NEW ORLEANS . The devastation stretches out in all directions. Houses crumpled like old newspaper. Boats tossed in a heap like used toys. Mounds of fetid garbage in empty lots. In mile upon mile of abandoned neighborhoods, the empty, rotted buildings still show the Katrina cross the X marking the date inspected and the number of dead inside.

Fifteen months after the passing of "the storm," as locals call it, the scene is still grim. Overwhelming. Depressing.

Except inside the city's most famous structure. Inside the Superdome a building that symbolized the horrors of Katrina the scene is vital, energized. Inside the Superdome a place the city would like to transform into a beacon of hope New Orleans is full of pride.

"I have never been part of a team where it feels like the team and the community are in it together," Saints linebacker Scott Fujita said. "That makes this even more special."

The cash-strapped fans of the NFL's Saints have sold out the building for the season for the first time ever. The surprise that the Saints appear to be playoff bound? Well that's just lagniappe, a Gulf Coast term for "a little something extra."

In the sports world, we hear a lot about teams being "assets to the community." About a stadium being a revitalizing structure. About how a professional franchise can be a city's touchstone.

Such hyperbole has never been truer or more compelling than it is this season in New Orleans, where the story of the Saints and the post-Katrina rebirth of a traumatized city are tightly bound.

"It lifts the morale of this city," Saints running back Deuce McAllister said. "It's a sense of pride for all of us."

His coach and half of his team are newcomers, but McAllister knows exactly where morale was a year ago. The Saints, like so many of their fans, were homeless. Their city was devastated. Their building unusable: the roof was partially torn off during the hurricane and needed to be cleansed of not only water and the refuse of 25,000 evacuees who used it as shelter but of the nightmare that ensued.

The Saints set up shop in San Antonio, playing some home games in the Alamodome, others in Baton Rouge, La. Speculation swirled that owner Tom Benson would use the disaster as an excuse to fulfill his long-rumored desire to move the team. The feelings were angry and bitter.

"It looked like the team was abandoning the city," said receiver Michael Lewis, a New Orleans native. "It would have been a hard, hard blow to the city."

But in January, Benson and then-NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue made a commitment to keep the Saints in New Orleans. A plan to renovate the Superdome was put into high gear. The $185 million cost was covered by refinancing existing bonds, FEMA money and a $15 million grant from the NFL.

"The NFL stepped up to back the city when the city couldn't back itself," McAllister said.

As work on the Superdome progressed, the Saints rebuilt their team. Abandoned by so many, the city was embraced by football newcomers. Coach Sean Payton was hired in January, intrigued by the challenge.

"This is something unique," Payton said. "There was a feeling you can have an impact not only in football but in other areas."

Fujita felt the same way and came on as a free agent. So did quarterback Drew Brees, who was surprised to hear New Orleans was interested in him.

"I thought, What's happening down there?" Brees said.

When he came to visit, he found out. Team officials showed Brees the charm of the old city but also the destruction. He saw it as an opportunity to do something that was bigger than football.

"Absolutely," he said. "It was a chance to not only build a new foundation and a legacy with this team but to be part of the rebuilding process with the city.

Brees bought a 100-year-old house in the Garden District, and is carefully restoring it. He wants to connect with the character and heart of this historic city. "The way I see it, New Orleans and the Saints and me all had something in common," said Brees, who was injured last season with San Diego. "We're all rebuilding."

The Saints also were blessed with a bit of kismet. The Houston Texans held the first pick in April's draft and chose defensive end Mario Williams, leaving running back Reggie Bush to fall to New Orleans. It was a day of true celebration in the neglected city. Even though "Saint Reggie" isn't lighting up the league yet, he is a hero.

"It's not a burden," said Bush, who has been involved in relief efforts and helped rebuild a high school football field. "We're playing for the whole city."

The Saints are 7-4, in first place in their division and within reach of a playoff berth. Once homeless, the Saints now have an awesome home-field advantage. Their home opener, on a Monday night against Atlanta, was emotionally charged, with many fans openly weeping. The passion has continued through the season.

"People stand through the whole game," said Mike Wayland, a season-ticket holder. "It's like a college atmosphere. It's very moving."

This is about more than just a three-hour escape from grim reality. The Saints and the Superdome are symbols of renewal, offering hope for New Orleans' future.

"If the Saints weren't back and the Superdome was laying in ruins, the message sent out would be that there is no hope," said Bill Curl, the director of public relations for the Superdome. "We're not trying to tell people that the problems are fixed. But the symbolism is that there is hope here."

Some might question the priority of rushing to rebuild a sports stadium amid such massive destruction. Or the choice by people stuck in tiny FEMA trailers to invest in season tickets.

But the result of such decisions has cast a ray of hope upon a blighted city. Though the word is that tourist hot spots such as the French Quarter and the Garden District are back to normal, nothing is really normal. A brown watermark still lines buildings close to the city center. The streets are quiet. Businesses are understaffed. And every third or fourth building is boarded up.

The NFL deserves credit for staying put, reinvesting and using its considerable clout to get results. The same can't be said of other corporations. For example, the Hyatt hotel next to the Superdome a visible part of the city skyline remains closed. Its broken windows are still not repaired, gaping reminders of neglect.

The continued plight of New Orleans is a national disgrace. That destroyed houses and storefronts still slump onto sidewalks, and refuse piles remain untouched, illustrates a lack of priority and will.

But in the city's most famous building, on Sunday afternoons, joy and passion have replaced panic and despair. Hope is alive.