A new saint marches in
Can Bush rebuild New Orleans?
DUSTIN PREUN
A question being asked in the United States is “What can Bush do to help rebuild the city of New Orleans?” No, they aren’t talking about George W.; they’re talking about Reggie Bush, the New Orleans Saints rookie, who is the new symbol of hope in the hurricane Katrina-ravaged city.
Bush, last year’s Heisman trophy winner, has unlimited potential on the field. He has his highlight reel cuts and jukes that made him a household name as the star halfback at the University of Southern California. Now, he will be recognized as much more than a star athlete in a New Orleans Saints uniform. He will be looked upon as a source of inspiration for the struggling citizens of New Orleans, only half of whom have returned to their homes, following hurricane Katrina.
There are a lot of doubters and non-believers out there that think that a football player (or athlete, in general) cannot make an impact on this terrible situation. Many people in our society think of sports as “trivial,” a complete waste of one’s time. Well, the New Orleans Saints must mean something to someone, seeing as how season tickets sales are currently at an all-time high for the franchise. This is surprising for a city that has only half of its population back, most of whom have very low disposable incomes at the moment. It seems unfathomable that attending football games would be on anyone’s priority list. Yet, on Sept. 25, in front of an electrified crowd, the New Orleans Saints took the field against their division rivals, the Atlanta Falcons. In the newly restored Superdome, the team played their hearts out for their city, winning 23-3. That’s pretty good for a team that didn’t even have a home last year (much like the citizens of New Orleans), and finished 3-13, secondworst in the NFL.
When Reggie Bush was picked second overall in this year’s NFL draft, there was a lot of pressure on him to perform well, both on and off the field. Bush also came into New Orleans under some controversy about free rent given to his family (allegedly) by a person connected with a sports management firm. Bush was also without a contract up until the days right before training camp.
Despite these obstacles, Bush always said he wanted to get off on the right foot with the city of New Orleans and the Saints faithful. He has already started to follow through. He has donated money to a Catholic school in the city; and in partnership with Diet Pepsi and Rebuilding Together, a website was created, yardbyyard.com. On this website anyone can donate money to help rebuild homes damaged by hurricane Katrina. Also, for every yard Reggie Bush gains on the field, Diet Pepsi will kick in money to support Rebuilding Together. Along with Bush’s contributions come more contributions from his sponsors, such as Adidas and Pepsi. Also, a portion of the money collected from the sales of his number 25 jersey is taken to help Katrina victims. Many other athletes have helped the cause — such as Peyton and Eli Manning, who grew up in New Orleans — donating large sums of money earlier this year.
With that, I encourage people to feel thankful for everything they have and never take anything for granted. So, if you have the time between exams, visit yardbyyard.com. At this website, you can “Run with Reggie” to donate money or “Bid on Reggie” and help Bush’s efforts to restore this great city. In the coming years, the true impact of sports on society will be felt in New Orleans, as Reggie and his Saints go on their march to make a fallen city stand tall once again.
