“God, we ask your blessing upon all who participate in this event, and all who have supported our Saints. Our heavenly Father, who has instructed us that the ‘saints by faith conquered kingdoms … and overcame lions,’ grant our Saints an increase of faith and strength so that they will not only overcome the Lions, but also the Bears, the Rams, the Giants and even those awesome people in Green Bay.
“May they continue to tame the Redskins and fetter the Falcons as well as the Eagles. Give to our owners and coaches the continued ability to be as wise as serpents and simple as doves, so that no good talent will dodge our draft. Grant to our fans perseverance in their devotion and unlimited lung power, tempered with a sense of charity to all, including the referees.
“May our beloved ‘Bedlam Bowl’ be a source of good fellowship, and may the ‘Saints Come Marching In’ be a victory march for all, now and in eternity.”
delivered before the New Orleans Saints’ very first game in 1967.
posted February 7, 2010 at 11:09 am
GO COLTS!! We love our team just as much. I am tired of hearing the Saints should win because of hurricane Katrina. What would winning the game have to do with that idea???
posted February 7, 2010 at 11:34 am
The more I think about your article it makes me wonder about your choice of the word “charity”. Instead of charity, might we just say may the best team win? katrina was a tradegy, but Indiana has had their share of devastating tornado’s where lives were lost and homes etc.
posted February 8, 2010 at 11:27 am
I agree with Pat. ‘Charity’ from a football referee? No, thank you. The Saints only deserved to win last night because they, last night, played better football than the Colts. Nice for them, disappointing to us Colts fans, but Katrina had nothing to do with it. Tragedy does not lead to entitlement of this sort. Emergency assistance, yes; football victory, no.
posted February 8, 2010 at 11:46 am
To be a winner or loser in a game like football is a choice.Both the teams want to win,but one must lose.May the team bearing the seal of a winner wins!
posted February 8, 2010 at 7:59 pm
My husband rejoiced that the Colts lost because they skipped town in the middle of the night some 40 years ago.
(My dad calls this “Italian Alzheimer’s” — where you forget everything but the grudge!)
posted February 9, 2010 at 7:35 am
Kathy, I mean no disrespect to you, but isn’t it time to get over the Colts leaving Baltimore many years ago? The young men playing today had nothing to do with that event.Neither did their fans.
posted February 9, 2010 at 11:05 am
Pat,
I fear you understate the case. Most everyone playing for the Colts today wasn’t even BORN when they skipped Baltimore and moved to Indy, let alone have anything to do with the event. OK, Peyton Manning was a toddler, and Matt Stover [who just joined the team this year] was in grade school, but still… In fairness to Cathy, it was almost 30 years ago, not 40, but the then-owner of the team has since died, so it’s probably well past time to let that particular grudge die too.