By Nate Smith
The lead up to Sunday’s Super Bowl has had stories of quirky relationships from Indianapolis Colts’ quarterback Peyton Manning’s relationship to his hometown of New Orleans to New Orleans Saints’ quarterback Drew Brees’ upbringing at Purdue.
But it is not only the quarterbacks that have ties to their opponents, fans also have some conflicting loyalties on Sunday. For two former Daviess County residents, they will be on opposite sides of the fence, even though they have lived on both sides.
Erika and Margaux Compliment (now Mitchell) lived in Daviess County for a good part of their childhood, but in June 1993, they moved to New Orleans, five years before Peyton Manning was drafted by Indianapolis.
Although she was not in Indiana during the Colts’ recent run, Mitchell said she will be rooting for the Colts on Sunday but admitted she is “torn about it.”
“If the Saints win, I will be OK with that too,” Mitchell said. “I am sure Archie Manning is more torn and confused about his Super Bowl pick.”
Mitchell, who now lives in Picayune, Miss., said Thursday that she is going with the Colts because she is “a Hoosier first.”
“That’s my blood and my families blood,” Mitchell said. “I love going back to visit my Mom (in Lafayette). I feel so much at ease up there.”
For Erika, she will be for New Orleans on Sunday for a couple of reasons. She believes a win for the Saints will do a lot of good for the city that holds a dear place in her heart.
“The destruction after Katrina is unimaginable unless you see it first hand,” Compliment said. “It was literally a war zone.”
Although the city was not perfect before the hurricane, Compliment, who now lives in Norfolk, Va., said, the win will help the healing of the city needs after the catastrophic event.
“I think a Super Bowl win will boost the can-do attitude and make New Orleans a city people can be proud to call home again,” Compliment said. “I want to see good things happen there.”
Both said that by hearing from friends in New Orleans, the mood is festive and celebrations have been in full swing since the Saints punched their ticket to the Super Bowl two weeks ago.
“A Super Bowl win and Mardi Gras all in one month would be huge and maybe it can bring people home who left after the storm,” Mitchell said. “People seemed to redevelop pride in the area and in the Saints after the storm.”
Compliment said bonfires on the levees, a New Orleans tradition, have been going and to celebrate the Saints, they are in the shape of football helmets and the fluer-de-lis, the Saints’ logo.
But, Compliment has not forgotten her Indiana roots, she is a die-hard Indiana University fan.
“It confuses people when they see my Hoosiers and Saints memorabilia,” Compliment said.
“I get the ‘Which state are you from today?’ joke from coworkers, my fiance and his children.”
Mitchell is a hairstylist and the mother of twins, and Compliment is engaged and has two future stepchildren. She works for the Navy in information technology.
As for Sunday, both will be watching with friends and rooting for their favorite teams.
“We have got our Manning jerseys ready,” Mitchell said. “All except for my husband. He was born and raised a Saints fan.”
