AtDDtA1: The story so far ....

[David Morris]

On 2/4/07, Tim Strzechowski <dedalus204 at comcast.net> wrote:
>
> Go Bears!

>From one of New Orleans' most beloved newspaper columnists:

http://www.nola.com/search/index.ssf?/base/living-7/1170598593228390.xml?LPLV&coll=1

So what I'm telling you is that you should root against the Bears
today not because the team doesn't deserve it, but because their fans
don't. At least, the fans who attended the NFC Championship game two
weeks ago. Not all of them, of course -- I met some friendly folks at
the stadium who favored good-natured ribbing over mugging -- but there
were enough of them to leave a profoundly negative impact on New
Orleanians who spent lots of money in Chicago and should have expected
a more civil welcome than they received.

[...]

Many of you have probably received the much-forwarded e-mails that
document some of the taunts that New Orleanians endured: the guy with
the sign that said "Bears finishing what Katrina started"; the black
folks who were asked if they bought their tickets with FEMA checks;
the TV reporters who were bombarded with cups of beer; the Louisiana
political consultant, Mike Bayham, who mentioned to some Bear fans
that his house took 11 feet of water and was told: "Too bad you didn't
drown."

Saints fan Joy Najolia had slush and sand kicked in her face and was
still wearing sunglasses this week to shield the resulting eye
infection. The mounting evidence of widespread cruelty and
classlessness at Soldier Field is Chicago's shame.

We deserved better, not because we are victims of a natural disaster
and government negligence, but because we, like them, like to don our
jerseys and regalia and root for our team.

I'm not telling you how to act in the future (OK, maybe I am) but keep
this in mind next season when folks come to our town for football
games: It's all about recreation and release from the day-to-day
struggles of life. It's not about vengeance. Now that the Saints have
entered the upper echelon of the NFL, it's easy to imagine that our
games will get more intense as the season progresses next year. Keep
it in perspective, please.

Hooliganism is such a waste of energy. If you want to be a part of it,
then go to Chicago; the Saints play there next season, in the warm and
welcoming climes of Soldier Field.

You can have my ticket; I'm staying home for that one.