Saints

I have a confession to make: I went to the Saints/Raiders preseason game last Friday. For context, here is the explanation I offered to friends shortly after I made the Saints to lose to the 49ers in the playoffs season before last:

Hello, Who Dat Nation. I am sending this email to atone for my unfortunate contribution to the end of our football season.

By way of background, I attended two regular-season Saints games in 2010. I witnessed the meltdown versus the Cleveland Browns, and I was there for the loss to Tampa Bay in the last game of the season. We limped into the playoffs with a wild-card road game against the 7-and-9 Seahawks in Seattle. At the time, my brother was living and working in Seattle. I saw that as an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone, so to speak: I could visit my bro and at the same time see our Saints beat the 7-and-9 Seahawks on the way to a Two Dat Superbowl. I booked the flight.

We all know how that turned out.

In the aftermath, it was pointed out that the Saints lost every game I physically attended that year, including a playoff game against the 7-and-9 Seahawks that still stings to this day. (Thanks, Marshawn Lynch.) Therefore, I pledged to attend no more Saints games, lest my own personal aura of failure doom the team once again.

Forward to the 2011 season. I attend one pre-season game (loss to the Titans) and exactly zero regular season games. We go 13 and 3, which earns us the 3 seed. After an authoritative wild card victory over the Lions, the Saints hit the road with momentum against the 49ers in San Francisco. By a peculiar twist of fate, my brother has moved to San Francisco. I thought to myself, "Self, even though the 49ers are a much tougher opponent than the 7-and-9 Seahawks, wegotthis, right? There's no such thing as a jinx. What could go wrong if I fly to San Francisco, hang out with my brother, get tickets on Stubhub, and watch our unstoppable offense take the next step towards another Superbowl?" I booked the flight.

We all know how that turned out.

Sure, we can play Monday-morning quarterback. Yes, there were five turnovers and a dozen other mistakes that would have changed the outcome. One more third down, one more penalty called on a bogus helmet-to-helmet hit, a little more time off the clock, and we'd be on our way to a home-field NFC Championship. (Thanks, Aaron Rodgers.) But that balance between win and loss was so delicate, even the slightest difference could have tipped the scales in our favor. Therefore, I have no choice but to conclude that it's my fault. Maybe I was the butterfly that clapped and made Darren Sproles fumble punt returns. Perhaps we'll never know if I really am an albatross around the Saints' neck. But I do know one thing: there is no way in hell I am going to test the theory a third time. Not only because I'm afraid that the pattern would hold, but because it really, really sucks watching the Saints lose a playoff game surrounded by a bunch of jackass 49ers fans.

Good day, and here's to a successful 2012 season, sans Joe.

The 2012 season was not successful. We were hamstrung right out of the gate by the "bounty" "scandal", and limped through a lackluster 7-9 season littered with painful losses.

Fast forward to last Friday, when at the last minute a friend offers me two tickets to the Raiders preseason game. My special lady friend has not been to a Saints game and I figure the preseason doesn't count, so we went. And the Saints won. But seeing as I told myself it was only the preseason beforehand, I have to stick with that rationalization; therefore, I do not consider the curse to be lifted and I am standing by my vow for regular season and, knock on wood, postseason games. Now, let's go roast some falcon.