Football fantasies, past and future!

New Orleans Saints unveil 'Rebirth' statue outside Superdome


NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana -- The blocked punt that etched Steve Gleason into Saints lore and became symbolic of New Orleans' resilience in the face of disaster is now immortalized in a 9-foot statue outside the Superdome.


"That statue is not about football," Gleason, straining to speak because of the effects of ALS, said moments before the formal unveiling on a rain-soaked Friday afternoon. "It's a symbol of the commitment and perseverance that this community took on before that game.


"There were 75,000 people in that stadium and few hundred thousand others outside the stadium who had already committed themselves to coming back and rebuilding this community. So that statue is a symbol of what they did. And I think that moment was the moment when we as a team got to share that commitment and perseverance with the rest of the world."


Gleason famously blocked the ball off of the foot of Atlanta punter Michael Koenen and into the end zone for a Saints touchdown on Sept. 25, 2006, the night the rebuilt Superdome and the city of New Orleans hosted an NFL game for the first time after Hurricane Katrina.


The statue, entitled "Rebirth," depicts Gleason fully outstretched in a dive, his hands smothering the ball as it leaves Koenen's foot...

I remember that game and that was the turning point. Took the house down! And the Peyton/Brees era was really born.

On the subject of Peyton,

From the Saints training camp, they's put this up.  A collect "up yours!" to the NFL's Commissioner.  Nothing will be better than winning the Superbowl in New Orleans next February and to see Goodell have to hand the Lombardi Trophy to Tom Benson.  But that is TBD.

One can always dream!  Have a great weekend!

UPDATE:

The team with former Saint Steve Gleason at the statue unveiling.