A column by Bill Simmons on the NBA All-Star weekend in New Orleans this year.

A few grafs in particular hit home about a year after we visited the city.

Simmons says, "You came (to NOLA) because of the festive, chaotic, electric, indescribable atmosphere that never quite spiraled out of control. You came because clocks and watches didn't matter, because there were no rules in New Orleans, even if you worried just a little that there were no rules. You came here because there are only a few cities that make you feel like you're in a movie, and New Orleans happened to be one of them.

"...That's the thing about life. You never know what's going to happen next. New Orleans was fine, and then it wasn't. Twenty-nine months after Katrina, the city remains in pain. You can feel that anguish everywhere you go, just like you can feel the love, the joy and the resiliency. The locals don't feel sorry for themselves anymore. Too much time has passed. They have to live their lives. They have to keep their heads up. They have to keep moving forward. And they're doing it without us.

"...See, here's the thing about downtown New Orleans: It's ready for us again. It has been ready for a while. For all intent and purpose, it looks the same. Bourbon Street looks the same. The Superdome looks the same. So does the Convention Center. So do Harrah's and Pat O'Brien's and Cafe du Monde. So do the waterfront and Canal Street and all the hotels. You could go back to New Orleans. You could have fun there. You could do all the same things you did before. Unfortunately, you don't want to go back.

"...And that's a problem. The city's economy and future hinge on outsiders accepting the fact something horrible happened here, then coming back anyway. The city needs our money to rebuild the surrounding areas that were destroyed by Katrina -- only the money isn't coming in because you won't come back. And why would you? Vacations are supposed to be fun. Nobody wants to drive by houses with giant X's on them on the way from the airport, or think about how the place was underwater with dead bodies and dead dogs and raw sewage drifting through the streets. Post-Katrina visitors can't help but think about those things, just like New York visitors can't help but think about the missing Twin Towers when they see Manhattan's post-9/11 skyline for the first time. Downtown New Orleans didn't change after Katrina; fundamentally and spiritually, it's still the same. Shaken and battered, but the same.

"...Unfortunately, we aren't the same. New Orleans has baggage now -- visible baggage -- and when people are on vacation, they want to deal only with baggage like suitcases. The good people of New Orleans know this, and they're worried about it."

All of these things are very true, almost beyond belief. Of all the places I visited last year, and have ever visited, New Orleans stuck with me. The people, culture, lifestyle, food and on a more negative note the images of the Katrina aftermath still resonate in my mind. I couldn't or haven't yet put my thoughts about the city into words mostly because I don't know how to describe them.

I had never been to New Orleans before Katrina, but had been to Baton Rouge on a family road trip from Houston to Florida. Some of my earliest memories of the deep South and road tripping were from that two-night stop in Baton Rouge. The food, the people and the simple way of life were all distinct to me even at a young age. I knew that if I enjoyed them as much as I did in Baton Rouge, New Orleans would be a place I would absolutley love. Well the city absolutely blew away all of my expectations.

To me New Orleans was desireable not for the infamous partying and debauchery, but for the lifestyle and the experience of the "Big Easy". After Katrina happened I knew I had to get down there to see the city not in its normal state as it existed before the hurricane, but in its weakest most vulnerable time. The great food, the friendly people and the laid-back attitude. I was afraid that after Katrina they wouldn't be quite the same. It was great to find out while we were down there that the city is basically the same as it was pre-Katrina. Bill Simmons' thoughts echo those that the city is the same, but could use the help of visitors more than ever.

There aren't many (if any) places I've ever been that equal the incredibly unique combination that New Orleasn offers. I want to get back as soon as I possibly can.

Along the same subject lines David Simon is negotiating a deal to create a show about New Orleans, similar to his other creation "The Wire" about the city government and infrastructure of Baltimore. I hope he can shed some light on the "Crescent City" much like he did for Baltimore. Although I have not seen more than a few episodes of The Wire I can tell it is much, much better and well thought out than just about any other program on television. I don't care how great everyone says "Lost" is the real-life subject matter of a struggling American city seem like a better way to spend you time than people marooned on an island.

My final thoughts are about the Roger Clemens/Baseball steriod hearings and the "Spygate" controversies which have become the banner headlines over the past six months in sports and even news media. I don't have a problem with the way the media cover these things, although it is obnoxious and over-hyped. I do however, have a problem with Congress spending time, money and energy trying to investigate these things. Come on. I'm sure someone can find a few things that our primary lawmakers on the state and federal level could spend their time on other than whether Roger Clemens was taking HGH a decade ago or whether the Patriots videotaped a walk-through. These are important stories in the sports world, but have absolutley NO impact on the way the average American lives their everyday life. Maybe we could focus on education reform, repairing streets, or beginning to fix our budget/economy. These seem like much more important and relevant things for our lawmakers to spend time on rather than these trivial sports mishaps.

A behind the scenes article about the final few hours of Darrell Scott's decision to play football at CU.

The article provides access like only the NYTimes can get. I found it interesting that Scott's decision also hinged greatly on UT hiring a new RB coach, and Darrell didn't want to go somewhere that he wasn't comfortable with the coach. The Times article and the announcement Wednesday were great publicity for the great things Hawk is doing in Boulder and the great things to come in the near future.

There were some rumors that Darrell's mom was offered a job in Boulder in order to persuade her son to attend CU. This article dispels any "illegal acts" that UT fans have said CU was a part of over the past 24 hours. They are just bitter that Scott announced he would become a member of the CU football program and not a Longhorn. I have absolutely NO doubt in my mind that Darrell chose to play in Boulder because he wanted to come here and because CU QB coach Darian Hagan worked to build a relationship with him. Coach Hawkins is working hard to make sure we don't veer down the same road as we did under Gary Barnett. Hawk recruits kids that want to be here and want to work hard to be part of something bigger. He would never offer a scholarship to someone who wanted something extra to attend CU.

Darrell seems like the type of kid you want to succeed in this world. I hope has great time in Boulder. I hope he leaves the program in a better place than he found it and I hope he leaves with a degree.