Amid the cheers and the tears, Saints fans in New Orleans are swelling with pride, over a Super Bowl win that means so much to them.
"Forty years! We did it. Yes! We did it! 40 years!" shouted Robin Stanley, a Saints fan who watched the game at the Rock 'n Bowl Bowling Alley.
"It's terrific. We got them. We finally got them," said Saints Fan Darryl Bordelon, as he fought back tears during the Lombardi Trophy presentation.
The past few years have been an emotional roller coaster in New Orleans. The Saints Super Bowl win is so much more than just a game here-- it's a game changer-- and a symbol of the journey taken by this city and region since Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005.
"We're so proud of New Orleans. We're so proud of the Gulf coast, of everybody here," said Saints fan Janice Fedata. "The fact that the Saints have helped rejuvenate and rebuild, it's lovely and we are so excited."
In a city that never needs an excuse to party, the Saints Super Bowl win provided the ultimate reason for one. And the ultimate place for it? The French Quarter, of course: with more than week to go before Mardi Gras, crowds swarmed Bourbon Street Sunday night and chanted "Who Dat?" well into early Monday morning.
"We just won the Super Bowl. Do you understand that?" said one Saints fan who identified himself only as Eddie. "We've been waiting for this forever. First time ever. Ever! We've never done this. Super Bowl! New Orleans, number one!"
Other Saints fans on Bourbon Street tried to savor the moment.
"It is so awesome. I can't believe it," a female Saints fan said. "This is history. We're in history right now. This is crazy!"
It is living history that Saints fans say they won't soon forget.
