Feb. 8: Rising From the Floodwaters

By Sylvia Gurinsky

This year's Super Bowl captured the imagination and a lot of hearts because of what happened in August, 2005.

The New Orleans Saints' victory yesterday was about much more than a team winning its first National Football League championship. It was about a city coming back from under the floodwaters of Hurricane Katrina and the damage done to so many of its landmarks, including the Saints' home, the Superdome.

It's easy to forget that there were questions, after Katrina, about whether the Saints would stay in New Orleans. The team's uncertain future at that time was reflective of the city's uncertain future.

It's likely that the Superdome, where so much heartbreak took place four and a half years ago, will now host one of the many celebrations the Big Easy will have for the Saints.

There is much work still to be done in New Orleans, and incoming Mayor Mitch Landrieu will lead the next steps for rebuilding. But take a break, folks, and hoist a beer with those beignets to your Saints. You've earned it.