Kori Ellis
09-28-2005, 11:33 PM
A golden ticket for San Antonio?
10:29 PM CDT on Wednesday, September 28, 2005
By BRAD TOWNSEND / The Dallas Morning News
http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/stories/092905dnsposasaints.16448716.html
SAN ANTONIO – The black and gold, 27-foot fleur-de-lis New Orleans Saints logo dominates the Alamodome's south façade, no doubt drawing double-takes from I-37 motorists.
Don't blink, San Antonio. The NFL has indeed arrived, if only temporarily.
An honest-to-goodness regular-season game between the Buffalo Bills and the Hurricane Katrina-orphaned Saints will be played Sunday in the Alamodome.
It is an historic occasion for a city that has long harbored NFL aspirations, but also an awkward circumstance of conflicting emotions and implications.
San Antonio wouldn't be in this position had Katrina not overwhelmed New Orleans and damaged the Superdome, causing the Saints to relocate their base for 2005.
This is their first of three "home" games in the Alamodome. They'll play four others at LSU's Tiger Stadium.
"We're not interested in dancing on someone else's grave," says Red McCombs, former owner of the NBA Spurs and NFL Minnesota Vikings and a San Antonian since 1958.
"We are very interested in making this as pleasant a time for the Saints as we possibly can under the circumstances."
In the days after Katrina struck, San Antonio leaders emphasized that they were simply extending a hand. But during the last four weeks, some of them have acknowledged ulterior motives.
They have billed the Alamodome games as an opportunity to prove that San Antonio is a viable NFL city. They also are not-so-discretely cozying to Saints owner Tom Benson, a longtime area resident and auto dealer.
Officially, San Antonio says it merely wants to make the games a financial success for Benson, but some have charged that the city's long-term objective is to convince him to move the franchise.
"I don't think it's awkward at all," says Henry Cisneros, San Antonio's mayor from 1981 to 1989 and Secretary of Housing and Urban Development from 1993 to 1997.
"This [New Orleans] is clearly a city on its back, not capable of playing professional sports at this moment. The Saints approached us. They're an organization in need of relief, a venue to play, a market that would be supportive."
Nevertheless, uncertainty about the Saints' future has stirred speculation about San Antonio as a potential home. Long before Katrina, Benson questioned whether New Orleans and the 30-year-old Superdome could sustain an NFL team.
Just as hopes neared fever pitch last week, NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue hit San Antonio with a bucket of ice water. He cast doubt whether the Saints could play in New Orleans in 2006, but when asked about San Antonio's qualifications, he said the NFL has no plans to move "any teams into small markets."
"We don't pay any attention to him," McCombs chuckled.
Other city leaders, particularly mayor Phil Hardberger, were not as amused.
Hardberger remarked that he would reserve the Alamodome's "highest seat" for Tagliabue on Sunday. But later, after the commissioner faxed Hardberger a letter pledging the NFL's supporting in making the three San Antonio games a success, Hardberger told The San Antonio Express-News:
"We are going to invite him to the game and give him a better seat."
Amid the politicking, Saints players and coaches are focused on more pressing concerns. Mostly, they are grateful to have a place to call home.
Like many Gulf Coast residents, they were uprooted by Katrina. Tagliabue decreed that they play their Sept. 19 home opener against the Giants at Giants Stadium. Only within the past two weeks have they moved out of hotels, enrolled their children in schools and settled into homes.
"All I can tell you in reference to San Antonio is we've gotten a lot of love here," offensive tackle Wayne Gandy says. "I'm happy to be here, under the circumstances."
The New Orleans Saints, displaced by Hurricane Katrina, play three 'home' games at the Alamodome. San Antonio expects to make the most of it.
As residents, civic leaders and much of the local media squawk about Tagliabue's comments, it appears the Saints finally have a common denominator with their adopted home city. They are united in dislike of Tagliabue.
"I don't think San Antonio is a small market," wide receiver Joe Horn says. "They have a dome. They have 75,000 seats. Why can't they be filled? We'll see."
