If you thought the blizzard that hit Washington, D.C., was bad, consider the wintry forecast for the netherworld.
The New Orleans Saints are champions of the football world, after all.
In the greater New Orleans area, the forecast is for a year of reign.
Considering it's a city that has experienced the drought of 43 National Football League seasons without a championship and the flood of 2005, it was great to see it raining confetti on New Orleans players and fans Sunday.
For years of futility, they were known by embarrassed bag-wearing fans as the "Ain'ts." But the New Orleans Saints made the NFL's National Conference title game in 2007 -- after already having lifted the beleaguered city's morale with a triumphant return to the repaired Superdome in September 2006.
Now, the team has brought the Vince Lombardi Trophy to town as this year's Super Bowl winners.
These Saints knew all along that they were playing Sunday's game not just for themselves or even their fans, but for the entire New Orleans region -- which has badly needed things to feel good about since Katrina came through.
Many neutral but interested fans among the 100 million viewers -- and nearly seven in 10 households with a TV on -- may have wanted another Super Bowl trophy for Indianapolis Colt quarterback Peyton Manning, a wildly popular sports figure who was inspiring "greatest quarterback ever" talk. But it's likely many of them were won over by the Saints, and are more than happy for New Orleans.
And you've got to love a city that had planned for a welcome-home parade for the team win or lose.
This kind of reign they'll take.
Good game. Still, it's a game. Wonder what's on the sports page.
Archie Manning, Peyton's dad, played for New Orleans. The Mannings are from Mississippi. It's ironic New Orleans would be the team to beat Peyton in the biggest of all games.
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