Rusty Costanza / The Times-PicayunePenny Cheramie and T-Man, both of Larose, cheer from their seats at Deanie's Seafood Restaurant in the French Quarter as the Saints scored their first touchdown on Sunday. Generosity abounded in the French Quarter during the first half of tonight's
New Orleans Saints game. As Kenneth "Zulu" Breaux arrived at the corner of Bourbon and Iberville streets via his wheelchair, with his "who dat" dog as his best friend, named "Pappa Joe," aboard for a ride, he was graciously given a Reggie Bush jersey by Michael Dugas of Westwego.
"Daddy's getting a brand new shirt," Breaux cried to Pappa Joe. "Awe, I can't believe this. This is so nice. And it fits me perfect."
Breaux, a resident of N. Miro street in new Orleans, is a local artist. He said he paints "oils, murals, who dats and all of that!"
Troy Rosamond of Jefferson has been a saints fan since 1967. He was standing outside Deanie's Restaurant in the French Quarter for kickoff of the NFC championship game.
"I had to be here with my homies," Rosamond said. "I had to be here for the celebration."
Rosamond, a financial director for Southern United States Trade Association, has been a regular at Deanie's throughout this glorious saints season, he said.
He went on: "W've been wandering in the desert. Joshu is blowing his horn; we're in the promised land, BABY."
"I'm a grown man, but I'm gonna cry tonight," Rosamond said.
The stuffed crab balls at Deanie's was a reason, but not the biggest reason, to draw Willie Robert of Edgard to the French quarter this evening.
As he exited his cab, Robert said he had to come to new Orleans "to see what happens."
"I was a Green Bay fan growing up, not really into football. But I love the Saints and I'd love to see them win. If they do," Robert said, "I'm buying myself a saints shirt."
Jennifer Schuelki, 30, of Austin, and Elizabeth Montalbano, 38, of Zachary, exited the Bourbon Strip Tease Shop, featuring adult lingerie and adult gifts, just as Drew Brees and the boys were driving down the field over the Vikings and every other barroom on Bourbon echoed with cheers.
"We don't have tickets and they do, so we are going to find something in here to surprise them when they come walking down bourbon street after the game," the girls said, referring to their significant others.
They each found a teeny weeny saints bikini.
Behind the famous glass doors of Galatoire's on Bourbon Street were two of the saddest faces. Maitre d' David Payne and waiter Bryan Casey were close to tears as they stared through the glass across the street to a television in site.
"Our cable went out," Payne explained. "We were supposed to show the game in here and in the kitchen for our staff but we don't have any cable. Do you have cox cable's number?" he pleaded.
It was standing-room-only at Jean Lafitte's Old Absinthe House. Standing side by side were Ryan and Cayce Sartor from Monroe, La. The couple drove in for every Saints home game this season and weren't about to change things for tonights NFC championship.
"They have a great jukebox. They let me sing Frank Sinatra and the Saints are going to win tonight," Ryan Sartor said.
At Desire, an oyster bar on Bourbon Street, Sonny Hendricks, of Jackson, Miss., and Rachel McMullen of Baton Rouge shared a window table; the best of both worlds. They witnessed the sights along Bourbon and only had to turn their heads slightly to find the nearest television.
"The saints are going to win, of course," Hendricks said.
Daniel Jenkins, John Johnson and Michael Ross, three Bourbon Street teenage tapdancers, never took a break during the first quarter of tonight's game.
"We make a lot of money," Ross said. We've been doing this for years."
Ed and Jane Pavek are from Minneapolis, work in Minneapolis but they sure do love new Orleans.
"I'm a veterinarian in Minneapolis and I came to new Orleans in 1976 to help out at the SPCA," Pavek said. "I ended up staying three years."
Pavek clutched a plastic grocery bag containing several voodoo dolls.
"I bought them all up so you people couldn't play any tricks on us," he said with a big smile.
"We can't lose tonight," he said. "either way we win. We love both these teams. And we love this city."
via: Times-Picayune
