City's Best: New Orleans' Top Five Athletes

FanHouse is posting the top five current athletes for America's top 25 cities with the following criteria: 1) Who would a New Orleans fan say is his/her favorite athlete? 2) Would the player's name (or face) be familiar to locals who don't follow sports?

Find your city's top five: ATL | BOS | CHA | CHI | CIN | CLE | DAL | DC | DEN | DET | HOU | IND | LA | MIA | MIL | MIN | NO | NY | SF | PHI | PHO | PIT | SD | SEA | STL

Two years ago, this list would've been impossible. With all due respect to the NOOCH, New Orleans is and always will belong to the Saints, despite the bad times. So though Saints fans have always been fiercely loyal, we'd be making a list including Aaron Brooks and John Carney. Not very sexy.

But after the hurricane, New Orleans athletes have knocked down the barrier between them and fans, forging more personal connections with the locals. The Hornets are still ... well, let's just say "blah," but the Saints are the apple of the city's eye, and finally earn it. A few months ago, LSU could have placed JaMarcus Russell or LaRon Landry, but both have started their NFL careers in other cities. As such, this list reflects the black-and-gold love buzzing around the city this year.

5. Marques Colston: At this time last year, the few who expected Colston to make the Saints final roster were wondering whether that'd be as a receiver or tight end. After an incredible rookie year (with a snub for Rookie of the Year, if you ask me) and on the brink of his first season as The Man, the city is expecting big things from Hofstra's finest.

4. Chris Paul: There hasn't been a lot of excitement from the Hornets lately (though nothing says "thrills" like the term "New Orleans/Oklahoma City"), but Paul, the 2006 Rookie of the Year, is dy-no-mite. His rookie year also garnered him the prestigious (read: worthless) ESPY for Best Breakthrough Athlete. In his second season, Paul upped his scoring and assist averages while cutting down on turnovers. If the Hornets ever decide they wanna sniff .500 again, they've got a great player to build around.
Sorry, No Photos
3. Reggie Bush: Even the Lions had Barry Sanders, but the Saints' only claims to legitimate NFL greatness come in the dull form of a left tackle (Willie Roaf) and a kicker (shout out to Morten Anderson!). Enter Bush and his Hall of Fame potential. He's New Orleans' first super-celebrity professional athlete. His many charitable contributions have endeared him to the city as much as his play has. His high profile keeps national attention on the continuing recovery efforts. And if it means we get some at-the-game shots of Kim Kardashian in the Superdome this year, all the better.

2. Deuce McAllister: There's no need to ask whether they're saying "booo" or "Deeuuuuuccee" when the Saints are at home, as nobody would dare think about besmirching the lovable Dulymus. Now, after the Saints' turnaround, McAllister is beloved for sticking with the team through some bad years (not just relegated to the field, either -- in 2001, teammate Albert Connell got caught stealing $4,000 from his locker). His rugged style of running juxtaposes with his reputation as a ridiculously great person off the field. He's known for his approachability and his altruistic acts. And he's a local (Mississipi) product, which gave him empathy points in the wake of Katrina.

1. Drew Brees: It doesn't matter if Miami was afraid of his hurt shoulder, if Brees really preferred the Saints all along, or if they just threw the most money at him. The bottom line is that the Saints got everything you could want in a quarterback, and in the wake of strip club shootings and dog-fighting allegations, a guy who's all-around awesomeness is so great even an award named "Man of the Year" (which Brees co-won last year) doesn't seem enough. From Day One, Brees changed the culture of losing in New Orleans and carried that positive energy into his contributions in the recovery effort. He made Saints fans believe that the team could be a winner. He made the city believe it could be a winner. And then he delivered. Say what you want about Colston, Bush, and McAllister, but if Brees signs with Miami, the Saints are screwed. It's only been one season, but his impact on New Orleans as a whole has been so incredible that it's hard to remember life before he arrived.

Honorable Mentions:

6. Sean Payton: Not an athlete, per se, but that's just semantics. The city already loved him, but that brilliant offensive gameplan against Dallas last year pushed the city into full-on infatuation mode.
7. Will Smith: A Pro Bowl lock for the forseeable future and the Saints' best player on defense. Also, so much fun you can have with that name.
8. Steve Gleason: Gleason's scary-good play on special teams and quirky personality have made him a cult hero for years, his blocked punt against Atlanta just a few minutes into the Superdome's re-opening last year solidified a spot in New Orleans history.
9. Mike Karney: Come for the excellent lead-blocking, stay for the occasional three-touchdown game.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

6-23-2007 @ 9:31PM

Marc Nelson Jr. said...

Brees' honkitude puts him over the top, huh?

Please. Even though I think he's overrated, it's gotta be Reggie Bush!

