Keep the Saints in NO

[VitaminD]

Frankly, it's a no-brainer. Benson's going to move the team in the interest of protecting his business interests in both the short and long terms and the NFL (which is controlled by businessmen) is going to let him do it.

It is simply unrealistic to expect that Benson should imperil his business interests and essentially gamble the long term welfare of his team and his investment in same in order to uphold some kind of civic duty. New Orleans needs to concentrate on rehabilitating its essential physical and public service infrastructure first, then concentrate on its sports venues and teams.

Interesting take, but it triggered a couple thoughts.

1. More than most pro sports leagues, Tags and the NFL brass seem to "get it" in terms of taking the pulse of the people. I think that the NFL is sensitive to the perceived insensitivity of pulling a team out of New Orleans so soon after the Katrina disaster. That is not to say in any way that having the Saints there pre-Katrina was economically viable longterm, but it is the timing that would look awkward. Millions of Americans would not see the economic reasons that would make moving out of New Orleans sensible for both Mr. Benson and the league as a whole - they would see the NFL folding its tents and taking its mountains of cash and cachet with them. Especially when Mayor Nagin paints it as such, and there are cameras and reporters to spread this idea.

2. What impact on New Orleans hosting future Super Bowls would pulling out have? Yeah, the cash and visibility would be great for New Orleans, and it would fill the hotel rooms, but it would make an awkward situation - like asking out your ex because you're lonely and desperate.

3. Everyone seems to be clamoring for New Orleans to push for a "Cleveland deal" to preserve the name and colors. Here's the problem: the NFL has 32 teams, more than the other major leagues. 32 divides evenly into 2, 4 and 8. The symmetry is great. The NFL has no immediate need or desire to expand, and if they did, they would likely have to go to 36 teams to keep some semblance of balance.

4. True, the NFL is a league of businessmen. Is it in the best interest of the league's other owners to essentially allow one of their brethren unfettered access into the #2 media market in the U.S.? LA gets the best games every week since they don't have to show their "home team" games. Similarly, would Jerry Jones and Bob McNair want to give Benson a home in Texas when they've got to themselves now?

I'm hoping New Orleans recovers and rebuilds. Whether that's done with or without the Saints is not the concern to me. The team has more intrinsic value to the city's psyche at present than it does as a capital asset. The cost of getting the Superdome back into playing shape is money that could be channeled in more efficient directions.

[Saint Zephyr III]

Well, that's what I mean in regards to the Cleveland deal. It would have to be almost a "get a free expansion team card".

Let's say the Saints move to San Antonio, yet the identity remains in New Orleans. Now, let's say the next expansion round comes about in about 10-15 years. Since I don't see the NFL adding four teams to equal a nice number like 36 in one year, it'll be a "two-team" expansion, while the next one comes five years afterwards. Now, N.O., having recovered quite well from Katrina and a brand-new Superdome, would have automatic rights to one of those slots. And whatever the case may be with San Diego or Jacksonville, the three new teams would replace or finally allow the league to move to new markets, such as Portland, Alabama, or New Mexico.

So New Orleans would still get the Saints...they would just have to wait a decade or so.

[The_Admiral]

I'm sick of hearing "the Cleveland deal"

[bigdub81]

I've gotten used to a lot of bad events in all of my years of living New Orleans. At least 2-3 murders a night in any given neighborhood, constant police, city, civil and school system corruption and failure to degree's beyond imagination and most

of all having to watch the Saints, play on Sunday's!

Every Sunday, the chosen few gather at their respective places to watch this so

called "pro" team loose year after year, game after game, and it never changes.

It's a wonder that nobody ever did a case study on heart attack rates in the city in

regards to those who call themselves fans having to regualte their blood pressure

every weekend not knowing what to expect out of this fiasco called the Saints.

It would be better to understand if they were more along the lines of teams that

constantly make the playoffs such as Green Bay, so to loose as such during a year

like they are having would draw many questions to mind as to what is going wrong

and how do we fix it? But such is not the case of the New Orleans, Saints! We are

better suited for making even worse teams look good by either granting teams that

do not have any victories a win or making their worst players look like all-stars by

picking apart either the offense or deffense for their glory.

Even if not a fan and just by recollection alone you start to think about all of the

great play's in Saints, history. The 20-yard backwards pass from Aaron Brooks, to

....OOPS! Nobody's supposed to be back there Aaron! or better yet that splended

kick from John Karney, to miss the win only after having pulled off maybe "the"

best play in the franchise's history. It's needless to say that the Saints, basically

make good for other teams and players that may or may not be better than them to get their ESPN highlights off of.

People of New Orleans, and fans of the Saints, alike must get it through their heads and realize that the Saints, will no longer play in this city! They won't tear

down the Superdome and build a new stadium because of the greed of the city's

local government, so they will continue to re-style it for years and years to come.

Less not we believe that anyone who's suffered through Katrina, by living in that

place would consider seating themselves at a game all the while thinking about

what they had to endure during that time.

If you live in New Orleans, or have lived in the city before for more than a year

you must know what I am talking about. And if you disagree you are only kidding

yourself to believe in false promises given by Tom Benson, through his PR director

via the team's website as it is only a means to make the transition to "wherever''

they will go seem as though he actually cared about the city in the first place. If

you care to remember he did remove any signs carrying his name from delarships

that he owned right around the time he and the state were trying to get the deal

done for a new stadium and couldn't so he threatened to move to San Antonio.

