The Saints weren't completely shut out of the Super Bowl, thanks to second-year cornerback Usama Young.
Young will be featured in a 60-second commercial during Sunday's telecast after fans selected his "pitch" ahead of such stars as Kurt Warner, Jake Delhomme and Tony Gonzalez in the NFL's second annual SuperAd contest.
The commercial is based on Young's memories of selling lemonade, cotton candy and popcorn with his father in the stands at Washington's RFK Stadium when he was a teenager.
"It's good for the NFL and for me and my father," said Young, whose father, LeRoi, a cancer survivor, also will be in the commercial. "It's a funny story, but at the same time, it's reality."
Young joked that he wasn't a very effective salesman. Instead, he spent a lot more time checking out the action and the atmosphere, dreaming of one day playing on the field himself.
That unlikely journey has led Young on another unlikely journey this month. He and his father flew to Los Angeles to film the commercial, and Young has been in Tampa this week to promote the spot.
Young was one of 215 NFL players who made a "pitch" in the SuperAd contest. He said he didn't put much thought into it. He just agreed to tell his story when a film crew came to Saints training camp this summer looking for submissions.
He did a little marketing work after that, though, encouraging fans and friends to vote for him on MySpace and Facebook.
Eddie Murphy's son, Christian, plays Young as a boy in the commercial.
TICKET DEADLINE: Saints season-ticket holders have until 5 p.m. today to make the first of three installment payments for 2009 season tickets. Payments can be made online at www.neworleanssaints.com, over the phone at 504.731.1700 or in person at the ticket office at 5800 Airline Drive in Metairie.
Saints SIGN EALY: The Saints signed receiver Biren Ealy, 24, who spent the past two years with the Tennessee Titans, mostly on the practice squad. The 6-foot-3, 207-pounder was undrafted out of Houston in 2007. He has one career reception for 6 yards.
VILMA UPDATE: Linebacker Jonathan Vilma's arraignment has been set for Feb. 6 on criminal charges of resisting arrest in Miami. Vilma was arrested Jan. 16 for reckless driving, which is a traffic violation, and two counts of resisting arrest. He plans to fight the charges, according to his agent Mitch Frankel.
