It’s how it all began. On September 17th, 1967, the New Orleans Saints hosted their first-ever regular season game against the Los Angeles Rams in Tulane Stadium. The first play is the things legends are made of: John Gilliam returned the opening kickoff over 100 yards for a touchdown! Destiny seemed on the side of New Orleans. Maybe not. The Saints lost 27-13.
stephanie lauren bonds via pintrest.com
What some of today’s Saints fans may not know is that for many years, the Saints and Rams were division rivals. From 1970-2001, the Saints played twice each year. In fact, the only team the Saints have faced more often is, you probably guessed it, the Atlanta Falcons (100 games). The Rams and Saints have played a total of 76 times with Los Angeles having a 42-34 lead in wins.
The 1967 season set the tone for decades of frustration. The Saints went on to win only 3 games in their inaugural campaign. It would take more than a decade for the team to break even (8-8 in 1979). The first playoff appearance happened in 1987, after 20 years of ups and downs, promise and disappointment. The Saints were trounced by Minnesota 44-10. Finally, after another 13 years, New Orleans got their first playoff win in 2000. The opponent? The Rams!
Fast-forward another 18 seasons. Once again the Rams were front and center in a Saints story that most fiction writers wouldn’t publish because it was just too hard to believe. But it happened. No need to go over the gory details. Let’s just say there won’t be a single Saints fan watching this game that will honestly believe it’s just another football game. It’s the Rams and the Saints. Their rivalry is as old as the NFL in the Big Easy. Last season just added a bit of fuel to the inferno.
Instead of watching the replay of what did and didn’t happen last time these two teams got together, let’s look at a video of how it all began. This is a highlight film of the 1967 season. Most of us aren’t old enough to remember 1967. Those of us that are lifelong fans may know names like Kilmer and Atkins, but very few of us actually saw these guys play. Check it out. I think you will enjoy it.
History often helps us to put things in perspective. The way 2018 ended was painful. But, for 20 years, Saints fans never even sniffed the playoffs. We chanted “I Believe” even when all hope was lost. How far we have come!
