Vikings @ Saints: The View from Section 108 - 10/6/08

I thought it would be interesting to take a trip down memory lane and revisit the last time the Saints played the Vikings. Below is the Tuesday morning "View from Section 108" post that I wrote after attending their Monday Night Football matchup on October 6th, 2008. Many of us will remember the frustration we felt after watching the Saints blow two beautiful punt return touchdowns by Reggie Bush by missing a late-game field goal courtesy of Martin Gramatica. 

Enjoy reliving the misery. I don't expect it to happen again. 

If you guys are looking for something to make you feel better this morning after that horrible loss I don't think you're gonna find it here. This one was very tough and energy draining.

It's 12:45am. I finally got home. I have been on an emotional rollercoaster for the last 4 hours, the end of which has led to me being pissed off. I am heart breaux-ken. You should be too. Let's not waste time and just get into this crapfest. I haven't looked at anything other than the boxscore.

• The atmosphere was incredibly more lively and loud both outside the dome pre-game and during the game. A lot of Who Dat chants while walking to the game when previously this season it has been relatively quiet and calm pre-game. It's the alcohol. 
• I actually don't really get excited for this game until I start whistling the MNF theme while walking from the streetcar to the Dome. I'm feeling good. 
• Songs heard walking to the game: "Whoop There It Is," "Damn It Feels Good To Be A Gangsta" and "Lithium."
• Before the National Anthem Chris Paul came out and showed off his bright, shiny gold medal. He will come into play later in the game. 
• Some Disney-esque, all girl singing group of 4 barely teenage girls sang the National Anthem.
• It was pom pom night.  They were mostly black with just a few strings of gold. Seems to me if you're gonna give out pom pom's they should be brightly colored.
• Hank Williams, Jr. came out to actually say, "Are you ready for some football?" I don't think I want to know how much he gets paid just to do that.
• Looked to me like the first play from scrimmage was the old Superdome special.
• Deuce checked out on 3rd and one. He checked out a couple of times in situations that would seem to favor using him. 
• The non-call on what seemed to be blatant Vikings pass interference in the endzone signaled the start of the ridiculousness. Regardless, the Saints score anyway.
• How about Devery Henderson? I don't know about you guys but I feel bad about everything I said months prior. Great game for DH. It's a little bittersweet though because he did have a drop.
• Important Stat: 4 turnovers. That does include the last second hail mary.
• The special teams guys were dancing again before kickoff to that rap song. Someone sitting near me told me it was called "Dr. Who." 
• You would think that the "Kiss Cam" would get old after a while but it's always a laugh. One guy, upon realizing he and his lady were on the big screen, put his butt in her face to kiss that instead. Funny.
• Did you see Billy Miller hurdle his own player? That was sweet.
• Ahhhh, the onside recovery attempt. I will just say this...I see where Payton was going with that.
• Some fans would chant "LSU, LSU" to Vikings fans wearing purple and gold.
• Pierre looked solid in the return game. I would say special teams looked pretty good last night. More on that.
• Who is the woman who sings the Winn Dixie song? She looks like Melissa Etheridge's younger cousin.
• Then Hochuli took over the game. First it was the missed pass interference call in the enzone. Then the ref's missed the facemask call and the play wound up being a turnover. Boo's were raining down in anger. It was the loudest of the night. Then they needed to review a pass they ruled complete when it clearly hit the ground. Everyone on my side of the Dome knew it hit the ground when it actually happened but for some reason none of the refs actually on the field did. Referees Suck chant starts. Personally, I think that painted on napkin Hochuli passes off as a shirt was constricting the flow of blood to his head. The refs would leave the field after the half with a police escort. 
• The offensive line was not doing a good job protecting Drew in the first half.
• I'm about to say something good. The defense did an amazing job containing Peterson. Amazing. Vilma had a great day. Let's turn this into a negative though. It's upsetting that such a good defensive performance was wasted on a losing effort. Better?
• Not only did Devery drop a ball but so did Meachem and even more strangely, Lance Moore. This has not been a problem up to this point.
• On Peterson's non-fumble, Hochuli's explanation was that before his knee was down, the ball started to come loose but was still in his hand. How can it be both? It's either in his hand or it's loose. Everyone around me shared the same confusion.
• Here is a statement I hear a lot and heard it lots last night: Our secondary is making Frerotte look like (insert Hall of Fame quarterback here)!
• Don't know if you guys noticed but Weatherford has been taking most of, if not all, of the kickoffs. This seems to be quietly going unnoticed.
• Up to this point of the game the feeling in the Dome was anger, frustration and mass confusion. The noise had died down and people half stood on key third downs. Then Reggie took over.
• My friend following two poor Reggie punt returns but immediately before his first return TD: "I hate Reggie. He sucks and I hope he gets injured on this return." Me: "Don't say that. He's always a threat whenever he touches the ball. I want him on my time. He's gonna run this one back." Well, you know the rest. True story.
• You've got to wonder what if Reggie hadn't tripped in the middle of the field.
• Following Reggie's second punt return for touchdown the crowd was electric. New life was breathed into the crowd and everyone was again standing and getting loud for the defense. 
• Then Gramatica missed the go ahead field goal. Is this really happening? 
• Penalties were yet again ridiculous and costly. It was Kaesviharn's 42-yard pass interference call at the end of the game that was most costly. This really is happening. As long and slow as the first  half seemed to be, the final 5 minutes unfolded so quickly at an increasingly heart breaking and gut wrenching pace.
• As Erin and I exit the Superdome to walk toward St. Charles, it starts raining.
• After finally catching a cab, the driver decides he doesn't want to deal with the traffic and tells us he is going to "do us a favor" by letting us out to catch another cab. At this point we are back in front of the Dome and where we started. No favor at all. More rain and waiting. How else would this night have ended?

 
The Dome at night. 

 
I think this is a new scoreboard on each side of the 50-yard line. Confirmation?

 
Gumbo on an ATV. Check out the muscles.

 

 
This was a group of Viking fans who looked like the offspring of Willy Wonka and a pimp. 

 
The ref's and their police escort. I don't know whether they have that every game. Notice the booing. 

 
This guy wears this shirt everytime he goes to the game. It's like a leopard print and it looks like it's made of velvet. It's an interesting shirt. Guess you have to be there. 

 

 
Get out of the way!

 

 
Hochuli leaving the scene of the crime. You should have heard everyone yelling at him.