New Orleans sees championship hopes slip away
“Who Dat” chants started each quarter during the game. Fans at the bar cheer for their team from miles away. Photo credit: Andres Fuentes
January 20, 2019
The fans at Bruno’s Tavern were thirsty.
The city hasn’t had the taste of a title since 2009 and the drought continues, as the Los Angles Rams punched their names into Super Bowl LIII with a 26-23 win over the New Orleans Saints.
On a chilly, Sunday afternoon, black and gold packed the interior of the Uptown drinking place.
Natives and regulars took to stools and chairs, spots that they’ve claimed hours before the game had started. They’ve been in this spot before and they wanted to witness victory once more.
Tulane and Loyola students made appearances, shouting “Who Dat” chants and cheering at every first down.
This was new to them. The students weren’t witnesses to the previous title run. They were just here for the ride and a wild ride it was.
The bar was shaking just as much as the Dome. The sense of excitement was in the air, and the crowd never let up. The fans never stopped cheering and hoping, even when 43 seconds remained in the fourth quarter, even when Brees threw an interception in overtime and even as the Rams lined up to sink a 57-yard field goal.
The fans did what they could, being more than four miles away from the stadium, but with the season now in the books, it’s time to bottle of this year’s memories and look ahead for next season.
“You could hear the Dome from a packed bar Uptown and you can feel the love from all the way on the field,” Jason Seidman said. “I feel like we had one heck of a season. Obviously, this is not how we thought it was going to turn out, but I definitely feel like we had way more fun than they did.”
