Football Sports

They were the biggest joke in American sport, a walking disaster year after calamitous year. But the New Orleans Saints delivered a devastating punchline to silence the Indianapolis Colts and ensure they will never be laughed at again. Drew Brees…

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They were the biggest joke in American sport, a walking disaster year after calamitous year.

But the New Orleans Saints delivered a devastating punchline to silence the Indianapolis Colts and ensure they will never be laughed at again.

Drew Brees turned in a Most Valuable Player performance to rock the favourite Colts and upstage opposite number Peyton Manning to win Super Bowl XLIV, 31-17.

The victory sparked raucous scenes not only from Saints fans in Florida on South Beach but back home in Louisiana where Bourbon Street was under siege from supporters who could scarcely believe they were no longer America’s favourite losers.

And on an emotionally-charged night in Miami, Brees dedicated the famous victory to the Saints long-suffering fans and the people of New Orleans who have spent the last four years battling their way back from the horrors of Hurricane Katrina.

Brees said: “Just to think of the road we all travelled to get to this point. All the adversity we faced. The culmination of the resiliency we have seen from this city means it is really special.

“It means everything. We’re here because of their strength and everything they fought through here the last few years.

“They’ve given us so much support, and so we owe it all to our fans.”

The Saints were formed in 1967 and in their first 20 seasons, didn’t once manage to end up with more wins than losses.

Even as they tasted limited success in the 1990s, a Super Bowl seemed a million miles away, prompting shamed fans to wear paper bags on their heads at games and to re-name them the Aints.

But as he stared longingly at the Lombardi Trophy in his hands, Brees added: “It’s as shiny as I remember seeing it on TV. New Orleans knows how to party and we have given them a pretty good reason to party.

“We played for so much more than just ourselves. We played for our entire city who were behind us every step of the way.

“Four years ago who thought this would be happening. Eighty-five per cent of the city was under water. Residents were evacuated to other parts of the country.

“But the city believed it could come back. We leaned on each other and this is the culmination of that belief and that faith.”

Brees was voted MVP after he recovered from a shaky start to complete 32 of 39 passes for 288 yards and two touchdowns as the Saints came from 10-0 down to win American sport’s greatest prize.

And Saints coach Sean Payton, who played in Britain for the Leicester Panthers in the mid-1980s, handed all the credit to Brees.

Payton said: “He was outstanding, consistent and he’s just a winner everywhere he’s been.

“He’s won it for us. I’m proud of him and all these guys. To be a part of it, be able coach these guys, means I’m honoured.”

Manning and the Colts had been stifled by an all-out effort from the Saints’ defence but with three minutes left, they were on the verge of tying the game and sending it to sudden death overtime.

But Manning’s pass was intercepted by Tracy Porter who found a route to the end zone for a game-clinching 74-yard touchdown.

Linebacker Jonathan Vilma echoed Brees’ sentiments when he said: “Words can’t describe what it means to win this for the people of New Orleans. It wasn’t the New Orleans Saints that won it, it was the citizens of New Orleans.”

Whether it was a special Saints effort, the Colts choking or a spell being cast from the Big Easy which is famous for voodoo, who knows. But the Saints certainly conjured up some magic to leave Manning dazed and confused on the field but respectful off it.

Manning, who was born and raised in New Orleans and whose dad Archie was the Saints best player during their dreadful early years, said: “I give the Saints a lot of credit. They made some big plays on special teams. They made some critical stops on defence.

“And Drew got them in the end zone when they needed to. They certainly deserved to win today.”

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