Saints May Permanently Move to San Antonio

[KolbSaves]

Saints may move to San Antonio
Senator urges Benson to delay his decision

By Robert Travis Scott
Capital bureau

New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson is leaning strongly toward moving the Saints permanently to San Antonio following the devastation to the city and the Superdome by Hurricane Katrina, a state senator who has spoken with a top team official said Saturday.

Sen. Mike Michot, R-Lafayette, said he spoke with Saints' chief of administration Arnold Fielkow by phone Friday morning about Benson's potential plans.

Team officials could not be reached Saturday. The team had previously announced it was looking for a new home for the current season, and San Antonio was one of the options.

Michot said he was told that Benson has not made a final decision, but the owner is serious about moving once and for all to San Antonio. "We may lose them permanently," Michot said.

A possible move by the team is a "huge concern" among a few state officials who have become aware of it, but every significant political figure in the state is preoccupied with reacting to the storm aftermath.

State officials want to convince Benson to delay a decision so that the state can focus on the rescue and rehabilitation effort and later find a way to keep the Saints at home in New Orleans.

"This is like pouring salt into the wound," Michot said.

Michot said decency dictates that Benson should postpone any decision on a permanent move until state officials have had a chance to talk with him.
"Give us time," Michot said.
Another state official confirmed a similar conversation with Fielkow.

Michot is the vice chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, a key committee for legislation related to state agreement with the Saints.
He said that in the long run the Saints might be better off staying in New Orleans because a revived city with national support could provide a better stadium.

That would be quite a terrible thing to do right at the moment, don't you think?

[Goatwhacker]

He said that in the long run the Saints might be better off staying in New Orleans because a revived city with national support could provide a better stadium.

Bull. If New Orleans is going to be built with national support they damn well better start with levees, schools, police departments, etc and not stadiums.

The owner needs to do what he has to to keep the franchise alive. If that means moving to San Antonio then so be it.

[Mercer Boy]

What else are they going to do though...the city is destroyed, the dome is all messed up, and as it said, the owner wanted to move as it was.

Business is business unfortunately. You'd think they could hold off until this all blew over, though.

[Confucian Scholars]

I'm surprised the home games aren't being scheduled at LSU's Tiger Stadium. Half of New Orleans population moved to Baton Rouge anyway and it seats a lot of fans. It makes sense to play the games in Louisiana and use the event to raise funds outside the stadium while also giving surplus tickets to refugees.

If Commissioner Tagliabue continues to let Saints home games be played at the site of the opponent, then Buffalo, Atlanta, and Carolina are going to benefit most by having 4 home games in a row on their schedules.

As for San Antonio, the fans in that city must love the idea of getting an NFL franchise. They already received another sweet gift with the Spurs signing Michael Finley, so why not give them an entire football team? Heck, move the Texas capitol from Austin while you're at it!

[Mookie4ever]

What else are they going to do though...the city is destroyed, the dome is all messed up, and as it said, the owner wanted to move as it was.

Business is business unfortunately. You'd think they could hold off until this all blew over, though.

I agree with MB. Plus should people really be moving back to an area that is built below sea level?

[34=Sweetness]

I knew it was only a matter of time. I think I posted the very notion he'll use this as an excuse to move in Undefeated's thread.

[dave416]

The sheer timing of this seems like a pretty insensitive thing to do.

[mikus]

The sheer timing of this seems like a pretty insensitive thing to do.

I couldn't agree more. Benson got his way out with this Hurricane, and it's a shame that he might take advantage of this tragedy to get what he wants.

[mnheadliner]

Face it.....he was already one foot out the door anyways. Plus, if you had your staduim destroyed from a hurricane and you live below sea-level in a place that each and every year is at the mercy of mother nature when it comes to Hurricanes wouldn't you want to relocate somewhere else? Especially since you were leaning in that direction anyways?

Is the timing bad? Yes. Is the result any different than it would have likely been? Probably not.

[mikus]

they wouldn't have left THIS year if we did not have a hurricane ... hence there WAS hope for the future.