Thank you all for your patience as I try and absorb what I witnessed on television Sunday night. Forty three years of abject frustration and crushed hopes are now history.

The old visuals in my mind? When that damn field goal kicker for the Los Angeles Rams kicked one down the middle to keep the Saints out of the playoffs in the mid-80s. Or then there is the video in my head of the Monday Night Football game I attended in the Dome when Kenny Stabler and the Oakland Raiders erased a 28 point half-time deficit to come back and beat the Saints. Aint’s bags. Archie Manning being booed off the field and trash dumped on his head.

I suppose my greatest ire is reserved for Saints owner Tom Benson, who clearly thought he was going to pick up the team and move it to San Antonio after Katrina. Watching him and his squirmy comments after Katrina made me want to reach through my television and strangle him.

But thankfully — then-NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue had other ideas. Thank you Paul.

This morning, I am happy to report that the new visual in my mind is that of Drew Brees with his son on the podium last night — enjoying the moment.

May we all have those times in our lives when we too can — enjoy the moment.

Speaking of — any of you want to enjoy a PlaneBuzz moment?

After the return of our long-lost guest columnist Frank Arciuolo last week, (and yes, I was glad to read that some of you got as much of a kick out of his photo as I did), I wanted to let all of you know that, yes, PlaneBuzz is always open to guess columnists.

Last year I began to focus more of my time and attention to our flagship publication of the PlaneBusiness empire, PlaneBusiness Banter. Why? Because those folks who subscribe to PBB deserve the bulk of my attention.

There are any number of blog sites/news sites now that can give you news-breaking tidbits about the various airline-industry antics. At no charge.

But I have no desire to try and compete in that league. I can’t. Unless I want to go on food stamps and bask in the knowledge that I am working for a non-profit entity.

And no, I have no desire to do that. No sir-ee.

As a result, for the last six months or so I have struggled with just what I should and should not write about here in PlaneBuzz.

Going forward, I would like to hear from more of you about whatever topics are important to you — and if you’d like to jot down some of your own thoughts — just drop me an email.

In addition, from time to time, I am now going to post material from PBB either directly here in PlaneBuzz or I will link to it from here, enabling everyone to read certain columns or interviews. But these will be posted on a delayed basis. Subscribers to PBB will continue to get first dibs.

The first of these reposted pieces will come this week, when, after a tremendous number of requests to do so, I will let everyone read my recent interview with the Chairman of the Delta Air Lines ALPA MEC — Lee Moak.

Again, look for access to that lengthy interview here in PlaneBuzz this week.

But again — if any of you have a desire to tell all of us how you feel about something pertaining to the airline industry — drop me a note. We can hash it out. Polish it up. And give you your own chance at having your own PlaneBuzz “moment.”

Submission inquiries can be sent directly to me at hhegeman@planebusiness.com.

Just put “Buzz Comment” in the header of the email.

Now, excuse me while I go finish the in-depth earnings report on Allegiant Travel Company, parent of Allegiant Airlines, that will be included in this week’s PlaneBusiness Banter. Yep, another mega-earnings issue is on tap this week. This week we have an interesting mix of airlines that we take a closer look at — AirTran, Allegiant, and Alaska Air Group.