Shiner Bock Girl
11-01-2005, 07:49 AM
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/...n.17599b21.html
Tom Orsborn: Tagliabue: L.A. not in the mix
Web Posted: 11/01/2005 12:00 AM CST
San Antonio Express-News
BATON ROUGE, La. — Two major media outlets say league sources tell them the Saints are headed to Los Angeles should New Orleans fail to recover from Hurricane Katrina.
So what does commissioner Paul Tagliabue think of those reports?
"Nonsensical," he said at a news conference Sunday before the Saints-Dolphins game at LSU's Tiger Stadium.
Tagliabue was confident and in control while addressing the Saints' future — one of the most complex and sensitive issues any commissioner of a professional sports league has faced.
But when asked to respond to stories from ESPN and the Washington Post that the Saints eventually could land in Los Angeles, Tagliabue issued a forceful reply that had some observers saying, "Doth the commissioner protest too much?"
"Los Angeles has been the landing spot for the Indianapolis Colts, the Arizona Cardinals, the Seattle Seahawks, the Minnesota Vikings and any number of other teams," Tagliabue said. "The last time I looked, they were all operating in their communities, and Los Angeles is off their radar screen.
"I don't spend a lot of time reading those reports," Tagliabue added. "If I gave stock to all of the nonsensical things written about the NFL, I would have to work 26 hours a day, and I can only work 24."
Even as fans at Tiger Stadium cheered the first sighting of Miami coach Nick Saban, you could hear the sighs of relief from Southern California.
It's no secret Tagliabue desperately wants a team in Los Angeles. The second-largest television market in the country has been without an NFL franchise since after the 1994 season, when the Rams sprinted to St. Louis and the Raiders bolted for Oakland.
Since then, rumors about the NFL and Los Angeles usually center on the possibility of Tom Benson moving the Saints out west.
Last week, the Washington Post quoted a source involved in the Saints discussions as saying: "If you're looking at it long-term, L.A. is a no-brainer. But I also think we need to give New Orleans and Louisiana a shot. We have absolutely no obligation to San Antonio. None."
But fans and leaders in Los Angeles have made it clear they want no part of the Saints, especially under these circumstances.
"We know people in New Orleans have been reading about the 'threat' of Los Angeles for a long time," Pat Lynch, general manager of the Los Angeles Coliseum, told the Los Angeles Times. "We don't think there's a time or a place for us to ever bring up this subject."
Added Bill Chadwick, president of the commission that operates the historic facility: "It clearly would be bad form for the commission to reach out to New Orleans — or to anyone in distress."
The media have also weighed in on the subject. On Saturday, the Los Angeles Times ran an editorial encouraging Tagliabue to keep the Saints in New Orleans.
"(Tagliabue) has to be mindful of Benson's business concerns, but all NFL owners, eager to protect the league's brand, need to find a way to recommit to New Orleans," the editorial said. "It's bad enough for franchises to move in the best of times, but for football to abandon New Orleans now would be a disaster for the league image.
"As for Tagliabue's desire to see a team again in Los Angeles before he retires, the city is happy to welcome an expansion franchise (though not happy enough to subsidize it). But the NFL should know that we do not want any part of the Saints."
Only time will tell whether Tagliabue got the message. But, as it stands now, he's thinking more about La., than L.A.
[email protected]
Tom Orsborn: Tagliabue: L.A. not in the mix
Web Posted: 11/01/2005 12:00 AM CST
San Antonio Express-News
BATON ROUGE, La. — Two major media outlets say league sources tell them the Saints are headed to Los Angeles should New Orleans fail to recover from Hurricane Katrina.
So what does commissioner Paul Tagliabue think of those reports?
"Nonsensical," he said at a news conference Sunday before the Saints-Dolphins game at LSU's Tiger Stadium.
Tagliabue was confident and in control while addressing the Saints' future — one of the most complex and sensitive issues any commissioner of a professional sports league has faced.
But when asked to respond to stories from ESPN and the Washington Post that the Saints eventually could land in Los Angeles, Tagliabue issued a forceful reply that had some observers saying, "Doth the commissioner protest too much?"
"Los Angeles has been the landing spot for the Indianapolis Colts, the Arizona Cardinals, the Seattle Seahawks, the Minnesota Vikings and any number of other teams," Tagliabue said. "The last time I looked, they were all operating in their communities, and Los Angeles is off their radar screen.
"I don't spend a lot of time reading those reports," Tagliabue added. "If I gave stock to all of the nonsensical things written about the NFL, I would have to work 26 hours a day, and I can only work 24."
Even as fans at Tiger Stadium cheered the first sighting of Miami coach Nick Saban, you could hear the sighs of relief from Southern California.
It's no secret Tagliabue desperately wants a team in Los Angeles. The second-largest television market in the country has been without an NFL franchise since after the 1994 season, when the Rams sprinted to St. Louis and the Raiders bolted for Oakland.
Since then, rumors about the NFL and Los Angeles usually center on the possibility of Tom Benson moving the Saints out west.
Last week, the Washington Post quoted a source involved in the Saints discussions as saying: "If you're looking at it long-term, L.A. is a no-brainer. But I also think we need to give New Orleans and Louisiana a shot. We have absolutely no obligation to San Antonio. None."
But fans and leaders in Los Angeles have made it clear they want no part of the Saints, especially under these circumstances.
"We know people in New Orleans have been reading about the 'threat' of Los Angeles for a long time," Pat Lynch, general manager of the Los Angeles Coliseum, told the Los Angeles Times. "We don't think there's a time or a place for us to ever bring up this subject."
Added Bill Chadwick, president of the commission that operates the historic facility: "It clearly would be bad form for the commission to reach out to New Orleans — or to anyone in distress."
The media have also weighed in on the subject. On Saturday, the Los Angeles Times ran an editorial encouraging Tagliabue to keep the Saints in New Orleans.
"(Tagliabue) has to be mindful of Benson's business concerns, but all NFL owners, eager to protect the league's brand, need to find a way to recommit to New Orleans," the editorial said. "It's bad enough for franchises to move in the best of times, but for football to abandon New Orleans now would be a disaster for the league image.
"As for Tagliabue's desire to see a team again in Los Angeles before he retires, the city is happy to welcome an expansion franchise (though not happy enough to subsidize it). But the NFL should know that we do not want any part of the Saints."
Only time will tell whether Tagliabue got the message. But, as it stands now, he's thinking more about La., than L.A.
[email protected]