Dan Green is interviewed by Bobby Herbet on WWL about Finish Strong and the New Orleans Saints and the City of New Orleans

The Naperville-based author of the inspirational book “Finish Strong” has more than a passing interest in Sunday’s Super Bowl XLIV.

The New Orleans Saints, who meet the Indianapolis Colts for the NFL championship, have become the personification of Dan Green’s 116-page book, which chronicles people who overcame adversity and achieved success.

Moreover, “Finish Strong” has turned into a rallying cry for a Gulf Coast community still recovering nearly five years after Hurricane Katrina devastated the region.

The 44-year-old former software salesman said he developed his “Finish Strong” philosophy in the mid-1990s as a personal motivation tool.

It’s the new battle cry for tens of thousands, two words that summarize the deep hope, boundless courage and heartfelt determination of people everywhere. It’s no wonder, since these two words clearly define the call to action in America more than any other two words in the English language.
Dan Green, author of the book [...]

In less than a week, about 40,000 of the shirts had sold. The goal, according to a Tweet last week by Brees, is 75,000 by game time Sunday. And don’t forget: This Saints squad seems pretty good at reaching its goals.

The T-shirts, which sell for between $15-$20, hit most store shelves on Jan. 13, just a few days before the Saints thrashed the Arizona Cardinals in the first playoff game. Since then, sales have soared, ringing up close to $250,000 for local charities and initiatives.

Players will pick the receiving charities after the season. (Right now, the team has more important things on its mind.)

The shirts are printed locally by companies that have agreed to reduce their costs in order to maximize the project’s charitable proceeds, Brees said via e-mail last week.

A direct message from players to fans, the shirts stemmed from a philosophy players adopted before the season began, when Super Bowl rings were distant daydreams.

“Every member of our team received Dan Green’s book ‘Finish Strong’ at the beginning of the off-season,” Brees said. The inspirational book is filled with stories of people overcoming adversity with courage. “It then became a mantra for our team throughout the off-season program, preseason and regular season. We recognized that if we could indeed finish strong in everything we did, we could achieve the lofty goals we had set for ourselves.”
23Lvfashion1MICHAEL DeMOCKER / THE TIMES-PICAYUNEMICHAEL DeMOCKER / THE TIMES-PICAYUNE “Finish Strong” shirts await customers at JeanTherapy on Magazine Street on Thursday, January 21, 2010. The shirts were created by Saints players, with plans for all proceeds to go to local charities.

Fan support has been that intangible X factor all season. “The fans have been a huge part of our success by creating that home-field advantage in the Dome,” Brees said, “and now that we have accomplished what we wanted in the regular season, it is time to finish strong in the playoffs, and we need everyone on board.”

The Who Dat nation didn’t need to be asked twice. “The first day we got the shirts, we were sold out in a hour,” said Vicki Adjmi with JeanTherapy boutiques in Lakeside Shopping Center and Canal Place and on Magazine Street. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“We’ve sold more of these shirts in three days than all the other (Saints-related) T-shirts all season,” she said. “It’s like Christmas all over again.”

Brees chalks up the response this way: “I don’t think there is another team out there that has a bond with the fans and the city like we do.”

Click Here to Shop Now

The New Orleans Saints quarterback and reigning Offensive Player of the Year on his gadget addictions and secret love of romantic comedies.  Among them, Finish Strong Bracelet.
Click here to read the interview from Men’s Journal.