Cheer On Our Saints With Class

Hey, all!  Tomorrow night is almost here!  Aren't you excited?  I am.  But I've gotta tell y'all, this week has not come without some dismay.  It has been just as hectic as it has been exciting for me.

I received probably some of the most insensitive and stupid comments from Vikings fans this week that I have ever heard from any football fans anywhere at any time.  And I've got to admit, one got away with me so bad that I wasn't able to respond to him graciously the way I had some of the others.  He really brought out the BiSH (as Mo'nique says) in me.  But thankfully, I was reminded by one of my loyal Saints fans to not feed the trolls--to let the game do the talking.  I had forgotten myself briefly.

But all that reminded me that people are people.  And unfortunately, some people are extremists--they take anything too far.  When you start launching personal attacks against people you know nothing about because you don't like the way a football game turned out, that doesn't say a whole lot for you.  Something is wrong with anybody that stupid.  But they are out there by the thousands; we've all encountered them from time to time I'm sure.  It's how we deal with them that defines who we are.

I said all that to say this:  our Saints are the defending Superbowl Champions.  That means that most (not all) fans of all the other 31 teams are going to wish them ill.  You're going to read, see, and hear comments that you may or may not like--that's the nature of the beast.  The key is not to take any of it personally.  If other people want to be stupid, let them.  Don't stoop low unless you wanna rub elbows with snakes.  Remember that your team wears the crown until someone else knocks it off.  The Saints have class and so do we.

I've made a resolution that I'm not going to watch any of the usual pregame "gossip" shows.  No Inside the NFL or NFL Total Access for me this week.  Dan Hampton's idiotic comment regarding Katrina was enough to let me know to just stay away from all of it because I know there is going to be a lot of anti-Saints inflammatory rhetoric being spit around.  I watch football because I enjoy the sport.  It's supposed to be fun and a good way to forget about problems for a few hours each week.  It's not supposed to be something that runs your blood pressure up or makes you want to battle with strangers because they cheer for a different team than you do.  It doesn't take much to siphon all the fun out of what's supposed to be a good time.  A healthy rivalry is okay, but the Vikings fans I've heard from this week have truly crossed the line.  And that's a real shame.

That's all I have for now.  Those of you who will make it to the Dome Thursday, represent proudly.  Be sure to make plenty noise; you know how ever important the 12th man is!  Remember who you are and who you represent--the Who Dat Nation!   Please, be safe and be smart.  As always, let your life serve as a blessing to others.  I really appreciate all of you so much.  And don't forget to check out my daily posts at http://www.saintsgab.com/