Replies

I can't realistically see where there's an adequate fan base in NO anymore but I notice no one said this would be a NO team. The quote was that they should remain a Louisiana team. The only other cities of consequence in La are Baton Rouge and Shreveport, neither of which is anywhere like big enough. I can't imagine where they think they'll put the team unless they think they can draw fans from NO and Baton Rouge equally.

YEah the fan base is small but extremely loyal. Also they have a sizeable Gulf coast following. Its seems that there alot of Saint fans in Mississippi when I travel there. If they do this right and keep the Saints in Baton Rouge next year until NOLA can rebuild they might be able to expand their base. Some Tiger fans hate that the holy of holies (Tiger Stadium/Death Valley) is being defiled by the Saints. Go to www.tigerdroppings.com and tiger rant room to see a hilarious thread on Saint fans vs LSU fans as per todays game. I chalk alot of that to the tension between Baton Rouge and NOLA. I all depends I guess if Benson has the will or energy to market the team for the whole state better than he has.

I notice no one said this would be a NO team. The quote was that they should remain a Louisiana team.

This might help explain:

Since the first playoff victory in the 2000 season, Benson has repeatedly threatened to move the team and tried to negotiate for better financial deals with the state. He is the only NFL owner who gets a straight payment from a governmental body to operate as the state of Louisiana has been paying between $12 and $15 million a year since 2001 in a $186 million deal through 2010. After Katrina hit, Benson quickly re-located his team in San Antonio, where he has often threatened to move it permanently.
"He's sent repeated love notes to the San Antonio mayor and has had love talk with him about moving the team there," Dixon said. "It's obvious he wants to move the team to San Antonio now. He's showing a complete lack of class and an appalling lack of public relations sense."
San Antonio mayor Phil Hardberger said recently that Benson has agreed to have more serious talks with him after the season about forming the San Antonio Saints.
"I'm pretty comfortable in saying he wants to be here," Hardberger said in published reports two weeks ago.

Gives me the impression NO really can't support the Saints without help. Remains to be seen whether or not San Antonio can. We're willing to renovate the Alamodome to give him more luxury boxes, more seating, and plenty of financial inducements, but what Tom Benson won't be getting is a new taxpayer-funded sports stadium.

It's not just NOLA that supports the sorryassed Saints. The whole state and gulfcoast region supports them and has for their entire worthless history. My family from the Lake Charles and Lafayette area has purchased season tickets for several years. It's not that unusual.