst for your team,not the city or it’s people. Proves they are dumb asses! I wouldn’t want me or any one to go through that.Glad football is alive there.
I expect Bill Bellichick to implement a good defensive game plan that holds up for 3 quarters until Sean Payton and Brees realise that the Pats have no talent on defense.
I’m looking forward to a good game.
Saints 34 Pats 28
Now I took a welfare shot at New Orleans city hall and I’m from New Orleans. It is what it is. I do however love my hometown and I would not take all the Katrina money issued to live in Boston or New York. Total pissholes like most of the northeast. Too crowded. Too expensive. People are way too obnoxious. Too cold. Crappy food. Heinous women. Below average college football. More Puerto Ricans than Puerto Rico. I’m sure I’m leaving something out but you get the idea.
@TheVulture says:
great logic:
You do not want to live where it is expensive.
Well you are in the correct place. And people that live there are just like you.
No ambition.
PervyHarvin:
I respect your trash talk, you are a passionate fan of your football team.
I don’t wish the worst for the Vikings, but I do want the Saints in the Super Bowl. I do find it ironic that your team is only in this position because of a former Packer great playing QB for you………
The game tonight is huge because the Saints need to win every game because I don’t see the Vikings losing one anytime soon. I see the 4th tiebreaker (should it come to that) going in favor of the Vikings.
I think whichever team in the NFC has the #1 seed goes to the Super Bowl. In the AFC the most likely AFC Championship game is Colts vs. Patriots. The NFL will get their dream match up if I am right in both championship games and they could not lose for Super Bowl match ups. Just think:
Potential Super Bowl:
Saints/Brees vs. Colts/Manning
Saints/Brees vs. Patriots/Brady
Vikings/Favre vs. Colts/Manning
Vikings/Favre vs. Patriots/Brady
If the Super Bowl is any of these pairings the ratings will be huge.
I do find it ironic that that the Saints and Vikings are benefitting from havin cheating players not missing any games..
We should start spelling it
Saints*
“Potential Super Bowl:
Saints/Brees vs. Colts/Manning
Saints/Brees vs. Patriots/Brady
Vikings/Favre vs. Colts/Manning
Vikings/Favre vs. Patriots/Brady”
Don’t be so hell-bent on those matchups. Just saying, who really expected the Big Ben/Warner matchup last year or Eli Manning the year before?
huh? Don’t even get started about cheating. Film at eleven.
Wow, this site is filled with ignorant people with no class. Are people in this country really that stupid? Because a few people looted or scammed the system or are on welfare, that means everyone from that region are the same? Before you start pointing fingers, you might want to look in your own back yard. Do you have anyone on welfare in your state? How about crime? No government corruption or people cheating the system? Ever seen looting during a blackout in NY or after a World Series win in Detroit or after a trial in California? Well, clearly all of those states are filled with nothing but looters then, obviously. Come on people, use your brain, if you have one. If not, then by all means, continue being the bigoted ignoramus that have shown yourselves to be.
roscoe:
“Don’t be so hell-bent on those matchups. Just saying, who really expected the Big Ben/Warner matchup last year or Eli Manning the year before?”
Anything can happen. I just think the NFL would not mind having two of the four best QB’s in the Super Bowl. Then again, it is still mathematically possible that the Super Bowl will “feature” Alex Smith vs. Kyle Orton……..
@ BornSlippy
I was being sarcastic, bro.
@EricTheClown
I don’t mind expensive. I mind overpriced for the product. My 5000 square ft house on the golf course would cost 4 times as much in Boston or New York. For what? For the “privilege” of living in overcrowded conditions with obnoxious people? No thanks. I’ll stay in the south.
Ambition? I’ll be retired at 47. Not everyone from New Orleans is a slacker.
Everyone calm down. The recess bell just rang and Eric The Clown had to go back to homeroom so he probably won’t be posting anymore.
As a New Orleanian, allow me to inform…
First, even I would advocate shutting down City Hall as a good thing; same should be done with our current Congress…
Second, the money Louisiana receives pales in comparison to the money stolen by oil companies and the federal government regarding mineral rights, much less the coastal erosion damage done by constant dredging of new canals so water vessels can cut down their travel time…
Third, the majority of people work here (see employment rate for South Louisiana outside Orleans parish, hell even include Orleans) and only have asked for their out-of-state insurance companies to pay for what they were insured and not the federal government…