I-NEW ORLEANS - I-New Orleans Saints ibisalelwe yimidlalo emibili nje yokwenza umlando we-NFL unyaka wesibili ulandelana, kodwa ngeke uthole ubuso obuningi kakhulu emigwaqweni ye-Big Easy. Lokho kungenxa yokuthi idolobha ligcwele ukulangazelela kanye nesasasa lalokho okuye kwabizwa ngokuthi “Umbukiso Wamahhala Omkhulu Kunabo Bonke Emhlabeni”: iMardi Gras. Sekusele amasonto amathathu kuphela phakathi kwamanje neFat Tuesday, ngakho-ke amalungiselelo okuqhubeka nesiko leminyaka engama-312 aqhubeka kahle.
Kungaba nzima ukweqisa inani lokuhlela ukuya emikhosini njengoba amapharadesi angaphezu kuka-60 ahlelelwe ukudabula endaweni yaseGreater New Orleans ngenyanga ezayo, eminingi yayo ezosebenza kanyekanye. Lezi zisukela kumaqembu ahambayo e-French Quarter afana ne-Pete Fountain's Half-Fast Walking Club edume kabi (umlingisi u-John Goodman ayilungu layo) kuya “kuma-krewe aphezulu” afana no-Orpheus, okuntanta kwawo okuwubukhazikhazi kubiza amakhulu ezinkulungwane zamadola futhi kuthatha izinyanga ukwakha.
Okuhlukile okuphawulekayo kuwo wonke amalungiselelo edolobheni iSuperdome, ikhaya labaNgcwele. Izicabha zayo zivaliwe ku-carnival ngenkathi ithola ukushintshwa okugcwele njengoba ilindele ukusingatha i-Superbowl XLVII ngo-2013. Lokhu kusho ukuthi i-Krewe yase-Endymion, ephethe ibhola layo le-Extravaganza laminyaka yonke ngaphakathi kwezindonga eziyindilinga ezingcwele, izohambisa okwesikhashana unyawo lwabo ku-Morial Convention. Isikhungo. Abazotholwa phakathi kwamalungu amakrewe e-Endymion kulo nyaka kuzoba osaziwayo u-Anderson Cooper, Kelly Ripa noPat Benatar, bonke abazoba ngabasebukhosini.
Isazi-mlando seMardi Gras nombhali wendawo u-Arthur Hardy uthi, “Akekho eNew Orleans obengathanda ukuphinda awine iSuperbowl yangonyaka odlule, kodwa sonke sisabheke phambili kwisizini yeCarnival eqopha umlando.”
