NEW ORLEANS--New Orleans residents, weary after five years of struggle in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, are hoping against hope that their beloved Saints will beat the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV. Failing that, they would settle for Indianapolis being destroyed by a hurricane.

“I’m so pumped for the Super Bowl!” said Pierre Jarvis, a chef at a popular French Quarter restaurant. “I really want to see the Saints kick the shit out of the Colts. That would be so cathartic after all we’ve been through. If not, I at least hope to see Indianapolis destroyed by a hurricane. Either way we get to see someone else miserable for a change, which is what being a sports fan is all about.”

The Saints have been one of the least successful franchise in the NFL over the years, while the Colts have been one of the most successful, a fact not lost on New Orleans fans.

“The Colts have had it far too good for too long,” said lifelong New Orleans resident Lee Dobson, 63. “They haven’t had any adversity at all over the past few years. Neither has the city of Indianapolis. That’s why I’m hoping the Saints rout them on Sunday or a Category 5 hurricane rolls through Indianapolis and destroys it. I think I'd rather have the latter to tell you the truth. That's like winning 20 Super Bowls.”

Saints quarterback Drew Brees said the fans’ desire to see Indianapolis destroyed is a result of years of struggle and frustration the city has endured since hurricane Katrina.

“Try to put yourself in their shoes,” Brees said. “They’ve had a tough run of it the past few years. They’re angry. They’re bitter. They don’t think it’s fair. Plus, they're sports fans and part of the fun of being a sports fan is wishing suffering upon your rivals. I know when I was at Purdue we wanted everyone in South Bend to get catch the clap. And our co-eds did everything they could to make it happen.”

The Colts know they are the villains in this matchup and can understand why. Nobody wants to see Goliath beat David and everybody wants to see the Big Easy celebrating.

In the Colts locker room, players admit the Saints are easy to root for.

“Oh you have to feel sorry for those people and what they went through,” said defensive end Dwight Freeney. “It’s easy to see why America is rooting for them. Hell, I would be rooting for them if I wasn’t on the Colts. In fact, when – ahem – if we beat them on Sunday, it’s going to feel kind of rotten to have broken their hearts like that. And I know New Orleans residents are going to hate us. If it’s any consolation, we did endure a pretty rough cold snap here a few weeks ago, so it’s not like we haven’t suffered.”