"Are You CRYING?!?"

In one of my favorite movies, A League Of Their Own, there's a line from the head coach to one of his female baseball players: "Are you CRYING?! There's no crying in baseball!!" Well, there may not be any crying in baseball, but on more than one occasion I have cried at football.Yes, it's true. That's how much football means to Abby Grosenbach. She can, will, and has cried over football.

Most recently I cried over Super Bowl 44.

The New Orleans Saints won, completing one of the best "Happily Ever After" stories in football. The team and the city were struck by hurricane Katrina in 2005. A big part of the city was demolished, the citizens left homeless, and the Saints sacrificed a season to help rebuild the city they called home.

Despite the devastation of the hurricane, the Saints convinced quarterback Drew Brees to join them for the 2006 season. Brees had had a good run with the San Diego Chargers his first year out of college, but had been a sort of back-burner, second-string player for the last few years. In the last game of the 2005 season, he tore his rotator cuff on his right shoulder, his throwing shoulder, jeopardizing his chances of being accepted to another team. The offer from the Saints really was a god-send for Drew Brees.

But that was 4 years ago. The story that started with a hurricane, flooding, poverty and sorrow for a city, despair for a team, and discouragement for a quarterback ended with celebration and dancing in the streets, the first Vince Lombardi Trophy for a team, and the recognition of Most Valuable Player for that quarterback.

All that was in my mind when I saw Drew Brees kiss his 1-year-old son after winning the Super Bowl with a tear down his face. I lost it. The mayor of New Orleans said a few words about how much winning meant to the city. I lost it. Head coach Sean Payton hugged Drew Brees as he presented Brees the trophy. I lost it. Seeing a side-by-side shot of Brees holding the trophy high in the air and the celebration in New Orleans. I lost it then too.

There may not be crying in baseball but there are tears of joy in football...at least for an 18-year-old college freshman.