Actually, the Alamodome has 65,000 seats. It also has only 34 luxury suites, or less than 10 percent of Texas Stadium's 380.
McCombs says that four years ago, when he was the Vikings owner and exploring venue options outside Minneapolis' Metrodome, he and San Antonio officials commissioned studies to learn what it would take to make the Alamodome NFL-viable.
McCombs says both concluded that it would cost $150 million to $200 million. "So it's a doable deal," he says.
Last week, Tagliabue reiterated that if a team were to move, Los Angeles would be the first option. In NFL circles, Benson is regarded as a good soldier who would be unlikely to buck Tagliabue.
Benson has been mum except to say that returning to New Orleans is his first preference. But he was present two weeks ago at a breakfast meeting of San Antonio business leaders, who pledged to throw support behind the Alamodome games.
Last week, Cisneros accompanied Benson on his plane for support-garnering stops in Corpus Christi, Laredo and McAllen.
Cisneros was a key figure in getting the Alamodome built, and along with McCombs lobbied for an NFL expansion team in the early '90s. The city didn't even make the first cut, finishing behind Baltimore, St. Louis, Jacksonville and Carolina.
"San Antonio has been on a roll, and it's a different place in population, income, television market and purchasing power than it was a decade or 15 years ago," Cisneros says.
It is widely assumed that Dallas owner Jerry Jones would oppose having a third Texas team, especially in an area in which the Cowboys have a huge fan base. Through a spokesman, Jones declined to comment last week. Cisneros says "the Jones family has been very supportive" of San Antonio's past efforts.
Ironically, Cisneros believes that hosting these Saints games and speculation about San Antonio "stealing" the franchise like a vulture pouncing on wounded prey hinders the city's future NFL chances.
"If we do really well with these three games, there is no direct line that says this leads to an NFL team," Cisneros says. "We acknowledge that.
"But if we do badly and embarrass ourselves, there is a direct line that says, 'Wipe yourself off the list. You've set yourself back 20 years.'
"This is one of those situations where if you accept the challenge, you're really testing fate."
10:29 PM CDT on Wednesday, September 28, 2005
By BRAD TOWNSEND / The Dallas Morning News
http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/stories/092905dnsposasaints.16448716.html
SAN ANTONIO – The black and gold, 27-foot fleur-de-lis New Orleans Saints logo dominates the Alamodome's south façade, no doubt drawing double-takes from I-37 motorists.
Don't blink, San Antonio. The NFL has indeed arrived, if only temporarily.
An honest-to-goodness regular-season game between the Buffalo Bills and the Hurricane Katrina-orphaned Saints will be played Sunday in the Alamodome.
It is an historic occasion for a city that has long harbored NFL aspirations, but also an awkward circumstance of conflicting emotions and implications.
San Antonio wouldn't be in this position had Katrina not overwhelmed New Orleans and damaged the Superdome, causing the Saints to relocate their base for 2005.
This is their first of three "home" games in the Alamodome. They'll play four others at LSU's Tiger Stadium.
"We're not interested in dancing on someone else's grave," says Red McCombs, former owner of the NBA Spurs and NFL Minnesota Vikings and a San Antonian since 1958.
"We are very interested in making this as pleasant a time for the Saints as we possibly can under the circumstances."
In the days after Katrina struck, San Antonio leaders emphasized that they were simply extending a hand. But during the last four weeks, some of them have acknowledged ulterior motives.
They have billed the Alamodome games as an opportunity to prove that San Antonio is a viable NFL city. They also are not-so-discretely cozying to Saints owner Tom Benson, a longtime area resident and auto dealer.
Officially, San Antonio says it merely wants to make the games a financial success for Benson, but some have charged that the city's long-term objective is to convince him to move the franchise.
"I don't think it's awkward at all," says Henry Cisneros, San Antonio's mayor from 1981 to 1989 and Secretary of Housing and Urban Development from 1993 to 1997.
"This [New Orleans] is clearly a city on its back, not capable of playing professional sports at this moment. The Saints approached us. They're an organization in need of relief, a venue to play, a market that would be supportive."
