If you are a fan of sports, if you are a fan of a great story and if you are a fan of anyone other than the Chicago Bears, there is no one you can root for but the New Orleans Saints Sunday afternoon.

The resurgent franchise has an opportunity to wash away 40 years of hard luck and losing in a span of just three hours on a cold day in Chicago, and heaven knows, it’s time.

The Saints, who began play in 1967, now have the opportunity in only the fifth playoff berth in franchise history to finally reach a Super Bowl.

Can the Saints win Sunday? Certainly. Will they? That’s another question.

The cold weather and the Bears’ defense will be tough combatants, but if this team has shown anything this season, they play their best when the stakes are the highest.

With so much losing history and so much baggage coming in, there are plenty of people the Saints need to win this one for.

Win it for John Gilliam, the wide receiver who returned a kickoff for a touchdown on the very first play in franchise history against the Los Angeles Rams. He started things off for the Saints in fine fashion, and things have never been quite as good since.

Win it for Archie Manning, who gave his heart and soul for a decade for a franchise that could never find the talent to put around him to win.

Win it for Jim Mora, the man who finally turned things around 20 years ago. After 20 years of losing, Mora was finally able to bring the Saints to the playoffs, and without those successful years he brought to the bayou they may not even be in New Orleans anymore.

Win it for Earl Campbell, George Rogers, Bobby Hebert and Ricky Williams. All those “saviors” of the franchise were never able to deliver on their great promise. Winning can erase the footnotes on their careers.

Win it for Deuce McAllister and Joe Horn. Perhaps no two players currently on the roster have given as much to the team and the city as these two. While McAllister certainly has some good years left, Horn deserves a Super Bowl trip in what could be the twilight of his career.

Win it for New Orleans. The city has responded to the Saints’ resurgence, and while sports is nowhere near as important as the work that must still be done to one of the greatest cities in the world, a Super Bowl trip can serve as a symbolic reminder that nothing is impossible.

Win it for the fans. No one deserves something to finally cheer for the way the fans of the New Orleans Saints do. After years of floundering, the franchise has found its footing, and the time has come to reward 40 years of loyalty with tangible results.

All these people can finally have an opportunity for closure with this team, and we will all find out if Sean Payton, Drew Brees and the rest of the gang can deliver by dinnertime Sunday.

Bring it on.

Tim Cottrell is the sports editor of The Natchez Democrat. He can be reached by phone at 601-445-3632 or by e-mail at tim.cottrell@natchezdemocrat.com.