One Perfect Night In New Orleans. Let's Try To Make Sure There Are More

It's difficult to find much to make fun of from last night in New Orleans, a kinda shocking 23-3 Saints victory over the Falcons, except for maybe this lady's sign, which we've been looking at all morning with little more than the foggiest idea of what she's trying to say. (Yes ... Katrina was just a fantastic time for gumbo.) From all accounts, it was one of those transcendent nights in sports, when the story actually matches the storyline. The Saints now have to be considered the biggest surprise of the young season, and it's impossible not to be happy about that.

Still, it's probably best we don't get carried away. It is just a football game, and had the Saints lost, we don't think it would have been because they don't care about the reconstruction of New Orleans. And, along those lines, we feel obliged to point out that just because the Saints had a idyllic evening, it doesn't mean that suddenly, everything's cool with New Orleans.

This is perhaps best illustrated by Spike Lee's visit to the booth last night. As ably recounted by The Mighty MJD: "Tony Kornheiser asked [Lee] if he was optimistic or pessimistic about the future of New Orleans. Spike was silent, and there was an uncomfortable pause ... until a sarcastic smile and a laugh erupted from him. Spike Lee has doubts about the recovery effort, but he, unlike everyone at ESPN, knows that this is not the time or place for an honest discussion of New Orleans' very real problems. ESPN tried to singlehandedly solve them. Or at least put a very pretty bow on them." It was a lovely night, and we can all appreciate it. But next Monday Night, that Packers travel to Philadelphia, and our attention will be focused there. New Orleans will still be where it is, and all that comes with it, even when Bono's gone.

The Kornheiser Chronicles, Week 3 [The Fanhouse]