6-23-2007 @ 12:00AM

The U will be BACK! said...

Drew Brees over Reggie Bush?!?!?!

You gotta be kiddin me! Reggie Bush IS New Orleans...

6-23-2007 @ 10:33AM

chris mccallon said...

Reggie Bush couldn't have done what he did without Brees. One good season doesn't put him over Brees's several good seasons.

6-23-2007 @ 9:10PM

Donny Anderson said...

2006 was Drew's year. Reggie has more to come in the future.

6-23-2007 @ 1:35PM

alliedonny said...

2006 was Drew's year. Reggie will have his (several) in the future

6-23-2007 @ 4:10PM

lendingmadeeasy said...

While Drew certainly deserves one of the top two choices, and would probably be #1 to local Saints fans afetr last season, if you follow the three factors in this criteria, Reggie is clearly #1.

Drew #2, Deuce #3, Marques #4, and Scott Fujita & Will Smith at #5.

CP3 would be honorable mention (he hasn't been in the city long enough and the Hornets aren't setting the world on fire right now)

More honorable mentions would be Coach Payton and Charles Grant. I like both Gleason and Karney, but don't buy their honorable mention on a national scale.

6-23-2007 @ 4:27PM

While Drew has certainly forged his name in New Orleans history in just one year, and is the best QB to ever wear the Black and Gold, he would only be #2 on this list, if it were accurate.

Reggie, on a local and national basis, is the #1 Star Power Athlete in New Orleans. Whether warranted or not, it's just a fact.

#3 is definitely Deuce, but CP3 (Chris Paul) shouldn't be on the list yet. Most locals in the New Orleans area don't know him right now, with the Hornets not being here for 2 years.

#4 is Marques, and #5 should be Will Smith and Scott Fujita, tied.

Honorable mention to Coach Payton is correct (would be in the top 5 if coaches were included).

Charles Grant and Mickey Loomis should also be on the honorable mention list. They're both known locally and nationally.

While I like Steve Gleason and Mike Karney, and they're certainly popular locally, I doubt many people nationaly know them, let alone would recognize them walking down the street.

Putting them on an honorable mention list that included national recognition is a bit of a stretch.

6-23-2007 @ 10:12PM

rinaanne said...

I think some of the commenters are forgetting the criteria: 1) Who would a N.O. sports fan say is his or her favorite local athlete? 2) Would the player's name be familiar to someone who doesn't follow sports or only follows local sports casually? 3) Would the player be recognized walking down the street?

Given that criteria, it doesn't matter how popular the players are nationally. What matters is who does N.O. know and like.

I agree that C.P. should not make the list. The Hornets have hardly been here long enough the past 2 yrs for folks to really know him.

I think Deuce beats out Reggie and Brees. He's been here longer, so he's more recognizable (#2 criteria). He's been a work horse. He has great skills and a great personality. We love Deuce. With his camp for kids, more N.O. kids are likely to pick him too.

I think Brees beats out Reggie, b/c he has been the leader of this team that brought the kind of character we need. Brees also spent his offseason here, sending him in the streets more so that non-sports fans are likely to begin recognizing him. I think Reggie is going to get better in 2007 and give Brees a run for his money in the future, but for now, Brees wins the #2 spot.

Reggie should take the #3 spot behind Brees.

Honorable mentions are good. I agree with the reader who would like to add Mickey Loomis, but I'm not sure people who don't follow sports that well will recognize him (#2 criteria).

Scott Fajita was a good mention.

6-26-2007 @ 6:24AM

johnny said...

brees numero uno. u put bush behind say a guy like aaron brooks or bouman and u get nothing. dont get me wrong bush is going to a hall of famer no doubt, but to say he brought was this city needed better than brees. no. i think not. brees brought along his now stronger arm, his brains, and his will to win. just what this city needed after nearly going back vintage with the paper bag days. the only other id say who topped brees is the legendary archie manning. the dude could run for mayor and slaughter opponents unlike running for his life when he played for us. think about it.

6-26-2007 @ 8:23AM

bayoubengel34 said...

Whoever said Deuce Deuce should be #1 is a smart guy..he's been around longer than the others and is loved by the entire city. Although, Brees is the king of N.O. right now, he would have to take a backseat to Deuce with Reggie not far behind. Colston a.k.a the "real rookie of the year", is definetly #4 or #5. And although they wouldnt be in the top 5, Devery Henderson, LSU baby!, and the return of Roman Harper should be celebrated (God knows we need all the help we can get on D, especially with Fred Toast workin the corner)

6-26-2007 @ 2:11PM

Max said...

I would have ranked Colston above Bush for the simple fact that Colston made impacts in the games that he played in. I think Bush was a bust, he never showed the constiently that you would expect from someone that was wanted by so many teams.