September 14, 2010 | New Orleans

By Michael Roberts

Having recently moved back into the New Orleans metro area, I am quite new to all that the city now has to offer. Family members have lived here in Louisiana for a dozen years now, but there are some aspects of this town that you can't understand until you're here.

For example, New Orleans launched the NFL season this year with more fanfare than I've ever seen in a city. Having come from two other NFL host cities with Super Bowl contending teams, I had set notions of how a fanbase typically reacts. This week shattered those notions. From the workplace to every store that I entered and even to the recent blood donation drive in my neighborhood, fans were stoked to root for their world champion Saints! Downtown New Orleans took the celebration to another level with a parade through town and a concert in Jackson Square featuring Taylor Swift and the Dave Matthews Band.

I usually watch football only during the playoffs and during the Super Bowl, but I thought it would be imperative to see the season opener featuring the Saints and the Vikings. What would I possibly have to talk about with my co-workers if I didn't see "The Game"?

Thankfully, the Saints pulled out the victory, and New Orleans continued its festivities on into the night. The world champions will continue their march towards a repeat Super Bowl victory, and the city that celebrates like none other will support them every step of the way.