You probably also saw on national news broadcasts that thousands gathered for wild celebrations on Bourbon Street to celebrate the victory. We all know New Orleans knows how to party!
What you probably didn't know is that New Orleans elected a new mayor the day before the game.
Louisiana Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu, brother of Sen. Mary Landrieu, won in a landslide. I bet people weren't crowding Bourbon Street celebrating the new mayor's victory. What's interesting and dispiriting is that only about 89,000 total votes were cast, down from the 108,000 cast in the mayoral election four years ago.
Given New Orleans is still recovering from Katrina and has the highest murder rate per capita in the country, this election most certainly will impact how the city continues its recovery. There's no doubt professional sports teams are great for a city – they bring in income and bring people of all walks of life together, but what we really need is to find a way to get people as excited and engaged in politics as they are about football!
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