That game -- in which the New York Giants beat Buffalo for the title in 1991 -- was also viewed by yours truly alone in a hotel room, although the inn I stayed in back them can not be compared to the digs I am enjoying today.
Back in 1991, I was still in college at Texas State and -- as the sports editor for the University Star and a cub reporter -- covering a three-game basketball road trip to the Pelican State along with the Bobcats' men's basketball team. The road trip included a 20-point loss to Northeast Louisiana (now called Louisiana-Monroe)in Monroe, a 4-point victory over Northwestern State in Nachitoches and a 12-point win over Southeastern Louisiana in Hammond in the school's University Center (below).
I think I spent the night of Jan. 27 in a Best Western in Hammond, but I couldn't tell you for sure. This time around -- with a super room at the opulent L'Auberge du Lac casino resort (pictured below)in Lake Charles -- I will for sure remember where I was when the Saints came marching in with the Lombardi Trophy.
There was an aspect of the Saints' Super Bowl win that wasn't really talked about a lot: how the team came together in the preseason after owner Tom Benson flew the head coach Sean Payton and entire offensive unit and several other team members to Austin last summer for the memorial service for the mother of NO quarterback Drew Brees (below). Drew's mom, Mina, was ruled to have committed suicide with an overdose of prescription medications while visiting her older son Reid in Colorado. Having such team unity in such a time of hurt and crisis for Brees made a huge difference in the makeup of the team, and it showed in the final minutes of the Saints' victory.
Lot's of revelry here in SWLA -- I sure you could multiply that atmosphere by 1,000 and it still wouldn't be anywhere near the kind of party that's going on in NOLA right now.
I am here in this part of the world to play and write about two of the top-notch golf courses in the area -- the Contraband Bayou GC at the L'Auberge (above)and the new National Golf Club of Louisiana, just up the road a bit in Westlake.
Keep an eye out for my stories on these two courses on the Cybergolf website (cybergolf.com).
No comments:
Post a Comment