2 posts tagged “football”

i was born and raised in louisiana. i now live in chicago. i love where i live, i've been happy with my choice to move here for 10 months now. i love the architecture, the food, the weather (sometimes); and up until last week, the people.

last week, a football game was played in chicago between the chicago bears and the new orleans saints. forget that you know anything about sports for a moment. forget that you love the saints, or the bears for that matter. forget reggie bush, lovie smith, the monsters of the midway, mr. "i own dealerships" benson, etc.

just remember this: a little over a year ago, a hurricane went through the southeastern part of the united states. in the city of new orleans, over 1,200 people died. in some parts of the city, electricity is just being installed. people are living in trailers all over the country, and my family lost their livelihood. it was a national tragedy on par with that venerable event on september 11, 2001. and don't try to tell me that it isn't.

back to the game last week.

it was apparently funny for one fan to bring a sign to the game that read: "da bears: finishing what katrina started." not funny. it was apparently funny for the bar i was in to play "rock you like a hurricane," when the bears scored. not funny. on facebook, there are groups upon offensive groups about the bears = katrina. not. funny. at. all. the local press here has even written parallels. not funny, and somebody should be fired.

last week, a football game was played. emphasis on game. i was reading somebody from n.o.'s blog yesterday and she posed a good question. what if the terrorists had hit the sears tower on 9/11 and last week, saints fans held up signs saying "the saints: finishing what the terrorists started." would that be ok? wouldn't the national media call n.o. fans the worst in the world?

i'm happy for the bears. i'm happy for the city i live in. but this has been too much. i have never been more dismayed in the lack of compassion people have. all i can ask is that, if you see this sort of thing, report it. condemn it. tell the person that's doing it that it's not in the least bit funny, and demand that they stop.