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

I don't think this will happen. There is no way SA gets a team before LA.

 

At first I thought this was a crappy move, but the more I think about it, we all have to move on. The reality is this is his business. And many companies will be moving out of New Orleans permanently. He's not alone. There is no way that former city will be able to support a team now. It's pretty much the only move that can be made. New Orleans will have to be franchise #33 and LA #34 in th near future.

 

They barely supported the team before this horrible disaster, so I can understand why this would be considered. I bet that this is the last thing on the mind of many of the citizens of the city. Unfortunately, the NFL is a business and this needs to be considered now especially since the season starts in three days.

 

New Orleans will be less able to support an NFL team. There is no way one red cent in federal or state money will go towards building another stadium for the Saints. Several oilwell and oilwell supply businesses are re-locating to Houston. Many other companies will never go back as well so the corporate base will shrink. Plus many people will never go back there and the fan base will be smaller.

Bottom line: It's a blow to their civic pride but I'd say it's a sure bet the Saints will leave. Before the Hurricane, it only took an $80MM buyout to free Benson from the Superdome lease. I don't know if San Antonio is the place but they won't go back to New Orleans. The Hornets may be in a similar situation.

 

Great, you would have 3 NFL teams in Texas and NONE of them would be in the same division. classic.

 

I was talking about the possiblity of this with my brother yesterday. New Orleans aside, I think San Antonio would be a great place for the Saints to move. The Alamodome is a pretty good football stadium, and the city would support the team -- I don't know how well they'd do selling tickets (football tickets are EXPENSIVE!!), but they would probably do very well selling merchandise and just getting overall public support. SA supports the Spurs as well as any city supports any sports team, and if the Saints got even nearly the amount of support that the Spurs do, this would be a great place for them to go.

 

Cutting and running on NO would be a bad move for Benson and a bad move for the NFL. Sure they need to move temporarily, this season and maybe next but if the city attempts to rebuild the promise of getting their team back shouldn't be taken from the people.

As many times as people say sports is business, well it isn't just a business, and that is why voters allow so much public money to be spent on it. Sports are a part of a comminity's identity and spirit.

It may well be thet New Orleans will not ever return to being a major city and if it can't then announce a move. But it is still the city at the mouth of the Missippi and closest to our major oil source and that is a lot of commerce.

 

This is kind of odd news to come out after San Antonio was openly jockeying to hold the Sugar Bowl. Way to use the worst national disaster on US soil in the history of our country to your advantage SA.




I realize at some point decisions like these have to be made. At least let the dust settle, however.

 

Great, it would mean about 1.5Million less Cowboy fans in the state. San Antonio is like DallasA when it comes to Cowboy fans.

 

Interesting...

 

I hear ya. But we all have to get used to the idea that NOLA ain't coming back anytime soon. A population of 1.7 million will likely number no more than 300,000 this time next year. The cleanup hasn't even begun yet. You can't completely remove an economy from a geographical area and expect to just circle a day on a calendar when you'll start it up again. Small business makes up too much of our economy for that...and they can't handle a 4 month moratorium...that will likely be far longer than 4 months.

In talking to the refugees I've had a chance to meet...few think they'll ever go back. Some say they'd like to...others say they always knew this was coming...that there was a sort of fatalism at the heart of NOLA from the start about this event. I agree wholeheartedly that the location is very strategic...but it doesn't have to have a city perched out over the edge sitting below sea level. And I can't imagine a solution where we literally raise the entire city's level.

Pro sports relies on disposable income. There isn't even income there, now...much less, disposable. It will be a decade, at the very least, before NOLA makes a comeback. And even then, it won't be the same. It will be a far smaller town in terms of population. Pro sports are a luxury item they simply can't afford...for a very long time.

I am surprised he's talking about SA, though. Particularly with LA out there. But my understanding is that LA wants nothing to do with Tom Benson, so he'd have to sell the team for them to end up out west. Maybe he's not interested in that. Or maybe he's just beginning to posture for a sale.

 

Damon Wayans . .did a joke once

He asked his Wife . .that if he was in an accident
and lost all his limbs. . would she stay with him
she said YES without hesitation
He said it stunned him
because he asked himself the same questions
and said he would not be strong enough to . . .
he then said
don't get me wrong .. it is not like I would show up at the accident
and be like. . . HONEY .. I DON'T THINK THIS IS GONNA WORK OUT

If this is true
this is EXACTLY what the saints are doing


Rocket River

 

Saints and the NFL (as well as any businesses) would look like a-holes to announce a permanent move anytime soon but it would not surprise me if the Saints never returned to NO. Benson is originally from SA (he's probably not an LA guy) and has been pushing for a new stadium for a couple of years now. This is his ticket out. The NFL will not (cannot) stop him. A new stadium was not a priority for NO before Katrina and now it is definitely not anywhere on the list...Benson cannot wait.

 

Pro sports aren't returning to NO. It's upsetting, and not the time, but it's the truth. The Hornets for sure can't stay. The Saints aren't a surprise either. New Orleans was already scrapping, and I personally doubt that NO will be a bigger city the Baton Rouge when it's rebuilt, stature/economy-wise.

 

What's to say the Saints and Hornets won't eventually end up in Baton Rouge. Now that New Orleans has been destroyed, Baton Rouge becomes the main business center for the state and is the state capital. While it may be harder to provide the needed fan base for basketball, I would think the Saints could draw from the entire state if they played in Baton Rouge. The limited number of home games and always being on the weekend would allow them to support a football team in the same way Green Bay does.

I also don't believe the Alamodome has the necessary number of luxury suites to attract an NFL team.

If the Saints were to move to L.A., then they should join the NFC West and the Rams should move to the NFC South.

 

The Saints will not return to N.O.

The Superdome will be destoyed.

Bank on it.


How can a pro team be sustained by New Orleans anymore? It simply can't. Not enough people, other things to worry about, not enough money.. The Saints are gone, period.

San Antonio will be "auditioning" for opportunity to keep the Saints.. if they can pack the stands and produce a stadium plan, they will get them. If they can't, they will move to LA by default.

 

San Antonio better have some architects working up plans to remodel the Alamodome with more luxuery suites or come up with a entirely new stadium with a retractable roof. Otherwise old Paul will finally get a team back in L.A. which he has nightly dreams about.

 

This week a friend of mine was speculating on this since Benson is a good friend of Red McCombs, the owner of the Spurs and previous owner of the Vikings, that McCombs might talk Benson into permanently relocationg to SA.