Los Angeles Saints

**POJO_Risin** · 09-03-2005, 10:07 AM

Saints could be headed to Los Angeles
Story Tools: Print Email XML
John Czarnecki / FOXSports.com
Posted: 12 hours ago

It's over for the Saints. Their city, their stadium, their lives are a mess. And given the death toll and the economic devastation of Katrina, the franchise's future is somewhere else.

You tell me where the state of Louisiana finds $18 million to meet owner Tom Benson's deal this year? The franchise is no longer a priority, considering billions will be needed simply to rebuild homes, businesses and schools.

Everyone's first relocation guess is Los Angeles. The Coliseum there has already offered a rent-free deal for this season. Not the Rose Bowl, the Coliseum. Las Vegas would gladly take the Saints in, too, free of charge. But it could end up being San Antonio, where the Saints will live and practice this week and next prior to their regular-season opener in Carolina.

Owner Tom Benson prefers San Antonio, where he keeps a home. But, according to sources, the league is rethinking this option because this could be the perfect time to literally place a franchise in Los Angeles.

Even before commissioner Paul Tagliabue said Thursday that it was unlikely that the Saints would play in New Orleans this season, the team knew that was the case. However, the concern among many is that NFL football will never return to this Louisiana city because of the horrific human misery and economic devastation to the city and state.

Many with the team would prefer to play in Baton Rouge, but the LSU facilities are already overrun dealing with evacuees. The scope of the disaster is larger than anyone, including the federal government, initially realized, and it could take many months to restore New Orleans to a livable city. Water-damaged buildings and hotels there probably will have to be razed. Much of the city will have to be rebuilt.

To become a vagabond team, well, this is horrible news for the coaches and players of the Saints. Living out of a suitcase is no fun.

Carolina coach John Fox thought the Saints, before the hurricane hit, would be a major threat in the NFC South because of coach Jim Haslett's focus on a power running game. Now, no one is sure how the Saints will react to living and working in new surroundings and being away from their staunch fans. Their entire routine has been disrupted, and we all know how coaches and players live on a familiar weekly routine.

"One thing about the NFL, and the players understand it, there's always going to be something bad that's going to happen," Haslett told reporters Thursday. "You try to turn bad into good.

"There's always adversity in the league. If you can deal with this, and this is probably some of the highest adversity we'll ever see, we'll be a better team in the long run for it. First of all, my thoughts were, if something can happen to the Superdome, what is the city going to look like? I wasn't really concerned about the playing field. I'm more concerned with the people inside the dome and really with the devastation of the city and the outlying areas."

The players will be off Friday through Sunday to reconnect with their families who were left behind in New Orleans.

Pro Bowl receiver Joe Horn, the funny receiver with the cell phone, has plans to visit New Orleans if he can.

"I'm going to try to help, donate money and try to feed the families who have been in the Superdome, do whatever it takes," Horn said. "If I have to spend a million dollars to get food, I'll do that."

**thome** · 09-03-2005, 10:22 AM

They may play close by N.O. for moral purposes.

I dont think the Govenor would let them go now?

**Romeo Delight** · 09-03-2005, 10:30 AM

From all reports, they were already gone before this terrible disaster.

**POJO_Risin** · 09-03-2005, 10:32 AM

I don't know if the governor has a choice...

What kind of governor worries about a freaking football team right now?

**DrMaddVibe** · 09-03-2005, 11:27 AM

Saints might be home on road

September 1, 2005

There is only one certainty about the New Orleans Saints' future: They will live and work out of the Marriott Riverwalk in San Antonio for a while.

Beyond that, question marks abound. It's highly unlikely they'll be able to hold their home opener Sept. 18 at the Superdome -- and they might not be able to play there at all this season after the stadium was ravaged by Hurricane Katrina.

So that first game against the New York Giants could be at the Alamodome in San Antonio. Or at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La. Or even at Legion Field in Birmingham, Ala.

And all of those sites could host other home games for the Saints, who escaped the hurricane by flying with their families last weekend to San Jose, Calif. New Orleans plays at the Oakland Raiders tonight in its final exhibition game.

IN QUESTION

Here are the eight scheduled home games for the New Orleans Saints:

Sept. 18 N.Y. Giants
Oct. 2 Buffalo
Oct. 16 Atlanta
Oct. 30 Miami
Nov. 6 BEARS
Dec. 4 Tampa Bay
Dec. 18 Carolina
Dec. 24 Detroit

While the Saints and NFL officials have been discussing a variety of alternatives, they haven't talked yet with many of the people at the proposed sites.

''We can say is LSU an option, yeah, but is it an option with them?'' Saints spokesman Greg Bensel said Wednesday by phone from San Jose. ''That's the next hurdle. We haven't crossed that hurdle yet.''

Only one hurdle has been crossed.

Following the Raiders game, the Saints will go to San Antonio, where they will stay at the same hotel they stayed at last season when Hurricane Ivan chased them out of New Orleans in the second week of the regular season.

The Saints also will use the same practice facilities at Trinity University, so they will have, as Bensel put it, ''a certain comfort level with where we are.''

That would seem to make the Alamodome, which holds 65,000 for football, a logical alternative, although it's about 550 miles from New Orleans, farther than the NFL would like.

