The Saints kicked off the 2010 football season Thursday against the New England Patriots, and while the boys in black and gold fell a little short, Saints fans are sure to not let this little preseason slipup dampen their spirits.

This season it will be interesting to see if the excitement surrounding the Saints can match that of last year’s Super Bowl championship run when it seemed like everyone on the street had a fleur de lis somewhere on their clothing. And if the Saints fall a little short of their landmark achievement in February, will the naysayers once again come out of the woodwork spouting, “I told you so.”

Everyone is entitled to an opinion, but most would agree that that particular stance might be somewhat unpopular this year. Anyone donning a paper bag in the Superdome this year is just as likely to be booed as an off-his-game player or referee.

Here at L’Observateur we, too, are feeling the black-and-gold fever and in recognition of this, the paper will feature two new football-related contests starting next month.

The first one is a straightforward, picks-type game. Each week, readers will have a chance to fill out a form with their predictions for the upcoming weekend’s games. After scores are tabulated a winner will be chosen for the weekly cash prize.

Another contest will allow for the more creative side of our readership to shine. A Saints fan photo contest, each week we will choose the pictures we think show the most Saints spirit. Those fans will have their pictures printed in the paper.

At the end of the season overall winners will be chosen from the pool of weekly winners.

Look for more details concerning these contests in the weeks to come.

So, everybody suit up, get your game faces on and see you on Sept. 9, when its time for the real action to start.