The Ravens Rush Hits Louisiana A Week Early
NEW ORLEANS (WJZ) -- We're less than a week away from the Super Bowl, and sports director Mark Viviano has preparations from New Orleans as he awaits the arrival of the Ravens.
The team's charter is scheduled to land in New Orleans Monday evening.
Now for a couple of Ravens--Ed Reed and Jacoby Jones--this Super Bowl trip is a homecoming.
"Going home, man. I'm speechless when it comes to really going home for this Super Bowl," Reed said.
"It's a dream. You know, everybody has a dream about going to the NFL, but to be in the Super Bowl at New Orleans, that's big man. Playing in front of my family and home crowd. It's going to be fun," said Jones.
Reed and Jones have had extra ticket requests because so many family members live in Louisiana.
This will be the first Super Bowl in New Orleans since it was devastated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Having the game return is a sign of the city's strength to rebuild.
"That's what America's about. That's the human spirit--everybody coming together and rebuilding and making it a better place," head coach John Harbaugh said.
"I think New Orleans is the greatest venue to have a Super Bowl. I'm biased in that aspect--I played in two Sugar Bowls there. As a matter of fact, I played in the first Sugar Bowl in the Superdome," said Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome.
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For more now around the town, Jessica Kartalija has fan reaction.
Ravens fans are arriving in New Orleans by the minute--taking flights out one week before they kick off for Super Bowl XLVII.
It's the tenth time the city has hosted the Super Bowl and more than a million people are expected to arrive this week.
In addition to the Super Bowl, it is Mardi Gras season and Ravens fans already coming by plane or bus are ready to enjoy two of America's biggest parties. The Big Easy is quickly turning Ravens purple, as more and more fans arrive from Maryland.
Ravens fans who live in Louisiana are also welcoming them with open arms. Several area bars and restaurants are preparing for the Ravens rush.
So many Ravens fans want to come to New Orleans that several airline carriers have added additional flights to accommodate the demand in tickets.
