My first Saints game was October 7,1979 vs the division foe Los Angeles Rams. I lived in Metairie at the time, I frequently played sports at the Johnny Bright playground and was an all star baseball player at age 12. Some background, I was born in the Los Angeles area, so I followed the Rams a little when they had Jim Youngblood, Hacksaw Reynolds and even Elvis Peacock! Before the season, the Rams owner passed away while swimming off the Florida coast. He was a notorious gambler and murder conspiracies are out there, but I digress. Our team was like the modern day Browns without all the extra draft picks.
This was my second time in the Superdome that year, because it was the days of rock n roll and my mom was kind of a hippie, but that’s a different story. At the kickoff my hair on my neck stood up and like a football junkie I was hooked! The Saints scored first when Tony Galbreath, along with Chuck Munchie, who went by Thunder and Lightning, scored from three yards out! Wow, my first game and we’re going to crush the Lambs, not so fast my friends! Pat Haden, Ram quarterback and ex USC Rhodes Scholar, put up 28 points in the second quarter. Sounds way too familiar.
Anyway, Archie Manning threw five interceptions that game and we lost 35 -17. But honestly I don’t remember that as mush as Archie running around, getting knocked down but somehow always getting back up. I was a Who Dat for life after That. Haden was hurt later that season and Vince Ferragamo led the Rams to a Super Bowl. They lost to the Steelers in the “One for the thumb” game. More importantly, the New Orleans Saints finished 8 – 8, Our first non losing season EVER!
I’ll never forget that day it cemented my Saints fandom for life.
My first Saints game was October 7,1979 vs the division foe Los Angeles Rams. I lived in Metairie at the time, I frequently played sports at the Johnny Bright playground and was an all star baseball player at age 12. Some background, I was born in the Los Angeles area, so I followed the Rams a little when they had Jim Youngblood, Hacksaw Reynolds and even Elvis Peacock! Before the season, the Rams owner passed away while swimming off the Florida coast. He was a notorious gambler and murder conspiracies are out there, but I digress. Our team was like the modern day Browns without all the extra draft picks.
This was my second time in the Superdome that year, because it was the days of rock n roll and my mom was kind of a hippie, but that’s a different story. At the kickoff my hair on my neck stood up and like a football junkie I was hooked! The Saints scored first when Tony Galbreath, along with Chuck Munchie, who went by Thunder and Lightning, scored from three yards out! Wow, my first game and we’re going to crush the Lambs, not so fast my friends! Pat Haden, Ram quarterback and ex USC Rhodes Scholar, put up 28 points in the second quarter. Sounds way too familiar.
Anyway, Archie Manning threw five interceptions that game and we lost 35 -17. But honestly I don’t remember that as mush as Archie running around, getting knocked down but somehow always getting back up. I was a Who Dat for life after That. Haden was hurt later that season and Vince Ferragamo led the Rams to a Super Bowl. They lost to the Steelers in the “One for the thumb” game. More importantly, the New Orleans Saints finished 8 – 8, Our first non losing season EVER!
I’ll never forget that day it cemented my Saints fandom for life.
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