A city nearly destroyed by a hurricane five years ago exploded with joy late Sunday as the New Orleans Saints upset the Indianapolis Colts, 31-17 to win their first-ever appearance in the Super Bowl.

"Who dat say dey gonna beat dem Saints! Who dat? Who Dat!," a crowd in a French Quarter restaurant chanted, after the team scored their first touchdown.

A city famous for diversions - Mardi Gras, music and colorful politics, to name - set aside distractions to focus on the big game.

Even the strippers on bawdy Bourbon Street stopped dancing. Instead, thousands of revelers cheered the Saints on live television sets at nearby bars.

"We have no music, no stages. It's the first time I've seen a club shut down and I've been doing this for five years," said Sam Stonebraker, 34, a host at Rick's Cabaret, a gentleman's club. "The game is pretty much a once-in-a-lifetime event in this city."

On a typical night, the club has 40 "entertainers" dancing on stage - not tonight.

A few doors down, the Temptations strip club was also upstaged by the Saints Super Bowl.

"We've stopped, too," said "Holly," 30, the petite hostess of the club. "Everybody's watching the game. It's been great for the energy for the city. After they won the NFC championship two weeks ago everybody rushed into the streets. The Saints are really good reason to rally around the city."

After a pass by Colts quarterback fluttered harmlessly to the ground in the final seconds -the Alpine restaurant near Jackson Square - exploded in a familiar chant: "Who dat! Who dat say dey gonna beat dem Saints!"

On Sunday morning, Mayor-elect Mitch Landrieu announced that he would yield the limelight over his landslide election last night to three days of local delirium over the Saints, the Super Bowl, the team's return from Miami on Monday and - win or lose - Carnival parade for the hometown heroes on Tuesday.

Carnival "krewes" changed parade schedules. Churches moved services so worshippers could watch the big game.