CBSSports.com: Drew Brees, Man of the People
Drew Brees, man of the people. And man among the people. Sure the way he plays on the field for the New Orleans Saints has every man, woman and child in the Crescent City way beyond in love with the guy.
In a big city where there's still about two degrees of separation from any one of its residents, it's the human element of Brees that may endear him to the city the most. No moment may have been more telling than following the Super Bowl XLIV parade at a bar in New Orleans' vibrant Warehouse District. Lucy's Retired Surfer Bar is a relaxing, down-to-earth hangout and is a favorite for many Saints players, only short stroll or an elevator ride away from their high-priced condos.
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Go there after any Saints home game and there's a high probability you'll bump into a player or two turning down half-drank bottles of Crown Royal or Jagermeister from adoring fans awed by their presence. So with the place already packed with post-parade celebrators, a group of Saints players made its way through the crowd as the trademark chat of "Who Dat!" ensued. Guard Jahri Evans, tackle Zach Strief, backup quarterbacks Mark Brunell and Chase Daniel and several other players filed in one after the other.
With everybody already in a state of delirium, and likely a state of borderline intoxication, in walked Brees. The place blew a gasket.
"I couldn't believe that Brees of all people would show up there with such his high profile status after the Super Bowl," New Orleans resident Josh Nobles said, who was able to sneak a photo with Brees through the madness. "Other players yeah, but probably one of the most recognizable people in the world at that time coming into Lucy's with teammates was just beyond belief."
You've got to remember that Brees had made the whirlwind Super Bowl media mystery tour. He went to Disney World, sat down for a chat with David Letterman and went through countless other interviews. And this was before that Tuesday night Mardi Gras-style parade through downtown New Orleans. The guy was running on fumes at that point, but Brees was as gracious as ever. And that's saying something.
Brees grabbed a bite to eat in the restaurant area of the establishment and attempted to decompress. The problem was that he wanted to reveal a secret. A secret the media has tried repeatedly to pry from the lock-and-key lips of Brees to no avail. The timing was too perfect for Brees to pass up, though. Brees grabbed the microphone. First, the crowd went bananas, then it went quiet, living and dying on every word. Brees told the crowd he wanted to teach them the battle cry you see him lead in the middle of the circle of Saints players, bordering on a mosh-pit slam-dance session, before every game. It went as follows:
Brees: "When I say one, you say two. When I say win, you say for you. One ..."
Crowd: "Two!"
Brees: "Win ..."
Crowd: "For you!"
Brees: "When I say three, you say four. When I say win, you say some more. Three ..."
Crowd: "Four!"
Brees: "Win ..."
Crowd: "Some more!"
Brees: "When I say five, you say six. When I say win, you say for kicks. Five ..."
Crowd: "Six!"
Brees: "Win ..."
Crowd: "For kicks!"
Brees: "When I say seven, you say eight. When I say win, you say it's great. Seven ..."
Crowd: "Eight!"
Brees: "Win ..."
Crowd: "It's great!"
Brees: "When I say nine, you say 10. When I say win, you say again. Nine ..."
Crowd: "Ten!"
Brees: 'Win ..."
Crowd: "Again!"
Brees: "Win ..."
Crowd: "Again!"
Brees: "Win ..."
Crowd: "Again!"
Brees: "Win ..."
Crowd: "Again!"
Brees added one more accolade to his mile-long resume: YouTube sensation. The partying continued and the insanity has yet to end.
"Looking back and knowing how New Orleans people are, it didn't surprise me he would show up there," Nobles said. "I personally think that's why a lot of athletes love playing in New Orleans because they can so easily go about their business here without people mobbing them constantly. There is not another NFL city where he would have been able to do that.
"No doubt in my mind."
Brees may have simply been trying to celebrate the party just like everyone else in the early hours of what turned into Wednesday morning. It's why it might not be a stretch to call Brees the most likable and popular citizen of New Orleans. Ever.
"It's such a unique situation," Brees said. "The connection that we have with our fans is unlike any other in the league, just because of what's happened here the last five years and what we've all been through together. I don't know how many guys, but there's quite a few guys that were here during the Katrina year that got displaced to San Antonio and were playing home games all over the place.
"I signed here six months later post-Katrina as a free agent as did a majority of the guys in the locker room and we all kind of were part of that rebuilding not only of this organization, but for a lot of us our careers, because a lot of us, you might call us castoffs or castaways a little bit because we were either traded here or got here, because we didn't have too many other options.
"We were able to that do that together as an organization, as a team, all of us individually, as a city, all kind of rebuilding together, all kind of leaning on each other."
Here's more proof of Brees' popularity and likability. Would New Orleans mayor Mitch Landrieu ever contemplate running for reelection if the man of the people decided to run for the post?
"Never," Landrieu said in an interview with "60 Minutes."
"I'd give it to him if he wanted it. He'd be a great mayor by the way."
Larry Holder is a RapidReports correspondent for CBSSports.com. Follow his coverage of the Saints here
Written by Larry Holder