He had to work damage control because he let the cat out of the bag before the

start of pre-season and his ticket sales went to plop even from the truly dedicated

fans that the team had. Why would I spend $1300 on tickets to a team regardless

of how bad they suck even though I like them to only have them turn around next

year and move away? You had to see this coming!

Benson, couldn't have asked for a bigger prayer to be answered if there ever was one. I'm more than sure either the NFL or San Antonio, will either pay all or

half of his $85 million dollar fee for him leaving after this year if either company

really wants them that bad. Benson, is about money inside and outside of football

period. This isn't just something that came over him over night we knew it all the

time.

The people of the city just neglected to want to see it that way and put all of their faith in the notion that he wouldn't dare do such a thing to the city that he

so-call "loved". Ok, do you think that's the case now? Do you really thinkg he

gives a damn? He's looking at $'s and so will the league and whatever city they

wind up in, in the long run.

How they decide to market themselves or by some chance actually become a team with a consistent winning record (LOL) remains to be seen. Either way they will not be back in this city nor will the Voodoo, seeing as he own's them as well.

And as much as he say's that he wants his grand-daughter to one day run the franchise means about the same as him possibly saying that he will never move the team out of the city. Yeah right! Let someone step up with the right amount

of money and watch how fast the ink flies!

regardless of what ha

[JH42XCC]

I have had some time to consider the issue, and have thought more on it in regards to a couple of scenarios.

Despite the situation with New Orleans, it seems that Tagliabue and the NFL do not want to abandoned the city and Louisiana as a whole. Be it an honest tie to the region, a good presentation of the NFL's response to Katrina, or merely hiding some true wishes, this is at least a positive sign to the fate of the displaced Saints.

Yet Benson, as previously mentioned, is a business man and the Saints are a business. And while the organization may end up getting financial support from the state and the league itself, he knows well enough that the Saints would be in a major funk either way. So I don't know what he'll do...he may continue to remain in the region, though it is possible for him to move to S.A...

As for the situation in S.A., recent official moves in the front office have almost indicated that Benson most certainly has an interest in the Alamo City. The fan response has been phemonmenal...I went to the Buffalo game and you could feel the entire community showing its support for this team. And in that Falcons game, in a sold-out 65,562 Alamodome, the response to the Saints mishaps were not of anger or booing, dissappointment surely, but they still have an underlying graditude and fandom to the team. I just know the fate of the Saints are going to involve San Antonio, be it a split-schedule with L.S.U., a temporary home base for a few years, or perhaps a permanent relocation.

And while I will have some dissappointment if the Saints do in fact move from New Orleans, I'd rather it be in a reasonable area that honestly can support a NFL team. I would never forgive the NFL if they used the Saints as a tool for an undeserving city like Los Angeles. However, it would be a shame that after fourty years of diehard fan service that's borderline insane (at least the insanity of Raider fans have paid off in three Super Bowl wins) that the Saints would leave would be a terrible burden.

You're right Saint Zephyr, It'll be sad if the Saints leave Louisiana for San Antonio or maybe even Los Angeles. So therefore, I'm hoping the Saints will stay in New Orleans. I know it sounds pointless, but it is worth it. I also hope that there will be another superbowl in New Orleans in the future, as long as New Orleans continues to recover from the damage left by Hurricane Katrina.

[LMU]

It doesn't sound pointless, it is pointless. It's not just a case of a city essentially being turned into a ghost town for a decade, but a city that really wasn't able to support a pro franchise to begin with. So, yeah, cry a river, it's sad, but come on, wake up from your little dream world of candy cane streetlights and get with the program.

[RickV]

It doesn't sound pointless, it is pointless. It's not just a case of a city essentially being turned into a ghost town for a decade, but a city that really wasn't able to support a pro franchise to begin with. So, yeah, cry a river, it's sad, but come on, wake up from your little dream world of candy cane streetlights and get with the program.

the people over at Saintsreport.com are firmly convinced the Saints will never leave N.O. and that Paul Tagliabue and the NFL are Jedi knights who with their light sabers will vanquish The Evil Lord Darth Benson

[Saint Zephyr III]

The Jedi Knights did end up winning eventually...unless you are using the Chinese translation of Jedi, i.e. "Hopeless Warrior".

I understand fully that the team wouldn't be able to support a team for a decade; hence why they should give them an "expansion card", meaning during the next round of expansion, New Orleans would be able to have first dips on a team slot. Sure, it'll be around fifteen years without the Saints, but at least we would know they would ultimately stay with the city.

[In 5..4..3..2..1]

My brother was in New york this week and he ran into a guy who works for the league offices . The guy said the league has no intention on expanding at all. He went on to say the league is going to work hard to keep the Saints in NO because if they leave the city will most likely never have a team again. They would also like to still use NO for Superbowls down the road sometime.

[RickV]

They would also like to still use NO for Superbowls down the road sometime.

The two proposals arent mutually exclusive. i. e. NO doesnt necessarily have to have a franchise in order to host a Super Bowl. They can change the tradition any time they want.