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That’s pretty much how I felt after watching the NFC Championship game Sunday.

Just …

It’s hard to describe how it felt. I’m not going to sit here and give you a summary of the game because, to be honest, I haven’t looked at any stats since the game ended. Don’t know what Drew Brees or Reggie Bush finished with.

All I know is that when Reggie (yes, you can refer to Reggie by just his first name now) had that 88-yard touchdown and brought the Saints to within two points, I was going crazy.

I didn’t even see him point at Brian Urlacher because I was in mid-air cheering.

We had a chance to take the lead and gave it away. When Thomas Jones ran in his touchdown to put the score pretty much out of reach, I just sat there. I left my house and went to work. I listened to Jim Henderson on the radio, and he sounded like he just lost a son.

Afterwards, people told me we should still be proud of them.

They weren’t supposed to make it this far. Well, you know who thinks like that? Losers.

I’m proud of them, sure, but that’s not what I want to hear right after a loss. We were on our way to Miami. I don’t want to talk about next year. I wanted to talk about going to Miami. Now I’m contemplating if I am even going to watch the Super Bowl this year. Probably not, but that’s another story.

For years, fans of the New Orleans Saints haven’t had much to cheer for. True fans, I mean. Not these fair-weather fans who jumped on my bandwagon when they realized this team was for real. The fans who traveled for hours to see their team struggle through a 3-13 season never had much until now.

This team was supposed to go to Miami, according to the experts. That’s what hurts the most. We should have won.

Since the game, I haven’t visited ESPN.com or watched any sports programming of any kind. I just don’t want to talk about it. We were the NFC runner-up. But you know what that means? We were just first-place losers.

This also means you guys won’t have to read another Saints column until April and the NFL Draft, so you can look forward to that. What can I look forward to? Two weeks of agony before the Super Bowl comes around, because I know the Indianapolis Colts shouldn’t be playing the Chicago Bears.

Peyton Manning should be worried about Charles Grant and Will Smith. Joseph Addai should be worried about Hollis Thomas eating him for lunch. Marvin Harrison and Reggie

Wayne should be shaking at the thought that they have to face Fred Thomas …

Actually, forget that last part.

For now, it’s back to “wait till next year.” As for me, to describe my feelings after that game (at least the ones I can print), I can’t make it any more simple than this.

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