They kicked it on purpose. Second half of Super Bowl XLIV, February 2010, and Sean Payton called a surprise onside kick coming out of the locker room, a gamble that would have looked insane if it failed. It did not fail. New Orleans recovered, took control, and beat Peyton Manning’s Colts 31-17. Tracy Porter sealed it with a pick-six. A city that had been underwater five years earlier had a Lombardi Trophy.

One trip, one trophy, the whole story in a single night

It is the only Super Bowl the Saints have ever reached, and they won it. Drew Brees was the MVP and the face of it, but the night belonged to a place as much as a team. New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, the Superdome that had been a shelter in the worst days, the franchise that nearly left town. They went to the Super Bowl once and brought it home.

Why this one is different

Most of these histories are about football. This one is about a city. The Saints did not have a long line of trips and trophies. They had one, and it landed exactly when a place needed it. Saints fans, one perfect appearance beats four empty ones, and I should know. That onside kick is one of the bravest calls I have ever watched a coach make.