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If ever a fan base had earned a reward, it's the New Orleans Saints' faithful.
Whether or not they win the Super Bowl, the Saints record of expansion futility has few equals. Born in 1967, they didn't break even until 1979, and didn't have a winning record until 1987. Their win over Minnesota puts them in position to win their first-ever NFL championship.
The Saints' futility is one thing, but how about the Texas Rangers? Born in 1961 as the expansion Washington Senators, the Rangers are also awaiting their first World Series berth. They've made the playoffs a few times, but never got out of the divisional series. A new ownership group that includes Nolan Ryan can't hurt.
Then there are the Expos/Nationals. Born two years after the Saints, Montreal made the postseason in 1981, the strike year, and then were left high and dry with baseball's best record in 1994 when another labor dispute ended the season. The franchise was basically stripped of anything of real value before it moved to DC, so I prefer to look at the Nats as a sixth year expansion club. Disagree all you want, I'm not changing my mind on that.
There are other franchises in various sports who've had long, dry spells. Some are worse than others. But, after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina and the near relocation of that franchise, those big easy fans deserve an opportunity to cut loose.
