Is a Super Bowl win part of New Orleans' destiny?

Many are wondering whether it is the destiny of the New Orleans Saints to win Super Bowl XLIV in a showcase of the city's strength after facing the destruction of Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

The Saints will face the Indianapolis Colts this Sunday in Miami to see who will become the 2010 Super Bowl Champion. This will be the 11th time the teams have played each other. The last time they met was in September 2007 when the Colts won, 41-10.

"For a long time the Saints have had a bad franchise," Joel Cash, a freshman cinema and digital arts major, said.

Founded in 1966, the New Orleans franchise operated for two years before it had a winning record. This is the first time the Saints have won the National Football Conference (NFC) Championship and made it to the Super Bowl. This is also the first time the Saints have won more than one playoff game in their 44-year history. With so many firsts, one can only wonder if the Saints are destined to win their first Super Bowl. "They have had a bad run, and it's time for something good," sophomore Mike Palmer said. Since Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in August 2005, the rebirth of the Saints parallels that of "The Big Easy." Nearly 26,000 people found shelter from the storm in the Louisiana Superdome, home of the New Orleans Saints.

Not only were people's homes damaged, but the place the Saints had called home for 30 years was also significantly damaged. The dome was punctured, its waterproof covering was peeled back and the facility was unable to be used for the Saints' 2005 season. That year, the Saints had to play their home opener at Giants Stadium and split the remainder of their home games between San Antonio's Alamodome and Louisiana State University's Tiger Stadium. This season has been the best in the history of the Saints. New Orleans won its first 13 games -- a franchise record -- and finished the season 13-3. New Orleans was the No. 1 seed in the NFC going into the postseason and had its first playoff bye week. The Saints then defeated the Arizona Cardinals and the Minnesota Vikings, leaving only the No. 1-seeded American Football Conference (AFC) team, the Indianapolis Colts, standing in the way of a Super Bowl win. This year's Super Bowl will have a first-place winner no matter which team wins. The last first-place team to win was in 2003, when the New England Patriots defeated the Colts. "It will be a great game," freshman Hannah Riggs said.

With this year's Most Valuable Player and Colts quarterback Peyton Manning facing Saints quarterback Drew Brees, the game could be a "score-athon." This year's Super Bowl could even attract more viewers than last year's 95.4 million who watched Pittsburgh's last-minute 27-23 victory against the Arizona Cardinals. More than 42.1 percent of U.S. households watched last year's big game.

One man who understands the impact of the game on the city of New Orleans more than anyone is Mayor Ray Nagin, the city's mayor when Hurricane Katrina struck. A life-long resident of New Orleans, Nagin has seen the Saints' growth firsthand. He recently appeared on ESPN with Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard to discuss the traditional mayor's wagers on the Super Bowl. While he may be biased, Mayor Nagin echoed the thoughts of many in New Orleans.

"I think destiny is with us," Nagin said.