Dear Miami........

Dear Miami,

The Saints are coming. And so are we, their loyal, long-suffering and
slightly discombobulated Super Bowl-bound fans.

While there's still time to prepare -- although a few hard-core Who
Dats will begin trickling in Monday, most of us won't arrive until
Thursday or Friday -- we thought we'd give you a heads-up about what
you should expect.

First things first: You need more beer.

Yeah, we know. You ordered extra. You think you have more than any
group of humans could possibly consume in one week. Trust us. You
don't.

New Orleans was a drinking town long before the Saints drove us to
drink. But it turns out beer tastes better when you're winning. (Who
knew?) So let's just say we're thirsty for more than a championship;
adjust your stockpiles accordingly.

And look. When we ask you for a go-cup, be nice to us. We don't even
know what "open container law" means. Is that anything like "last
call"?

It's Carnival season in New Orleans (that's Mardi Gras to you), and
we'll be taking the celebration on the road. So don't be startled if
you walk past us and we throw stuff at you; that's just our way of
saying hello.

Oh, and sorry in advance about those beads we leave dangling from your
palm trees. We just can't help ourselves.
February is also crawfish season, and you can be sure that more than
one enterprising tailgater will figure out a way to transport a couple
sacks of live mudbugs and a boiling pot to Miami.

When the dude in the 'Who Dat' T-shirt asks if you want to suck da
head and pinch da tail, resist the urge to punch him. He's not
propositioning you. He's inviting you to dinner.

And if you see a big Cajun guy who looks exactly like an old Saints
quarterback walking around town in a dress ... don't ask. It's a long
story.

We know that crowd control is a major concern for any Super Bowl host
city. Our advice? Put away the riot gear.

Reason No. 1: Indianapolis is going to lose, and their fans are way
too dull to start a riot.

Reason No. 2: New Orleans showed the world on Sunday that we know how
to throw a victory party. We don't burn cars. We dance on them.

Reason No. 3: Even if we did lose, which we won't, leaving the stadium
would be like leaving a funeral, and our typical response to that is
to have a parade.

Speaking of which: If you happen to see a brass band roll by, followed
by a line of folks waving their handkerchiefs, you're not supposed to
just stand there and watch. As our own Irma Thomas would say, get your
backfield in motion.

And hey, Mister DJ! Yes, we know you've already played that stupid
Ying Yang Twins song 10 times tonight, but indulge us just one more
time.

To us, "Halftime (Stand Up and Get Crunk) isn't just a song; it's
576 points of good memories. It's the sound of a Drew Brees touchdown
pass to Devery Henderson, a Pierre Thomas dive for first down on
4th-and-1, a Garrett Hartley field goal sailing through the uprights
in overtime.

It's what a championship sounds like. You may get sick of hearing it.
We won't. Encore, dammit.

Inside Sun Life Stadium, you may find your ears ringing more than
usual. We're louder than other fans. Seven thousand of ours sound like
70,000 of theirs.

Don't believe us? Ask the 12th man in the Vikings huddle.

Some people think it's just the Dome that heightens our volume. But
you're about to discover a little secret: We can scream loud enough to
make your head explode, indoors or out.

It's not the roof. It's the heart.

Well, OK, and the beer.
Don't be surprised if there are more Saints fans outside the stadium
than inside. A lot of us are coming just to say we were part of
history, even if we can't witness it up close. The Saints are family
to us, and you know how it is with family: We want to be there for
them, whether they really need us or not. Because we know our presence
will mean something to them, whether they can see us or not.

Come to think of it, seeing as how you're taking us in for the week,
we pretty much regard you as family, too. So we're warning you now: If
you're within hugging distance, you're fair game.

Hugging strangers is a proud Who Dat tradition, right up there with
crying when we win.

Most sports fans cry when their teams lose. Not us. We've been losing
gracefully and with good humor for 43 years. Tragedy and
disappointment don't faze us. It's success that makes us go to pieces.

Hurricane Katrina? We got that under control. The Saints in the Super
Bowl? SOMEBODY CALL A PARAMEDIC!!!

So anyway, don't let the tears of joy freak you out. We're just ... disoriented.

OK. Let's review:

Order more beer. Throw me something, mister. Suck da heads. Wear da
dress. Stand up. Get crunk. Hug it out. Protect your eardrums. Pass
the Kleenex. Hoist the trophy.

See you at the victory party.

Faithfully yours,

The Who Dat Nation