There was a time, and by a time I mean a week ago, when the biggest thing the Saints were playing for in 2016 was the anniversary of their 50th season. They even had patches. That changed this week, upon the passings of Will Smith and Hokie Gajan. The Saints' only two 2016 Hall of Fame inductees' deaths has resonated throughout the city, and it has caused a tonal shift in how people are looking at this upcoming season.
It's strange, the way that sports can uplift a city. They can bring hope to an otherwise miserable time, and they can distract people, if only for a moment, from the suffering happening around them.