CLICK ANY IMAGE TO EXPAND | New Orleans, LA – Monday, September 25, 2006 — Monday Night Football – Week 3 New Orleans — An ESPN camera operator outside the Louisiana Superdome
Tonight’s Monday Night Football matchup between the Saints and Falcons marks the 20th anniversary of one of the most memorable nights in NFL history: the reopening of the Louisiana Superdome following Hurricane Katrina.
Throughout ESPN’s coverage, viewers will revisit the emotional September 25, 2006, game that represented much more than the return of football to New Orleans. For a city still recovering from one of the most devastating natural disasters in U.S. history, it became a powerful symbol of resilience, hope and recovery.
Across Monday Night Football, Monday Night Countdown and Monday Night Football with Peyton and Eli, ESPN will honor the anniversary through special features, storytelling and tributes celebrating the people, moments and culture that helped unite New Orleans in Katrina’s aftermath.
For several ESPN employees working tonight’s game, the memories remain deeply personal.
For Scott Pray, Remote Audio Operator, Katrina changed the course of his life.
“As a former resident of New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf Coast and a resident of Central Mississippi when Katrina hit, Katrina had a lasting impact on my life and so many friends and family members. Between New Orleans and the Mississippi Coast, I had lived in four residences. All were destroyed.”
He added, “The night of the reopening of the Dome was the most meaningful of my 45-plus-year broadcasting career.”
For Timothy Parfaite, Remote Communications Technician, the anniversary recalls the uncertainty that followed losing his home to the storm.
“There was a lot of crying and uncertainty on what would happen to my family. Where would we live? Where would we go?”
After relocating to Tennessee, Parfaite continued returning to Louisiana for work while rebuilding his life. When the Saints returned to the Superdome, it felt like a turning point.
“The Saints’ return to the Dome was a triumphant moment that showed us that everything would ultimately be OK. Some form of normalcy was returning.”
Corey Taylor, Associate Producer II, was a high school student when he returned to New Orleans six months after Katrina. He remembers the anticipation that built throughout the city as residents looked for signs that life was beginning to return to normal.
“The Saints mean more to us than just football. We lost so much during Katrina, but the spirit and passion of New Orleans never wavered.”
For Taylor and many others, the Superdome reopening became a symbol of the city’s determination to rebuild.
“That Monday night confirmed nationally what everyone who had already returned home knew. We are back.”
Twenty years later, ESPN’s coverage will honor not only an unforgettable game, but also the enduring spirit of a city and the people whose resilience inspired a nation.
Saints vs. Falcons kicks off at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes, with anniversary coverage woven throughout the evening. Special coverage begins with Monday Night Countdown at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN and NFL Network.