IV 111th CONGRESS 2d Session H. RES. 1080 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES February 9, 2010 Mr. Scalise (for himself, Mr. Cao, Mr. Alexander, Mr. Cassidy, Mr. Fleming, Mr. Boustany, Mr. Roskam, Mr. Taylor, Mr. Sessions, Mr. Bonner, Mr. Griffith, Mr. Burgess, Mr. Barton of Texas, Mr. Shimkus, Mr. Sullivan, Mr. Terry, Mr. Whitfield, Mr. Melancon, and Mrs. Bono Mack) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform RESOLUTION Congratulating the New Orleans Saints upon their winning Super Bowl XLIV.

Whereas, on February 7, 2010, in Miami, Florida, the New Orleans Saints defeated the Indianapolis Colts to win Super Bowl XLIV; Whereas the Saints’ 31–17 victory over the Colts was the Saints’ first NFL Championship in franchise history, and capped a 16–3 season that included 13 consecutive wins; Whereas Saints owner Tom Benson and his family have exhibited a strong commitment to the Saints organization, the city of New Orleans, and the State of Louisiana, and have assembled an impressive team of coaches, players, and staff that made achieving the Super Bowl victory possible; Whereas Saints head coach Sean Payton is to be congratulated for leading the Saints to a Super Bowl win in only his fourth season as the head coach and for being named Sporting News’ 2009 NFL Coach of the Year for the second time in four seasons; Whereas the Who Dat Nation, the greatest group of fans in professional sports, is to be honored for proudly standing by its team, never wavering in its support of the New Orleans Saints, and making the Louisiana Superdome the loudest and most difficult stadium for opposing teams; Whereas Saints quarterback Drew Brees was named the Most Valuable Player in Super Bowl XLIV for his record-tying 32 completions out of 39 attempts, 282 passing yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions; Whereas Saints cornerback Tracy Porter intercepted a pass and returned it 74 yards for a game-clinching touchdown; Whereas offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael orchestrated an offensive unit, including starters Drew Brees, Reggie Bush, Jermon Bushrod, Marques Colston, Jahri Evans, Jonathan Goodwin, Devery Henderson, Carl Nicks, Jeremy Shockey, John Stinchcomb, and Pierre Thomas, that finished the regular season as the number-one offense in the NFL, and also ranked first in points per game, yards per game, touchdowns, and total points scored; Whereas defensive coordinator Gregg Williams’ creativity and leadership guided the Saints defense, including starters Remi Ayodele, Sedrick Ellis, Scott Fujita, Jabari Greer, Roman Harper, Bobby McCray, Tracy Porter, Scott Shanle, Darren Sharper, Will Smith, and Jonathan Vilma, that led the team to unprecedented success; Whereas Drew Brees finished the 2009 season as the number-one-ranked passer in the NFL with a quarterback rating of 109.6; Whereas the Saints had seven players, Drew Brees, Jahri Evans, Jonathon Goodwin, Roman Harper, Darren Sharper, Jonathan Stinchcomb, and Jonathan Vilma, selected to participate in the 2010 NFL Pro Bowl; Whereas guard Jahri Evans and safety Darren Sharper were named to the Associated Press 2009 NFL All-Pro Team; Whereas the Saints organization must be commended for the support they have shown to the city and State they call home; Whereas following Hurricane Katrina, the Saints set up a relief fund that provided much-needed resources to charities around Southeast Louisiana and made a commitment to return to New Orleans after not being able to play a single game in the city during the 2005 season; Whereas following Hurricane Katrina, the Saints gave the people of Southeast Louisiana hope that their way of life was slowly returning to normal, and provided a much-needed boost and distraction from the difficult recovery process; Whereas Saints owner Tom Benson, his wife Gayle, and his granddaughter and Saints owner and Executive Vice President Rita Benson-LeBlanc, have dedicated countless hours and resources to helping the people of Southeast Louisiana; Whereas in 2008, the Volunteers of America recognized Tom Benson as the recipient of its annual Good Samaritan Award in Philanthropy in recognition of his incomparable efforts to rebuild the region following Hurricane Katrina; Whereas the Saints players have become actively engaged in the New Orleans area and have forged the strongest bond between players and their fans that exists in all of sports; Whereas the Saints have galvanized and inspired the people of Louisiana and all members of the Who Dat Nation during their historic championship season; Whereas since their founding in 1967 and throughout their history, the Saints have been an iconic symbol for the people of New Orleans and the Gulf South, exhibiting the same commitment and resolve in overcoming adversity and achieving success; and Whereas the entire Saints franchise has become a model of professionalism, goodwill, and community service in representing the City of New Orleans and the State of Louisiana and brings pride to Saints fans everywhere: Now, therefore, be it

That the House of Representatives— (1)congratulates— (A)the New Orleans Saints for winning Super Bowl XLIV; (B)the Benson family and the Saints coaching and support staff, whose commitment to the Saints organization has sustained this proud organization and allowed the team to achieve its first Super Bowl victory; (C)all members of the Who Dat Nation, whose enthusiasm for the team earns them recognition as one of the most loyal fan bases in all sports; (D)the State of Louisiana, whose commitment to the Saints helped ensure the team’s success; and (E)the Indianapolis Colts, led by New Orleans-native Peyton Manning, for an outstanding season; and (2)directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to make available enrolled copies of this resolution to the New Orleans Saints for appropriate display and distribution to the ownership, coaches, and members of the 2009–2010 New Orleans Saints.