Thankful for New Orleans – Day 10

Day 10 – Black and Gold Fridays 

I am a die hard Saints fan. While I spend most of my Sundays in front of the tv instead of in the Dome, I am no less dedicated than I was when we were season ticket holders back in the lucky-to-be .500 years. I play Saints music in my Spin classes at the beginning of the season and when we are playoff bound. I will argue with anyone who cares to disagree that Drew Brees is the best quarterback in the NFL. (Tom Who?) And I always wear black and gold on game days. T-shirts, jerseys, headbands, rings, bracelets, scarves…you name it, I’ve most likely got it. I realize that donning team gear on game day is not exclusive to New Orelans, but one of my favorite things about this city and all the little surrounding towns is what is referred to as Black and Gold Friday. It’s the New Orleans tradition for which I am thankful on Day 10 of my challenge. 

During football season, Fridays are for showing our unwavering support for our favorite team. Everyone from toddlers to grandmothers are decked out in black and gold. I love going to the gym or the grocery store or anywhere else in town and seeing a virtual sea of gaudy, fleur-de-lis adorned attire. On Fridays, anything in that color combination is acceptable. I can wear my Gleason v-neck one week, my Who D@T tee the next, and I might even mix in my Free Payton shirt if I’m feeling nostalgic. It’s not until Sunday that superstition factors in, and the lucky gear comes out. Yes, we Saints fans are a superstitious bunch, and we’d better hope we were wearing something cute on the day that a winning streak started because, undoubtedly, we’re going to be wearing it as long as the W’s keep stacking up. I was wearing a Saints tank when our current six-game winning streak began. Now that we’re well into November, it doesn’t seem quite as appropriate as it did when temps were in the 90s, but you can bet I will be wearing it when we take on the Bills this weekend. I just may be doing it under a fuzzy black and gold blanket.