Drew Brees sends message to New Orleans as Hurricane Ida hits

Former New Orleans Saints quarterback and NBC broadcaster Drew Brees sent a message to the people of New Orleans on Sunday evening. Brees spent 15 seasons in New Orleans, raising his kids in New Orleans and becoming heavily invested in the city during his tenure. As Hurricane Ida makes landfall as a category four hurricane, Drew Brees encourages everyone to stay safe.

“Hey everybody back in New Orleans and Louisiana, it’s Drew Brees,” Brees said in a video posted to social media. “I’m here in Atlanta with the Sunday Night Football crew but my heart is with you. Please everyone, stay safe and secure during the hurricane. And God bless everyone. Stay safe.”

Drew Brees is in our building for Sunday Night Football.

We thought New Orleans would appreciate hearing from him tonight. 🙏 pic.twitter.com/oHaWakmAQx

— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) August 29, 2021

Drew Brees came to New Orleans shortly after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. His immediate investment in the city, as well as his on-field performance, created a special bond with New Orleans.

Saints preseason game cancelled

The New Orleans Saints announced Friday that their preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals had been cancelled. Below is the official statement from the Saints website.

“At the request of Louisiana Governor Edwards, the NFL and The New Orleans Saints announced Friday, Aug. 27 that due to the impending impact of Hurricane Ida on the Gulf Coast region that the team’s preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals has been canceled,” the statement reads. “The game, which was originally scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Saturday, Aug 28 was moved to noon at the Caesars Superdome. Due to the intensification of the hurricane throughout the day and after the most recent tropical update, the team’s leadership has made the decision in the best interests of all personnel that may have been directly and indirectly affected by the storm.

“This announcement comes after constant communications with City of New Orleans officials, the National Weather Service, Homeland Security, Governor Edwards, leading state officials, and the National Football League. The team encourages all residents of the region to take precautionary measures to remain safe throughout the impending hurricane. The Saints will be in communication with season ticket account holders regarding applicable refunds and/or credits to their season ticket accounts.”

New Orleans has evacuated, and the Saints will relocate to AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, in Arlington, Texas for the next couple of days.

Impact on college programs

LSU hit the road to head to Houston for the week. The Tigers will spend the week in Houston to continue practicing ahead of their opening game. As LSU traveled to Houston, evacuation traffic significantly slowed down the trip. After the team’s 9:30 p.m. departure Saturday night, it arrived in Houston at 8 a.m. Sunday morning.  The team buses were on the road for over 10 hours on what is usually a trip that takes four hours, according to Sports Illustrated’s Ross Dellenger.

Tulane, located in New Orleans, has also been forced to relocate ahead of Hurricane Ida’s arrival. The Green Wave will relocate to Birmingham, Alabama for the week before hosting second-ranked Oklahoma to open the season. The game, scheduled to be played at Tulane, remains on as originally scheduled at this time.