Day 216- Who Dat?

From Wikipedia:

Who dat? is a chant of team support, used especially by fans of the New Orleans Saints, an American football team. The entire chant is: "Who dat? Who dat? Who dat say dey gonna beat dem Saints?" "Who dat" may also be used as a noun, describing a Saints fan.

I think I'd like to jump on the Saints bandwagon.  No, it's not just because they won the SuperBowl this year.  No, it's not just because they beat the Colts in order to do so, although that helps.  I really want to be a part of the Who Dat Nation, and I really want to do the Who Dat chant.

I was watching the Real World (another reality television guilty pleasure), and the cast is in New Orleans this season.  Those lucky dogs got to hang out on Bourbon Street during the Super Bowl, and they participated in many a Who Dat? chant.  This took me back to one of my fondest memories of college.

It was the summer of 2004, and my roommate Lisa and I were Pistons superfans.  I put on my inherited 89-90-91 Bad Boys t-shirt every day when I got home from work, and we watched the Pistons religiously... at Damon's, on huge projections on a building on Packard St., at our apartment... anywhere and everywhere.  We decided to name our future children Chauncey, Rasheed, Tayshaun, and Rip.  When the Pistons beat the Lakers in Game 3 of the playoffs, we toilet papered my diehard Laker-loving friend Abiman's apartment.  We lived and breathed Pistons.

Imagine our excitement when David beat Goliath, and our boys brought home the championship in the first ever five-game sweep.  We won't talk about that one game in the 4-1 series that the Lakers "won" because clearly that was fixed, and everyone knows that victory should have gone to the Pistons too.  I digress.

After screaming and crying and jumping all over the apartment, Lisa and I decided to venture outside in the hopes that we would find other fans to celebrate with in Ann Arbor.  We walked a block to Campus Corner, chanting "DEEEEEEEEEETROIT!  BASSSSSSSSSSSSKETBALLLLL!" all the way.  We picked up a few friends.  Then, we turned around and walked a few blocks in the other direction, still chanting.  We picked up more friends.  After a few more blocks, we realized we were leading a parade.  We led our parade down South University until we met a few other parades.  I swear we were on a movie set.   

The rest of the night was a euphoric blur that I can't possibly explain.  I imagine that anyone running around on Bourbon Street this winter chanting "Who Dat?" would know exactly what it was like.  That's why I feel as if it's only natural that I submit my application to the Who Dat Nation. 

When the Lions make it to the Super Bowl, I will jump back (?) onto their bandwagon as soon as I tire of riding around on my flying pig.  Until then...

Thank you, Who Dat?, you made my day. 

Comments

Ashley said…
I remember that night in AA when the Pistons won! It was sort of like being part of a movie set. I remember high fiving lots of strangers and lots of yelling that night. It was awesome! :)

Thanks for that memory.
p.s. I like the Who Dat chant too!

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