Last updated at 12:37 PM. Monday 8 February 2010
by Allen Johnson
Fans celebrate the New Orleans Saints win against the Indianapolis Colts during Super Bowl XLIV
New Orleans explodes with joy after Saints win
Ecstatic fans poured into the streets of the French Quarter late Sunday as storm-scarred New Orleans celebrated its first-ever Super Bowl win by their beloved Saints.
A city famous for diversions – Mardi Gras, music and colorful politics, to name a few – set aside distractions to focus on the big game.
Even the strippers on bawdy Bourbon Street stopped dancing. Instead, they joined thousands of revelers cheering the Saints on live television sets at nearby bars.
“We have no music, no stages. It’s the first time I’ve seen a club shut down and I’ve been doing this for five years,” said Sam Stonebraker, 34, a host at Rick’s Cabaret.