A year later, Saints fans thrilled to come marching home

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (AP) -- As rock bands blasted and tailgate parties served up barbecue and brew, thousands of people poured into the streets Monday night for a Mardi Gras-like celebration of the Saints' first home game since Hurricane Katrina.

Crowds swamped the area around the Louisiana Superdome in a human sea, creating a huge traffic jam as they sought to forget about the storm for at least a few hours during the team's emotional return and the reopening of the stadium, which underwent $185 million in repairs to erase the damage done during and after Katrina.

"This is exactly what the city needs," said Saints season ticket holder Clara Donate, 58, who lost her home and all her possessions to Katrina's floodwaters. "We all need something else to think about."

Another fan, Brian McGowan, never hesitated when it came time to renew his Saints tickets. Now he gets to use them at a game against Atlanta that's got all the trappings of a Super Bowl.

Along with his wife and two sons, McGowan is still living in Dallas, Texas. The government trailer they've been waiting on for months has yet to materialize, and they're only now starting to rebuild their home. Their close-knit family is strewn across the country -- some in Phoenix, Arizona; some in Baltimore, Maryland; only one sibling in New Orleans. (Watch what it took for crews to rebuild the Superdome -- 1:34)

http://edition.cnn.com/2006/US/09/25/saints.return.ap/

While there'll be a lot of people questioning moneys spent on this, I think it's a great thing for the city and the people. Symbols are something to be considered.

[bbinacan]

1. So glad to see it. n/t

[Bluzmann57]

2. It's a great thing!

Even if one doesn't like football, you should admit that it is likely that the people of New Orleans really needed this. Go Saints. And I'm not even a Saints fan.

[geomon666]

3. I'm kind of torn about this.

I understand the need to move on but...how can you go into that stadium now and not think about the suffering and death that went on in there? There's not even a memorial to acknowledge it either.

[GrumpyGreg]

4. I heard that FEMA gave $100 million to rebuild the Superdome and I was

enraged.

Let the rich team owners (and players) rebuild.

A lot of housing could be provided with that amount of money.

[saigon68]

5. Its actually $180 Million

Saw it on TV last night

Once they cleaned the DEAD BODIES out.

It has class, is it worth the money? The rulers of the place have so decreed

So let it be said- So let it be done !!!!

[geomon666]

8. That's disgusting if true.

Ugh...I hate this administration. Just corruption at every turn.

[pinniped]

6. prezinut POS* had a lot of nerve to show up there.

I bet that idiot didn't even know who was playing.

[classysassy]

7. Shame,shame on you

while there are displaced people,suffering people,our govt can give those greedy bastard our money,is a tastless,shamefully,stupid thing to do.I didn't watch the game,but there were clips of Geaoge HW Bush there,it just proved what i was thinking,more $$$$$ for the Bush bastards.