It's an historic occasion

In case you haven't heard -- and if you haven't, please, I'm begging you please, climb out from under the rock you've been hiding the last couple of weeks -- the New Orleans Saints are headed to the Super Bowl on Sunday. Let me rephrase that: the New Orleans frackin' Saints are going to win the Super Bowl on Sunday!

Honestly, I can't put into words what this means. I'm a Saints fan, have been as long as I can remember. I wouldn't classify myself in that diehard category. I mean, I didn't grow up in New Orleans. I haven't been around for all FORTY-THREE years of the franchise's existence. I've only been to a couple of games in the Superdome in my life, although for as long as I can remember, I've been watching the Saints play on Sunday afternoons. I'm a fan. But I'm not like some of my friends who openly weeped when the Saints knocked off the Vikings two Sundays ago in the NFC title game to advance to Miami for a date with hometown hero Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts.

Still, it's a big moment in my life. Honestly, it's one I never thought would happen. Ever. I went 19 years on this earth before the Saints won a playoff game, when they knocked off the St. Louis Rams in 2001. I was 24 years old before the Saints ever really threatened to make a Super Bowl. I'll never forget the day that Reggie Bush looked back at Brian Urlacher and taunted him on his way to a touchdown in the 2006 NFC title game. At that moment, I knew -- JUST KNEW -- that we were going to lose. Reggie ... you don't piss off Urlacher!

After a couple of frustrating 8-8 seasons missing the playoffs, this year was the year. The 13-0 start. Followed by the 0-3 slump. That brought back all of the questions of whether these were just the Same Ole Saints. If you're honest with yourself, you had doubts. They looked awful. It wasn't the same team we'd followed all year. I don't even think limping into the finish is the right phrase to describe it. It was downright painful to watch. But perhaps Sean Payton knew what he was doing. The team looked DOMINANT against Arizona, then seemed like a team of destiny, somehow defeating the Vikings in the Superdome.

Honestly, if you had asked me what would happen first -- my alma mater, Louisiana Tech, winning a national title in football or men's basketball, or the Saints going to Super Bowl -- I'd have placed my money on the Bulldogs. Honestly. No, seriously, I'm not joking. Call me a disbeliever all you want. I prefer to be called truthful. I knew the Saints had some weapons. Drew Brees is as good of a QB as almost anyone in the league. The backfield combo of Bush/Thomas/Bell is very dangerous. And Brees has so many weapons to throw to, especially when Jeremy Shockey is healthy. The offense never was the question. It was the defense that had been holding the Saints back. Gregg Williams simply has done an amazing job resurrected a pitiful defense, and that side of the ball has been the catalyst to get us to this point.

Unlike a good buddy of mine from work, I'm not satisfied. He said making the Super Bowl is enough. I disagree. I want to win! Peyton Manning is the best of the best, but you don't get to the big game and not expect to win. And you don't get to the big game and not expect to not be coming back every year. The victory over the Vikings has completely changed the expectations for Saints fans. The '06 trip to the NFC title game made Saints fans expect playoff berths, but this trip to the Super Bowl will make us expect Super Bowl trips. And win or lose -- and winning is the only option -- we're going to expect to be back in the big game again and again.

It's not just the Super Bowl on Sunday that's going to be historic this weekend. On Friday, I will make my officiating debut in varsity action. I can't express how excited I am. I've put in a lot of work in my first year officiating, working junior high games and freshman games and a couple of junior varsity games, working at my craft to improve, all in the hopes that it will pay off into a varsity assignment. The season is almost over. The girls playoffs begin after next week, with the boys following the week after that. There's no chance I will get any playoff assignments, but I was hoping beyond hope for the opportunity to call one varsity game. I've put in the work, have improved noticeably, and have continued to have older officials tell me how advanced I am for a first-year official and that I'm going to be pretty good at this gig down the road. Now I've got the opportunity to call a varsity game, and I hope I can make enough of an impression that next year it's an every week occurrence.