Let there be no doubt: When it comes to creative self-expression—dance, spirit songs and costuming—the Who Dat Nation is in a class by itself.

That New Orleans is uniquely well equipped to celebrate a Saints Super Bowl victory with unprecedented brio was demonstrated convincingly the Sunday before the big game, at Buddy and Bobby’s Bunch-of-Men Dress March. Thousands of men turned out in dresses to parade in honor of New Orleans broadcast legend Bernard Saverio Diliberto, affectionately known as Buddy D, who repeatedly vowed to make a spectacle of himself by wearing a dress if the Saints went to the Super Bowl.

Fans despaired of ever seeing the dress dream come true—the idea became a long-running joke—and Buddy D died in 2005, before hell froze over and the Saints brought ecstatic redemption to the Who Dat Nation he fathered. As recounted by buddysbroads.com, Buddy D, “the ultimate New Orleans Saints fan, once said, ‘When you go to Heaven after you die, tell St. Peter you’re a Saints fan. He’ll say, ‘C’mon in, I don’t care what else you done, you suffered enough.’ ”

Now the happiest Who Dat in heaven, Diliberto was surely smiling down on the hairy-leg spectacle, which was sponsored by WWL 870AM and Metro Disposal.

Leading the way was Bobby Hebert, aka the Cajun Cannon, got up in a fetching gold lame number made by his daughter. A Lafourche Parish native and former Saints quarterback, Hebert took over from Diliberto as sports-talker on WWL, and has made some Super Bowl dress promises of his own.

As a jubilant, cheering multitude lined the streets, the Buddy and Bobby’s Brawds parade took off from the Superdome and made its way to Bourbon Street in the French Quarter. It ended up at the Oceana Grill, site of a massive block party and “Best Dress” and “Hairy Legs” contests.