Sugar Bowl goes on in New Orleans after deadly attack

Fans from two US universities packed a stadium in New Orleans for the much-anticipated American football game as the city begins its New Year’s Day celebrations.

The annual Sugar Bowl, which was supposed to take place on Wednesday, was canceled on Thursday at 15:00 local time (21:00 GMT) after a Texas man drove through a busy street in New Orleans, killing 14 people.

People gathered in the stadium took part in a moment of remembrance for the victims of Wednesday’s violence.

The game brought thousands of fans to the city to watch the University of Notre Dame take on the University of Georgia in the 70,000 seat Caesars Superdome.

Notre Dame’s “Fighting Irish” eventually prevailed, beating the Georgia Bulldogs 23-10.

Before the game, Bourbon Street – where the attack took place on Wednesday – was reopened to the public for the first time since the death.

Yellow barriers, designed to keep traffic off the road, were on both sides of the road.

14 flowers were laid on the wall where the attacker chased the crowd.

Most of the attendees came for a few drinks before heading to the stadium for the game, almost everyone wearing Georgia red, and Notre Dame green or blue and gold.

When the road reopened, a Notre Dame football fan yelled: “Go fight the Irish! We love life! So let’s live!”

A New Orleans man who was released from the hospital Thursday afternoon after the attack, returned to Bourbon Street wearing the same clothes he wore on January 1.

Speaking to the BBC, Jovon Miguel Bell lifted his shirt to reveal cuts and bruises on his head, which he said were caused by being trampled.

“I’m happy, to be honest. God is good,” he said. “Blessings to the victims and their families.”

Mr Bell admitted he was “highly intoxicated” at the time of the attack, but clearly remembers what landed him in hospital.

“I’m walking down the street and I hear screaming. Ruckus. Chaos,” he said. “As soon as I turned around, I was beaten [by a person] and fall to the ground. I’ve been on it, a few times.”

Now out of the hospital, he returned to Bourbon Street bars as the Sugar Bowl game continued, where he said he felt lucky he escaped with only minor injuries.

Before the match, the authorities assured the public that the city had also taken security measures.

Brian Williams, a Georgia supporter, told the BBC that “the bad guys would have won” if the game had been canceled or postponed after the attack.

“Nowhere will be safer than New Orleans now,” he said, speaking to a small group of state troopers on Bourbon Street. “There’s nothing to worry about.”

Like other football fans in town for the game, Williams said the chaos was overwhelming when he arrived in town early Wednesday.

“It felt weird being out of town, and we couldn’t even get to Bourbon Street,” Williams said. “But the place will be back to normal soon.”

Master P, a New Orleans native and rapper whose real name is Percy Robert Miller, visited Bourbon Street on Thursday to reassure residents that he will do whatever he can to help the city.

“We have to show people that we are not giving up. We will continue,” he said. “Even the bad things that have befallen us will not stop us.”

Mr. Miller described the city as a place where people come to celebrate and described it as our culture.

Jefferson County Sheriff Joseph Lopinto told reporters Thursday that college football games will be safe for fans in the city.

“It’s probably going to be one of the safest places in the country,” Lopinto said. “If my son wants to come to the game, I wouldn’t have a problem.”

As the sun set on Bourbon Street Thursday, many locals said they were confident the lively neighborhood would bounce back after the attack.

Among them was Darnell Simmons, a 23-year-old member of the brass band that plays at the Bourbon House Oyster bar.

“A terrible thing has happened here. “But we’re back, we’re here to remember those we lost.”

The bar’s owner, Dickie Brennan, said he was “overwhelmed” to hear music returning to Bourbon Street.

“We overcame Katrina. God knows how many hurricanes, oil spills, crime,” he added, referring to the 2005 hurricane that killed more than 1,300 people. “One guy can’t stop this beautiful city and its unique neighborhood.”

“This city is sustainable. We have to be.”

Shortly after 3:00 local time on January 1, authorities say a 42-year-old soldier, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, killed 14 people and wounded many others while driving a pickup truck on a New Year’s holiday.

Before Jabbar was killed in a shootout with police during the attack, he declared his allegiance to the Islamic State group in videos posted on social media, according to the FBI.

The Sugar Bowl is watched by millions of Americans every year, traditionally on New Year’s Day.

The game, along with the Los Angeles Rose Bowl, is a major tourist attraction in the city.

The Sugar Bowl began in 1935, featuring the most coaches, players and teams in college football history.

The Super Bowl, America’s biggest sporting event, is scheduled for February 9 at the same venue in New Orleans as the Sugar Bowl.

Additional reporting from the BBC’s Anna Adams.