I got another one...sweet!  I was good at these this year

On Monday Night, September 25, New Orleans had a reason to celebrate and forget about the misery around them. It was “Home Sweet Dome” with no Katrina-like drama allowed when the New Orleans Saints re-opened the Louisiana Superdome with a gigantic and symbolic win against the Atlanta Falcons.

For one night, I was a Saints fan and I was rooting for a team that for 3-4 hours would melt the reality out of the people of New Orleans.

Congrats to the Saints on their victory. The Final Score…. Saints clubbed the Falcons, 23-3.

Maybe. Maybe not.

But for the fans, at least, this move had to be made.
 

I'm not in a position to comment effectively on whether Gibbs deserved to stay on or not. His job performance, as judged by his defensive unit rankings, was at best mixed (and at worst awful).

His defenses as a coordinator in New Orleans, in order, were ranked 11th, 26th and 23rd. Unfortunately for him, the two rankings in the 20s came in his most recent two seasons ... creating a clamor among the fan base for rapid improvement or dismissal. As it happened, it was their second wish that came true.

Will the defense now improve with Gibbs gone? Who knows? But the dismissal of Gibbs is sure to do one thing in the short term at least: keep the fans coming.

It's no secret that the feather in the Saints' cap since their return to the Louisiana Superdome in 2006 has been their season ticket sales. Indeed, demand for tickets rose so high following the team's miracle playoff run that season, that rumors of waiting lists a mile long began to circulate.

But two mostly stagnant seasons (7-9 and 8-8, respectively) followed. And it was no coincidence that in each year the defense fell apart in several big games. The fans got restless, and their frustration pointed at the defense in general ... and Gibbs specifically.

Butts in seats is the biggest success story any team can ever point to. Well, that and sponsorship dollars. But with the second avenue seemingly tapped out by the state of the New Orleans economy and the first option in danger thanks to a declining U.S. economy, the Saints had to make a move to keep both intact.

Just take a look around the country. Coaches are getting fired left and right, and patience in football seems as out-of-date a concept as the veer. The economy, and the fears surrounding it, have everything to do with that. Teams are more subject to the whims of their fans and financial interests than ever before -- the Saints are no exception.

Gibbs may very well land on his feet. And the Saints figure to get better on defense if only because of the law of averages.

But don't make the mistake in thinking this was about Sean Payton's job security or about a team trying to get better. This was about keeping the revenue streams coming in.

Let's just all hope the fans are right.