The New Orleans Saints return to New Orleans this weekend for the second home game of the season. Over 72,000 sports fans in one place. One place that happens to sit next door to the Pelicans crib, the soon-to-be somewhat renovated New Orleans Arena. Since the teams share a Daddy, there should be a lot of cross-marketing, right? A perceptive Saints fan should consider starting a conversation about the Pelicans while sitting in the Dome. A semi-perceptive Saints fan should at least have the word Pelicans on his mind at some point. A Saints fan wearing a blindfold and ear muffs should feel the presence of the Pels.
At the Falcons game Al-Farouq-Aminu and Lance Thomas signed autographs outside of the Superdome and there was general Pelicans information occasionally on the ribbon displays. There’s gotta be more creative ways to merge the two and I’ve got some ideas.
As always, Mr. Benson, these ideas are free. In return just throw a pair of court side seats at me on occasion. Would also accept loge seats or a chance to perform my Giant Bowl of Jambalaya Halftime Show. Oh, also, I’ve been on the Saints season ticket waiting list since 2006. Help me with that as well, please.
Change the Lightpost Banners
The lightpost banners outside the Arena need to be changed from the fleur-de-bee to the fleur-de-P. Thousands of people use the exit directing them towards the Arena on the way out of the game so it’s entirely possible that thousands of people noticed a hole in the rebrand. Sure, you can’t help people wearing Hornets gear or some “I’m In” stickers still clinging onto storefronts but you should control what you can and there’s a lot of banners that still say Hornets sitting between the Superdome and the Arena. Maybe you’re waiting on sponsorships to come in or maybe the renovation is using all the ladders. But this is a missed opportunity and I’ve got some ladders you can borrow if you need them.
Anthony Davis leads the Who Dat chant
For the unaware, before every game an important member of the Saints organization walks to the middle of the field, raises a hand then drops it. The result is everyone in the Dome screaming “Who Dat! Who Dat! Who Dat say they gonna beat dem Saints!” a couple of times. The players have done it, Sean Payton has done it, Steve Gleason has done it. I’d like to see the heartbeat of the Pelicans do it as well. The exposure for AD to New Orleans football fans would be tremendous. He would probably have such a great time that he would immediately sign a contract extension.
[youtube id=”P2JZp0G3Qwk” width=”620″ height=”360″]
Personal Message from Tom Benson
Whether it’s a pre-recorded video message or the man himself with a microphone in one hand and an umbrella in the other, some words from Lord Benson about his recent acquisition would get fans fired up. There’s a connection between Saints fans and the Saints owner. There’s a connection between Pelicans fans and the Pelicans owner. The more Who Dat Nation hears those Pelican-based words from Tom Benson, the shorter the distance between the two teams becomes.
Got some ideas? Leave them in the comments!
Chris Trew is a New Orleans based comedian who performs regular at The New Movement in the Marigny Triangle. He also teaches Austin Improv Classes and New Orleans Improv Classes. Trew 2 the Game is every Tuesday exclusively at Bourbon Street Shots.
13 responses to “Trew 2 the Game #12: Next Door Neighbors”
[…] BourbonStreetShots.com […]
Maybe they could do a joint video with Mr. Benson, Saints players and Pelican players taking about being one big family including the cheerleaders from both teams. Concepts in the works but I love your idea about introducing the Pelicans to Saints fans and it should be every game.
That lightpost sign is some sad sh*t.
All great ideas Trew! How about:
Benson at midfield…Anthony Davis in new BLUE (not white!) PELICANS uniform on his left holding a football… Jimmy Graham in his BLACK UNIFORM (not white!) WITH GOLD PANTS on his right holding a basketball…Benson makes his speech and each toss the ball to each other and sprint to the goalposts…on their way their out comes Drew and Jrue!!!!! Balls are tossed to them by their respective teammates and then returned via pass and alley oop to thunderous dunks over the cross bar on each side of the stadium! Pandemonium!
Oh no! Crowd in shock to see Eric Gordon coming out onto the field. Not because he felt he didn’t need to come early and work with his teammates in the new facility…but because he is running out with the Arizona Cardinals since they are based out of Phoenix and we know how much that feels like home to him! Thunderous Boos!
Then a cage descends from the ceiling for halftime entertainment. Sheriff Marlon Gusman of N.O. (whose prisoners hang out in the quarter) faces off in a UFC non-sanctioned bout vsh Sheriff Joe Arpaio or Maricopa County, Arizona (whose prisoners live in a tent city out in the heat) for a battle to the finish. Gusman can’t get out of this one! Crowd going bonkers!
The above is easily editable as they can go as far or as close to the vest as they prefer!
Tragedy befalls the Saints receiving corps as Colston goes down with an injury just as they reach the red zone with the clock running out down by 6..next thing we know out comes a tall skinny Saint with “Aminu” emblazoned on the back of his jersey…Brees under heavy rush appears to launch the ball towards the endzone bleachers to avoid a sack and just as Moses is about to catch it in the front row, Al-Farouq leaps high into the air easily grabbing the pass and comes down on top of the Honey Badger who could only watch from ground level…
Jason Smith, continuing to hone his announcing skills and now filling in for the departed Jerry Romig, hollers out “TOUCHDOWNNN CHIEEEEEFFFF” over the Superdome PA…
At halftime of the next game, two tables are brought to midfield…each have a phone… a pencil…and a pad of paper….out come Loomis and Demps…the rules are explained to the crowd…mission impossible music playing as each are given a list of peewee players and their stats and must build a team in 3 minutes…upon completion the two teams come out to midfield and play a 5-10 minute gridiron game refereed by Evans, Rivers, Roberts in full NFL official uniforms…later in the year maybe they play basketball instead
Monday night game…Monty follows the national anthem with an invocation…raucous, drunk guy notices Steimsma and is trying to talk to him over Monty’s prayer…Stiemsma then does his best Hansen-brothers-from-the-movie-Slapshot impersonation, hollering “I’m listening to the f***g prayer!” http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=hansen+brothers+slap+shot&FORM=VIRE3#view=detail&mid=06CA2F3D58D0C58E685606CA2F3D58D0C58E6856
Lance Thomas seen carrying a vendor tray making his way up and down the sections hollering:
“Hot fries! Got your piping hot French fries, right here! Hot Fries!”
Ryan Anderson and Anthony Morrow also part of the entertainment as they compete against each other throwing footballs into ball baskets from 10-20-30yds out…in Heat preseason game Luke McCown and Ryan Griffin have to shoot 3ptrs with footballs…
The first thing I thought when we went to the Saints Failcons game was WHY WHY WHY DIDNT THEY CHANGE THE BANNERS OUTSIDE THE ARENA ? I agree with you 100%…….THOUSANDS of potential season ticket holders flowing out and in the dome and they didnt change THE EASIEST part of this re-branding , the signage ?????? CMON MAN…….otherwise its been a PERFECT transition and hats off to the Benson family…….Love our Saints and Pelicans…..
Saw AD walking out of the saints-cards game. Looked like he was coming from loge section, not a suite. Indicates to me he was just going on his own. Whether benson takes advantage of this or not, good to see AD taking the interest.
[…] Trew started a conversation about how to use Saints games to promote the Pelicans beyond typical ads running during […]
Great Idea having AD lead the saints chant! AD is becoming a New Orleans icon, so I think it would be such a great idea to have him drop it at one of the games.