Nevertheless, uncertainty about the Saints' future has stirred speculation about San Antonio as a potential home. Long before Katrina, Benson questioned whether New Orleans and the 30-year-old Superdome could sustain an NFL team.
Just as hopes neared fever pitch last week, NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue hit San Antonio with a bucket of ice water. He cast doubt whether the Saints could play in New Orleans in 2006, but when asked about San Antonio's qualifications, he said the NFL has no plans to move "any teams into small markets."
"We don't pay any attention to him," McCombs chuckled.
Other city leaders, particularly mayor Phil Hardberger, were not as amused.
Hardberger remarked that he would reserve the Alamodome's "highest seat" for Tagliabue on Sunday. But later, after the commissioner faxed Hardberger a letter pledging the NFL's supporting in making the three San Antonio games a success, Hardberger told The San Antonio Express-News:
"We are going to invite him to the game and give him a better seat."
Amid the politicking, Saints players and coaches are focused on more pressing concerns. Mostly, they are grateful to have a place to call home.
Like many Gulf Coast residents, they were uprooted by Katrina. Tagliabue decreed that they play their Sept. 19 home opener against the Giants at Giants Stadium. Only within the past two weeks have they moved out of hotels, enrolled their children in schools and settled into homes.
"All I can tell you in reference to San Antonio is we've gotten a lot of love here," offensive tackle Wayne Gandy says. "I'm happy to be here, under the circumstances."
The New Orleans Saints, displaced by Hurricane Katrina, play three 'home' games at the Alamodome. San Antonio expects to make the most of it.
As residents, civic leaders and much of the local media squawk about Tagliabue's comments, it appears the Saints finally have a common denominator with their adopted home city. They are united in dislike of Tagliabue.
"I don't think San Antonio is a small market," wide receiver Joe Horn says. "They have a dome. They have 75,000 seats. Why can't they be filled? We'll see."
Actually, the Alamodome has 65,000 seats. It also has only 34 luxury suites, or less than 10 percent of Texas Stadium's 380.
McCombs says that four years ago, when he was the Vikings owner and exploring venue options outside Minneapolis' Metrodome, he and San Antonio officials commissioned studies to learn what it would take to make the Alamodome NFL-viable.
McCombs says both concluded that it would cost $150 million to $200 million. "So it's a doable deal," he says.
Last week, Tagliabue reiterated that if a team were to move, Los Angeles would be the first option. In NFL circles, Benson is regarded as a good soldier who would be unlikely to buck Tagliabue.
Benson has been mum except to say that returning to New Orleans is his first preference. But he was present two weeks ago at a breakfast meeting of San Antonio business leaders, who pledged to throw support behind the Alamodome games.
Last week, Cisneros accompanied Benson on his plane for support-garnering stops in Corpus Christi, Laredo and McAllen.
Cisneros was a key figure in getting the Alamodome built, and along with McCombs lobbied for an NFL expansion team in the early '90s. The city didn't even make the first cut, finishing behind Baltimore, St. Louis, Jacksonville and Carolina.
"San Antonio has been on a roll, and it's a different place in population, income, television market and purchasing power than it was a decade or 15 years ago," Cisneros says.
It is widely assumed that Dallas owner Jerry Jones would oppose having a third Texas team, especially in an area in which the Cowboys have a huge fan base. Through a spokesman, Jones declined to comment last week. Cisneros says "the Jones family has been very supportive" of San Antonio's past efforts.
Ironically, Cisneros believes that hosting these Saints games and speculation about San Antonio "stealing" the franchise like a vulture pouncing on wounded prey hinders the city's future NFL chances.
"If we do really well with these three games, there is no direct line that says this leads to an NFL team," Cisneros says. "We acknowledge that.
"But if we do badly and embarrass ourselves, there is a direct line that says, 'Wipe yourself off the list. You've set yourself back 20 years.'
"This is one of those situations where if you accept the challenge, you're really testing fate."