Book Review: HOME TEAM: Coaching the Saints and New Orleans Back to Life

"It's no great accomplishment to lead the stronger team to victory." ^{page 32}

I am from New Orleans. I have been a New Orleans Saints fan since September 17, 1967 when John Gilliam returned the franchise's opening kick-off for a touchdown. I have endured the good (February 7, 2010 Super Bowl victory) and the bad (paper bags on our heads). My wife's brother-in-law loaned me his copy of HOME TEAM: Coaching the Saints and New Orleans Back to Life by head coach Sean Payton and Newsday columnist Ellis Henison. The book chronicles Payton's tenure as head coach from just after Hurricane Katrina decimated the Gulf Coast through the Super Bowl victory.

Some fun tid bits I learned included:

• Pete Rozelle, commissioner of the National Football League (NFL) was tired of competing with the American Football League (AFL) for athletes graduating from American colleges. It was driving salaries up. To merge the AFL into the NFL, Rozelle needed an anti-monopoly exception from Congress. Hale Boggs, Senate Democratic majority whip from Louisiana, would only get Congress to grant him one if the NFL put a team in New Orleans. The NFL initially resisted because they thought New Orleans was too poor to support a franchise. Boggs got his way, and New Orleans got the Saints.

• The Saints' colors are black and gold because original owner, John Mecam Jr., was an oil man. Black oil yields gold money.

• When John Mecam Jr. wanted to sell the team to a group that would move the Saints to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, then governor, Edwin Edwards, got wind of it. He invited New Orleans auto dealer, Tom Benson, to a meeting of investors who would keep the team in New Orleans. When Benson arrived at the meeting, he was the only attendee. Edwards had tricked him. Benson owns the Saints to this day.

As tragic as it was, I believe Hurricane Katrina actually helped the Saints break their decades-long losing traditions and win a championship.

• With little or no public utilities and services available, only the most committed assistant coaches and players agreed to take jobs in New Orleans.

• The entire organization felt compelled to win for people who had lost everything but spent their few remaining dollars on football tickets.

• The organization modernized their practice facility as part of repairing the hurricane damage.

• The organization had no other choice than to take a chance on a possibly-great, but then-injured quarterback, that the Miami Dolphins passed on.

• The fan base expanded as residents displaced to other cities by the hurricane remained loyal to the team.

Altough I normally read books with a more scientific bend, I can honestly say that I enjoyed reading this book about as much as any book I have ever read. The Saints lost to the 49ers last weekend, but I enjoyed the game anyway. That's what it's all about. Football is entertainment. On the other hand, based on what the Saints have done for the city, sometimes it's more.

Reliving the NFL celebration is alive in the lab.