Write On Sports LLC - "Glad to Be Right" by Sean Sweeney

Glad to Be Right

2006-09-25 22:57:53 | By: Sean Sweeney

Very rarely am I right. But after 55 weeks, last night I was proud to see that I was right about the Superdome.

Back on the night of Sept. 6, 2005, I wrote a column about a CNN Breaking News Alert that I received in my e-mail that night. At the time, my column, created a stir. Some people didn't appreciate my column and were offended by what I wrote. Some people came to my defense.

Here is that column:

"Like many people in America, I received a breaking news alert from CNN.com at about 8 p.m. ET last night. The alert stated that James Lee Witt, a former FEMA director who is now advising the governor of Louisiana, said the Superdome should be torn down following Hurricane Katrina.

Excuse me? Wanna say that in my good ear?

Tearing down the Superdome shouldn't have to happen. There are some fixable issues with the stadium, but there is no sound reason why it should be demolished.

As usual, it's the guy on Press Row who is the voice of reason in yet another stressful time.

Despite the damage inflicted upon her during the storm, the Superdome is still a fully functioning stadium. Right now there may be no power to the building and there may be two huge holes in the roof, but there is no need to reduce the home of the New Orleans Saints and the Sugar Bowl to rubble.

Some may argue that the stadium is full of bacteria and disease from the refugees no longer inside the building. Yes, that is true; there were troubles in the dome regarding the bathrooms during the storm, which I'm sure was because of the lack of cleaning people in the building while Katrina was blowing.

But look at it from this side -- I'm sure that had the staff been there anyway, there would still be a problem in keeping the bathrooms clean. That many people in one place for more than 48 hours? Yeah, there would be no way to keep up with that, and I'm sure those who camped out in Boston Garden during the Blizzard of '78 could sympathize with the refugees. They could share with you tales of the conditions inside the Grand Ole Lady of Causeway Street from that experience, and you would cringe just from that.

But back to the Superdome, a building that is still standing.

Has anyone ever heard of disinfectant? A few hundred volunteers with bottles of Formula 409 in one hand, a sponge in another, and a surgical mask over the mouth should fix the bacteria problem quickly. They could have the building Spic and Span in a week.

And what about the smell? I recommend that once power is restored, someone bring in tons of those Glade Plug-Ins and, well, do as the commercial says: Plug it in. I'm sure that more people would prefer to remember the Superdome smelling like "Clean Linen" or "Lilac Spring" when they re-enter the building rather than "Urine Lemon" or "Gravy-Retching Brown."

But that's just me; I have no problems with a lilac bouquet while I'm watching football. But I digress.

Maybe having a battalion of folks with sandblasters or power washers to get the stairs in the lower bowl clean? Doesn't seem like a bad idea to me. Along with the vomit and drool left by the refugees, volunteers can get rid of bubble gum and stained soda that has coated the concrete for years.

Wow, I'm coming up with cleaning ideas that I bet Bob Vila never came up with. Maybe I should submit these ideas to Sears so I can write my own stadium improvement books. But I digress yet again.

Of course people will also complain that the roof can not be repaired.

Has anyone even tried? Of course not. It isn't even time to worry about fixing the roof, let alone the entire building. The state should be worrying about getting the people out of New Orleans rather than worrying if the roof of the Superdome can be fixed or not.

They should also concern themselves with getting all the water out of the city, too. But that's just me.

Now, once the roof is inspected and if it is declared unstable, then of course I don't think anyone should risk their neck trying to repair it. I suggest either a.) removing the dome and installing light towers to light the field; or b.) not touch the dome and let it stand as a memorial to those who were inside -- or left outside, for that matter -- when the storm hit.

There have also been no reports of the stadium's foundation being compromised. Had it been compromised, then by all means, level the building.

But it hasn't been compromised. Why level a perfectly working building when the structure is pretty much safe?

The Superdome is not a relic, it is a stadium that has stood the test of time and, even though it had its roof nearly torn completely off last week, has stood the test of the elements. The good thing about football is that it can be played in any weather. Just because there are holes in the roof doesn't mean you can't play football in there.

Last time I checked, there was a huge hole in the roof of Texas Stadium, where the Cowboys play. That hole hasn't stopped the Cowboys from playing there over the years, and I'm sure Saints fans are sturdy enough to handle some rain drops if it rains.

The Superdome has been the site of many Super Bowls, Sugar Bowls, and many history making events. Just because someone wants to rebuild New Orleans from the ground up does not justify destroying a building that is structurally sound.

And besides, taxpayers are already footing over $10 billion to restore the city. Imagine how they would go berserk if they had to pay for a new stadium for the Saints?

Sounds like another CNN.com breaking news alert in my e-mail."

Last night, my plea for sane thinking was answered.

The Saints played their first football game at the Superdome since before Katrina, and the emotion level in the building was of cheers, not of distress. The way the Saints ushered in a new era in the dome -- forcing a Falcon punt after three plays, then blocking that kick and scoring on the same play -- couldn't have been scripted any better than it was. It was as if Hollywood was making a movie about the reconstruction of New Orleans, and it used ESPN as the recording device.

The past few days have been riddled with purple prose by writers all over the country, speaking from the heart about the Superdome and how important that building and that team is to the area. I can't put it any better than they did, so I won't even try.

But I will say this instead: the Saints and the Superdome came back with a vengeance last night, and residents of New Orleans and fans of the Saints flipped its collective middle finger at Mother Nature, that Damsel of Distress. They all said that you threw your best at us, and we fought back. We perservered for over a year, and while we still have rebuilding to do, we will continue to perservere. The struggle is over.

The Saints are back where they belong -- in the Superdome, which only 55 weeks ago was threatened to be torn down.

Post a comment