Growing up (although not from) the Mississippi Gulf Coast, we rented a house from a local prominent family. Their two sons had both played in the NFL (1950s & 60s...Eagles, Skins and Patriots).
While I was probably expected to be a Saints fan as was everyone else in school, I was a die hard Rams nut for as long as my 9 year old self could remember stemming from being from Roman Gabriel's hometown.
The MS neighbor patriarch had ties to the Saints (his oldest son, after his playing days, had been a defensive coach for the inaugural Saints team) and he surprised me with tickets to the Rams games in New Orleans in '79 & '80...both wins.
I would move to SoCal as a teen and hit a few games as well as fan appreciation days.
I attended a preseason game in Jacksonville between the Rams and Falcons when the city was showing the league they could support an expansion team. I was rooting for Marcus DuPree to make that team.
My last game was Atlanta in '04 when, running from a hurricane, I realized I wouldn't be able to watch the game so my wife (in the throes of morning sickness with our first child) made the trek to the game. Vick shellacked us.
Since then, and 7 kids later, it has been Sunday Ticket with no game missed.
