[N.O. Times-Picayune] Saints leaning strongly towards permanent move to San Antonio

my wife, who is not a huge sports fan, but likes them, said this very thing. she asked how people could go and hang out and have fun at a game in that location ever again. that it just seemed entirely inappropriate to her.

 

At this point the structure is just more trouble to save than it is worth.

It did it's job.. but now it is basically useless.

And yes, the memories will remain.

 

For anyone who's ever thought that the people in San Antonio are great fans just because they support the Spurs, let me remind you that the Spurs are a winning team.

I've had the displeasure of being a Rockets fan in San Antonio for about 8 or 9 years now, and I have to tell you that Spurs fans are some of the most fickle and ignorant when it comes to basketball.

They don't support their team because it's their team, they support it because it wins games and goes to the playoffs where it wins more games.


San Antonio couldn't possibly support another sports franchise unless that team was also a perennial winner, in which case all of the over-weight, middle-aged mothers of three would don their sports attire and give interviews about how ___________ team will win because "Parker and Ginobili rock, baby!"

It's easy to follow a winning team. San Antonio proves that. They're also the first to turn on a player when he doesn't perform (ie a couple years ago when Speedy Claxton "outplayed" Parker in the Finals). I can't tell you how many "fans" wanted to get rid of Parker and offer Claxton big contracts because "He obviously proved himself to be the better player."


These same fans rode Parker's jock all the way through this most recent championship.


I hate Spurs fans.

 

Not entirely.

One option is for Jacksonville to switch divisions to the NFC South and the _? Saints to move to the AFC South. This would promote more regionalized rivalries for both divisions.

Jacksonville would actually be better suited in the NFC South with neighbors Tampa to the south and Atlanta to the north.

 

I hate Spurs fans too, and I definitely agree with them being ignorant -- they are some of the least knowledgable fans around. That being said, San Antonio is all about the Spurs. I lived there during the first championship, and for a few years after, so I have only been there in good times (pretty much all they've had for a while), but I think that now, with the success they've had, the Spurs fans have become so strong in their conviction that they will be there through the bad and the good.

San Antonio's residents are die-hard fans of San Antonio. The people love their city, and they would love any team that came there. I don't know how well ticket sales would go for the "San Antonio Saints", but I am fairly confident that the residents would really love having a football team.

 

Why?

 

Do you honestly think that city would be in any sort of good shape to be able to support a pro sports team, let alone support building a new stadium there (which is what the Saints were banking on happening anyways... before katrina... for them to stay there).

 

This is an interesting time for the NFL/NBA...they have already taken so much local money to support the team so do they just disregard this and then bail, or try and be loyal to the local communitly and then leave when it fails. I agree that no pro sports team will last eventually in NO but it will be interesting to see how this plays. Baton Rouge would be the best I think if its feasible, but I bank on LA. Houston and Dallas aren't going to want a 3rd team in Texas.

 

Not sure if anyone else saw it, but I caught a quick blurb from Ted Koppel during the FSU game and I'm pretty sure I heard him say that the Superdome will be destroyed. At least that's "what he's been told."

 

Damn you people are fast. I just logged on to post the same thing.

 

I heard that too.

 

Where will the Sugar Bowl go if the Superdome is destroyed? I think it should be played at Tiger Stadium and stay in the area.

N.O. is f***ed up.

I can't see the Saints moving to Baton Rouge. First, Saints will not play second fiddle to LSU. Second, Saints will not be a tenant - forget about them playing at Tiger Stadium. I can see the Hornets staying but BR will have to build them a new arena. Since there will be more lucrative offers from other cities, the Hornets should move.

 

Baton Rouge simply does not have the economy to support pro teams, even if you forget about financing a stadium. The Hornets *might* play there this year, for lack of a better option, but you can bank on them being history in LA after this season. St Louis or Vegas.

Sugar Bowl might be at Relaint, the Alamodome, or other.

Evan

 

Somehow all this discussion over who will eventually get the Saints, Hornets and Sugar Bowl gives me the image of vultures eating on a dead carcass in the road. Sadly though, life goes on and the reality is all three will probably never return to New Orleans.