Clandestino
08-31-2005, 04:34 PM
But LSU Chancellor Sean O'Keefe indicated that the school wants no part of sports while evacuees occupy the campus.
"The scope of this tragedy is becoming more evident as time passes, and LSU's focus is on assisting in the recovery effort of our state," O'Keefe said. "LSU is a primary evacuation site, and we are not going to conduct any activities that could deter from our mission of assisting in the recovery mission."
UPDATED: League says San Antonio in mix for Saints games
Web Posted: 08/31/2005 03:27 PM CDT
Tom Orsborn
Express-News Staff Writer
An NFL spokesman listed San Antonio, Houston, Dallas, Baton Rouge, La., and Tuscaloosa, Ala., as the sites under consideration to host the New Orleans Saints' Sept. 18 home opener and possibly the remainder of the beleaguered team's eight-game home schedule.
"We are exploring options, and San Antonio is clearly one, for Saints' home games," NFL vice president of public relations Greg Aieillo said today. "But there are others."
Water continues to rise in New Orleans two days after Hurricane Katrina battered at least five Gulf Coast states.
Eighty percent of the city is under water after five breaks in the city's levee system sent water pouring into the streets of the Big Easy.
The NFL and the Saints are in talks with several cities, including San Antonio, where the team will practice next week after concluding its preseason schedule tonight at Oakland.
The Saints will fly to San Antonio after the game and check into downtown hotels, where they will be reunited with family.
According to sources, the league would prefer to play at LSU's Tiger Stadium because Baton Rouge, which is just 80 miles north of New Orleans, is closest to the Saints' fan base.
"That's just common sense," Aiello said. "That's definitely one of the working principles in guiding us."
But LSU Chancellor Sean O'Keefe indicated that the school wants no part of sports while evacuees occupy the campus.
"The scope of this tragedy is becoming more evident as time passes, and LSU's focus is on assisting in the recovery effort of our state," O'Keefe said. "LSU is a primary evacuation site, and we are not going to conduct any activities that could deter from our mission of assisting in the recovery mission."
"The events of yesterday and this morning have made it clear that this is not the time to play a football game," said LSU athletics director Skip Bertman. "This is a dire situation that rivals any in the history of our state, and our priorities are on participating in recovery efforts."
A number of locations on the LSU campus, and athletics facilities in particular, are being used in the recovery efforts for Hurricane Katrina.
The Carl Maddox Field House is a Special Needs Shelter, and the Pete Maravich Assembly Center has been designated as a triage unit for medical emergencies. The Bernie Moore Track will be utilized as a helicopter landing site for medical emergencies.
Saints running backs coach Johnny Roland said he thinks the Saints will wind up playing at the Alamodome.
"I heard the Houston Texans have offered their stadium, but if push came to shove, I think we'll be practicing and playing at the Alamodome for a while," said Roland, who was born and raised in Corpus Christi.
Asked if he's heard anything about the Saints playing at Tiger Stadium on the Louisiana State campus in Baton Rouge, Roland said, "That would be kind of tough because LSU is where they're taking a lot of the refugees."
Meanwhile, city officials continued to work to find a way to open enough dates at the Alamodome to accommodate the Saints for the entire season.
"I've continuously communicated to the Saints that we have the ability to host those games if desired," City Councilman Roger O. Flores said today. "If the people of New Orleans and the ownership want their team to continue to play games relatively close to (Louisiana), we have the ability to do that. We would be happy to offer what we have."
One option under consideration by the NFL is to play the Sept. 18 game at the Alamodome and play the rest of the games at another site.
New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin said today that Doug Thornton, a regional vice president for the company that manages the Superdome, told him it will be "very, very difficult" for the Saints to play home games there this season. League officials pointed out that New Orleans has just one home game in September and were holding out hope the schedule might allow repairs by the season's second month.
The Saints are considering several sites in San Antonio for practice, including the San Antonio School District's Spring Sports Complex.
