By Dave Walker, The Times-Picayune

January 25, 2010, 4:40PM

The New Orleans Saints’ overtime playoff victory over the Minnesota Vikings was the most-watched non-Super Bowl TV broadcast since the May 1998 “Seinfeld” finale.

And it had a better ending.

With an average national audience of 57.9 million – 40 percent larger than last year’s NFC Championship Game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Arizona Cardinals — Sunday’s game was also the most-watched NFC Championship Game in nearly three decades.

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By Nakia Hogan, The Times-Picayune

January 25, 2010, 1:10AM

New Orleans Saints kicker Garrett Hartley kicks the game-winning field goal in overtime of the NFC championship game against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday at Superdome.

Michael DeMocker/The Times-Picayune

There were 42 years worth of demons, 42 years of mostly struggles, 42 years of waiting until next year.

Not anymore. This, the 43rd year of the New Orleans Saints, will be different.

In one swing of Garrett Hartley’s right leg Sunday night, the Saints kicked away their demons, booted out their past struggles and ended the wait.

The Saints are going to Super Bowl XLIV. Hartley’s 40-yard winning field goal in overtime of the Saints’ thrilling 31-28 victory over the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC championship game guaranteed them a spot.

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The New Orleans Saints are the Conference Champs !!

Who Dat !!

That’s right get your 2009 Conference Championship Stuff now, you know it will go fast !!  CLICK HERE NOW !

By John DeShazier, The Times-Picayune

January 23, 2010, 9:58PM

There was a time in New Orleans Saints history when today was unimaginable, when viewing the franchise through the rosiest-colored glasses couldn’t have produced this kind of look, when the football-given right of Who Dats to allow hope to soar necessarily had to be tempered because the franchise routinely was propeller-less, wingless and engineless — often during the same season.

Now, officially, that’s B.S.

Before Sean.

In four seasons, Sean Payton has become the most accomplished coach in franchise history. In less than half a decade he has delivered on the promise of making the Saints annually relevant, among the list of usual suspects when NFC contenders are listed.

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By The Times-Picayune

January 24, 2010, 6:09AM

After a lull around Christmas when the Saints lost three games in a row, sales of anything bearing the NFL team’s logo spiked over the past week as fans once again began snapping up merchandise. And several retailers are already making tentative plans to roll out NFC Champion paraphernalia should the Saints win a trip to the Super Bowl today.

Local stores and Web sites that sell sporting goods have seen significant increases in revenue in recent months due to the success of the Saints season. As jerseys flew off the shelves week after week, business only seemed to get better as the season went on.

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By Jaquetta White, The Times-Picayune

January 24, 2010, 6:15AM

One could credit the New Orleans Saints’ unexpectedly successful football season with sending team merchandise sales skyrocketing, canceling a few Carnival parades and inspiring many local musicians to pen celebratory songs. And today the team’s winning season will get credit for one more feat: halting local commerce.

“Nobody’s going to stay open and miss that,” said Greg Dombourian, who owns Dombourian Rugs on Magazine Street and is president of the Magazine Street Merchants Association. Instead of closing at 5 p.m., Dombourian Rugs will remain closed all day.

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By Mike Triplett, The Times-Picayune

January 23, 2010, 6:00AM

Sean Payton and Drew Brees have their own secret language.

Or at least that’s how it looks from the outside sometimes, when their endless hours of film study and game planning sessions during the week are translated into a few simple gestures between the New Orleans Saints’ coach and quarterback on game day.

“They’ll just kind of look at each other and point, and they’ll (nod their heads), like, ‘Yeah, ‘” Saints guard Carl Nicks said. “And you don’t know what they’re talking about. But something’s working right.”

Indeed it is.

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You have to check out the Marine Corps band as they get CRUNK !

Check out the story from Channel 6 CLICK HERE NOW

By Pat Yasinskas

1. This is Drew Brees‘ game. Yes, all the hype has been about Brett Favre. When a 40-year-old legend gets his team this far, that’s expected. But I think this game is more about the legacy of Brees. For the past few years, he has put up numbers that put him in the conversation with Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and Favre as the league’s best quarterback. But the one thing Brees doesn’t have that they all do is a signature win. It might be time for Brees to sign his autograph.

Scott Cunningham/Getty Images

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