Saints fans celebrate ‘Breesus’

Editor’s note: Saturday’s Saints-Cowboys game was not completed in time for today’s edition.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — What Would Breesus Do?

Saints fans hope that their quarterback and savior, Drew Brees, delivers them to the promised land — which in the NFL, is the Super Bowl. So all around New Orleans, believers are wearing Breesus T-Shirts.

New Orleans artist and avid Saints fan Chris Psilos designed the popular black and gold T-shirts that have the large letters “WWBD” across the front.

“I wanted to come up with a Saints shirt and the Breesus name had been kicked around this season,” Psilos said. “I thought it was a funny play-on-words. And what he means to the city — Saints football is like a religion to a lot of people.”

The T-Shirts been flying off the shelves. Brees says he’s had a few of the shirts tossed inside the window of his car by fans welcoming the team back from road games outside Louis Armstrong International Airport.

Brees also understands why some might see it as offensive to print T-shirts referring to him as “Breesus.”

“It’s definitely a little sacrilegious,” Brees said, but added, “It’s obviously a sign of affection and people respect you and what you stand for. In that case, it’s an honor to [have people] feel that way about you.”

Brees has been living up to the praise since he joined the Saints as a free agent in 2006. He has been the centerpiece of an offense that has ranked first in the NFL in two of the last three season and ranks first again so far this season.

He has also become a fan favorite, for his work both on and off the field.

His Brees Dream foundation has raised more than $2 million for charitable causes in a city that has needed the help as much as any place since Hurricane Katrina struck during the summer before he arrived. Many fans also like the fact that he restored a century-old house in New Orleans’ Uptown neighborhood.

“He’s just been amazing and he’s such a good person with his foundation helping rebuild playgrounds and helping schools,” said Angela Pate, who bought one of the first shirts. “He lives in the city instead of out in a gated community. He’s become such a part of New Orleans.”