"I'm expecting them to work out at our place for at least a week or maybe longer," SASD athletic director Gil Garza. "We told them they can stay here as long as they needed to."
"The scope of this tragedy is becoming more evident as time passes, and LSU's focus is on assisting in the recovery effort of our state," O'Keefe said. "LSU is a primary evacuation site, and we are not going to conduct any activities that could deter from our mission of assisting in the recovery mission."
UPDATED: League says San Antonio in mix for Saints games
Web Posted: 08/31/2005 03:27 PM CDT
Tom Orsborn
Express-News Staff Writer
An NFL spokesman listed San Antonio, Houston, Dallas, Baton Rouge, La., and Tuscaloosa, Ala., as the sites under consideration to host the New Orleans Saints' Sept. 18 home opener and possibly the remainder of the beleaguered team's eight-game home schedule.
"We are exploring options, and San Antonio is clearly one, for Saints' home games," NFL vice president of public relations Greg Aieillo said today. "But there are others."
Water continues to rise in New Orleans two days after Hurricane Katrina battered at least five Gulf Coast states.
Eighty percent of the city is under water after five breaks in the city's levee system sent water pouring into the streets of the Big Easy.
The NFL and the Saints are in talks with several cities, including San Antonio, where the team will practice next week after concluding its preseason schedule tonight at Oakland.
The Saints will fly to San Antonio after the game and check into downtown hotels, where they will be reunited with family.
According to sources, the league would prefer to play at LSU's Tiger Stadium because Baton Rouge, which is just 80 miles north of New Orleans, is closest to the Saints' fan base.
"That's just common sense," Aiello said. "That's definitely one of the working principles in guiding us."
But LSU Chancellor Sean O'Keefe indicated that the school wants no part of sports while evacuees occupy the campus.
"The scope of this tragedy is becoming more evident as time passes, and LSU's focus is on assisting in the recovery effort of our state," O'Keefe said. "LSU is a primary evacuation site, and we are not going to conduct any activities that could deter from our mission of assisting in the recovery mission."
"The events of yesterday and this morning have made it clear that this is not the time to play a football game," said LSU athletics director Skip Bertman. "This is a dire situation that rivals any in the history of our state, and our priorities are on participating in recovery efforts."
A number of locations on the LSU campus, and athletics facilities in particular, are being used in the recovery efforts for Hurricane Katrina.
The Carl Maddox Field House is a Special Needs Shelter, and the Pete Maravich Assembly Center has been designated as a triage unit for medical emergencies. The Bernie Moore Track will be utilized as a helicopter landing site for medical emergencies.
Saints running backs coach Johnny Roland said he thinks the Saints will wind up playing at the Alamodome.
"I heard the Houston Texans have offered their stadium, but if push came to shove, I think we'll be practicing and playing at the Alamodome for a while," said Roland, who was born and raised in Corpus Christi.
Asked if he's heard anything about the Saints playing at Tiger Stadium on the Louisiana State campus in Baton Rouge, Roland said, "That would be kind of tough because LSU is where they're taking a lot of the refugees."
Meanwhile, city officials continued to work to find a way to open enough dates at the Alamodome to accommodate the Saints for the entire season.
"I've continuously communicated to the Saints that we have the ability to host those games if desired," City Councilman Roger O. Flores said today. "If the people of New Orleans and the ownership want their team to continue to play games relatively close to (Louisiana), we have the ability to do that. We would be happy to offer what we have."
One option under consideration by the NFL is to play the Sept. 18 game at the Alamodome and play the rest of the games at another site.
New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin said today that Doug Thornton, a regional vice president for the company that manages the Superdome, told him it will be "very, very difficult" for the Saints to play home games there this season. League officials pointed out that New Orleans has just one home game in September and were holding out hope the schedule might allow repairs by the season's second month.
The Saints are considering several sites in San Antonio for practice, including the San Antonio School District's Spring Sports Complex.
"I'm expecting them to work out at our place for at least a week or maybe longer," SASD athletic director Gil Garza. "We told them they can stay here as long as they needed to."