NEW ORLEANS — Former Saints quarterback Drew Brees and current Saints signal-caller Tyler Shough returned to their baseball roots during Savannah Bananas exhibition games staged inside the Caesars Superdome.
The traveling Bananas, who play a fan-focused “Banana Ball” style complete with singing, tricks and surprise guests ranging from Mickey Mouse to 50 Cent, transformed the Dome into a baseball field for the first time since 2004. Brees, who played for New Orleans from 2006-2020 and will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this summer, was introduced as “a Super Bowl champion and Hall of Famer” and received a loud ovation. The former high school baseball player took one at-bat Sunday and grounded out. He also led the crowd in the pregame chant he began during the Saints’ 2009 Super Bowl season.
Shough, who also played baseball growing up, made his appearance Saturday. Introduced in a black Saints jersey, he peeled it off to reveal a yellow Savannah Bananas uniform, gathered teammates in a huddle, ran a play where he tossed a “touchdown” and posed for a selfie with the group. Afterward he called the sold-out atmosphere “like Saints playoffs,” saying the event shows the kind of energy the team needs to reach.
Both appearances were part of the Bananas’ lively exhibitions that blend sport and entertainment for fans at the Superdome.