But at this point, no one really knows the options.

Commissioner Paul Tagliabue and league officials have discussed the situation over the last few days. Location hasn't been the most important topic.

''We've been talking about how we as a league can assist with relief efforts,'' NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said. ''Not only for Saints players and officials and their families, but also for a lot of other players in the league who live or have families in the region.''

The NFL is donating $1 million to the American Red Cross to assist victims in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. Tagliabue said the league also is working on other efforts to aid the relief effort.

None of the Saints' options seem ideal, including the unlikely scenario of playing their entire schedule on the road.

Switching their home opener to the Meadowlands is a problem because the Giants share their stadium with the New York Jets, who are scheduled to play the Miami Dolphins at home that day.

There has been talk of using Reliant Stadium in Houston, but the Texans are home Sept. 18 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Those hurdles could be overcome by playing games on Saturday or Monday, but it hardly seems like a palatable option to either the team or the league.

Mayor Buddy Dyer of Orlando, Fla., proposed that the Saints try the little-used Citrus Bowl. There was no indication that the Saints were even familiar with that offer.

Even before the hurricane, the team has been negotiating with the state of Louisiana for a new stadium to replace the Superdome.

Owner Tom Benson has suggested that without one, he might sell the franchise, leading to speculation that the Saints might be the team that fills the hole in Los Angeles left vacant when the Rams moved to St. Louis and the Raiders went back to Oakland after the 1994 season.

Yes, the Los Angeles Coliseum is among the sites suggested as a possibility for this season.

But all of that is speculation.

Meanwhile, Saints coach Jim Haslett wants to concentrate on improving the run defense in his team's preseason finale in Oakland. Considering what the Saints have gone through this week, even the slightest signs of progress will be considered a success.

''We couldn't believe that this was going on where we live,'' quarterback Aaron Brooks said. ''It's weighing heavily on our hearts and minds right now.''

In the unforgiving business that is the NFL, the Saints have to try to block all that out for a night and play -- after all, their season opener is Sept. 11 at the Carolina Panthers.

The Raiders will hold a blood drive at the game tonight for four hours leading up to kickoff to help Gulf Coast victims. A moment of silence also was planned.

AP

I do know that here in Tampa...they've already green-lighted their home game to be played here in Tampa...if they want it.

I don't think LA should get another football team. Give it to a city that wants it...like Las Vegas!

**ALinChainz** · 09-03-2005, 11:31 AM

The NFL has wanted a team in L.A. since the Rams left.

This is the perfect opportunity for then to do just that.

I don't care either way, but I know the league wants a team there in the worst way.

**POJO_Risin** · 09-03-2005, 11:44 AM

There will never be an NFL team in Las Vegas...although I don't know that it would be a bad move...

Next season...or the last half of this season...New Orleans will be a permanent resident of LA...

**monkeythe** · 09-03-2005, 12:32 PM

I believe they may move to LA temporarily, but I can't imagine them moving out of NO permanantly. The PR backlash the league would suffer would be too severe for it to be worth it. Remember how the league had to give in to the people of Cleveland, in this case the outcry against the NFL would be national and I'm sure some very prominent national politicians would make a lot of noise. As far as the money for the stadium goes, don't be surprised if the Fed gov't pays for part of the stadium as part of a major bill (in the billions) to rebuild the city and cite how a domed stadium is a necessity in that area in case there are further hurricanes.

**monkeythe** · 09-03-2005, 12:36 PM

As far as n NFL team in Vegas, I think the casino owners would be against it. There is too much money for them to lose since the law states you can't bet on a game involving a team in the state. Can you imagine the devastation to the casinos & local economy if the Las Vegas team makes it to the Super Bowl and they can't take any bets on the game

**POJO_Risin** · 09-03-2005, 12:38 PM

Obviously...the NFL wouldn't be that stupid as to say...

"NEW ORLEANS IS DEAD...THEY ARE LEAVING FOREVER..."

hardly...

but the WILL say..."New Orleans is moving to California. the City of New Orleans will receive a team, and NFL support in rebuilding the Superdome once, and only if...New Orleans is able to put this tragedy behind them, and rebuild..."

**thome** · 09-03-2005, 12:43 PM

Teams are sold all the time I trully dont know of any reason
for them not to be sold and moved i have no controlling interest in
them.

I do know they wont be playing in the superdome .

I saw a few concerts there in the late 70s an early 80s it was a great
venue.

Change is inevitable SAINTS is such a New Orleans name i bet the
name stays in L.A. 5 bucks...... any takers?

**POJO_Risin** · 09-03-2005, 12:51 PM

I don't see Benson selling that team...I don't know though...

**POJO_Risin** · 09-03-2005, 12:52 PM

Saints?

I give you the Utah Jazz...

formerly the New Orleans Jazz...

I mean...Utah Jazz?

**thome** · 09-03-2005, 01:07 PM

Pojo you are far more knowlegable about sports than i am so i hear
you and trust your call on lots of issues.

Hank, went down there after he left the Chiefs .

So its kinda like watchin all the stuff you grew up on dissapear.

America is about change were not ones for letting a building become
100 yrs old so tear it down and start over ,

maybe they can get a fresh start in Cali.

Los Angeles Saints

Los Angeles Saints

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment