Thursday Night Football 2010 Opener Favors Saints

Thursday Night Football 2010 begins tonight, then is off until Thanksgiving. The Thursday Night Football 2010 opener has the Super Bowl champions involved, just like all recent Thursday Night Football NFL kickoff games. It has become a new tradition to have the past year's champions open the new season, hosting a banner celebration and a big kickoff concert. After that, they get around to playing a game, against an old rival or a team that did very well the past season. Given the past history of those games, the Thursday Night Football 2010 opener should favor the Saints tonight.

New Orleans will be party central once more, as the Saints host NFL kickoff ceremonies and hoist their first Super Bowl banner. Afterwards, they get another shot at the Vikings, who they beat in the NFC championship game. If they beat them again, the Saints hope to be propelled towards another championship run.

The Thursday Night Football 2010 kickoff has the Saints favored comfortably, given their home field advantage and Brett Favre's iffy ankle. However, it is also past history that favors New Orleans, as it has been 10 years since a Super Bowl champion lost their opening game.

Since 2004, the first Thursday Night Football game of the season has had the defending champion win at home. The Patriots and Steelers did it twice, as did the Giants - and the Colts destroyed the Saints in 2007 as well. It seems that Super Bowl champions always get off to a good start, but the end is a different manner.

Winning the Thursday Night Football 2010 kickoff game is one thing, but the Saints have a long road ahead towards another Super Bowl. Although the Patriots, Steelers, Colts and Giants won their openers in prime time, only the 2004 Patriots went on to win it all again. As the Saints have doubtlessly been reminded, it is the rare NFL team that gets to repeat.

After the Saints face the Vikings, they must go through a conference that has the Cowboys, Packers, Vikings, Giants and more hungry to overthrow them. What's more, the Colts, Chargers, Jets, Patriots, Ravens, Steelers and more are looking to bring the championship back to the AFC. The Saints may have been a Cinderella team last year, but only the Patriots have managed to make a dynasty out of a Cinderella story.

If tonight's Thursday Night Football 2010 opener has the Saints handling the Vikings again, it will serve as a solid opening statement. However, past opening statements by defending champions have ultimately meant little in January. Still, beating the Vikings in any context would be better than having them spoil their celebration.

New Orleans does not want to be like past champions who could not repeat. However, since they've all won the first Thursday Night Football game of the year lately, they want to follow in those footsteps for one night. They will try to do so tonight at 8:30 pm est on NBC.

Sources

NFL.com- "Saints to host 2010 NFL Kickoff game"

Miami Herald- "Saints poised for a repeat or retreat?"