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It's getting serious. Read who Benson had in his freaking suite. The Gov, a Senator, three Mayors including our own.
Mayor wants Saints in San Antonio
Web Posted: 10/17/2005 12:00 AM CDT
Tom Orsborn
Express-News Staff Writer
Laying aside all pretenses about the city's interest in the New Orleans Saints, Mayor Phil Hardberger said Sunday he plans to pursue actively the permanent relocation of the team to San Antonio.
Hardberger said Saints owner Tom Benson has agreed to participate in discussions, likely at the end of the current season, aimed at making the team the "San Antonio Saints" before the start of the 2006 season.
"He (Benson) understands that we will sit down and talk," Hardberger said while attending Sunday's Saints-Atlanta Falcons game at the Alamodome. "That is his desire as well. I'm pretty comfortable in saying he wants to be here."
A sellout crowd of 65,562 — the largest ever for a football game in San Antonio — turned out to see the Saints lose to the Falcons, 34-31, on a last-minute field goal.
"I think Tom Benson would like to stay here permanently and I, as mayor of San Antonio, would like to have the team stay here permanently," said Hardberger, who watched much of the game in Benson's suite.
Benson declined comment.
"I'm not going to make any comments about it until the end of the season," he said.
The Saints' contract with the Louisiana Stadium & Exposition District, which operates the Louisiana Superdome, runs through the 2010 season. But the Saints can opt out of the deal by invoking a destruction, or force majeure clause, before Nov. 29.
"We have a contract in place," said Tim Coulon, head of the Louisiana Stadium & Exposition District. "I understand he has a business obligation, but he has an obligation to the state as well."
An NFL spokesman declined comment.
Gov. Rick Perry, who also watched the game in Benson's suite, said he agrees with Hardberger that San Antonio is the Saints' best relocation option.
Other dignitaries in the Benson suite included the mayors of Austin and Laredo and state Sen. Jeff Wentworth, R-San Antonio.
Hardberger reiterated that he's against using city funds to build a new stadium for the Saints but said he would welcome state assistance.
Perry indicated he's open to the idea.
"If and when the Saints decide to move, San Antonio and the surrounding area would be an ideal location," Perry said. "And the question of whether there is local or state support is, without a doubt, in the affirmative."
Said Wentworth: "I'm hopeful this is where (the Saints) land permanently. We'd love to have them."
To prepare for talks with Benson, the city has commissioned a cost-benefit analysis of the Saints in San Antonio.
"We want to know how much money realistically (Saints games) can bring into the city," Hardberger said. "I consider Tom Benson a friend, but Tom Benson isn't going to give his team away."
Luring the Saints to San Antonio could cost millions, Hardberger said.
"To get a team you have to spend money, and many people only see that part of it," Hardberger said. "But you have to ask what you are going to get out of it. If you are getting back $3 for every dollar you spend, so what if it takes millions?"
The Saints moved their operations to the Alamodome on Sept. 2, just one week after Hurricane Katrina heavily damaged the Superdome.
Three Saints home games subsequently were moved to the Alamodome. Four others were moved to Baton Rouge, La., where ticket sales have lagged badly behind sales here.
Hardberger last week called the tickets sales situation in Baton Rouge "a disaster." About 42,000 tickets remain for the Saints' Baton Rouge opener Oct. 30 at LSU's Tiger Stadium, which will seat 79,000 for Saints games.
"The truth is they are not selling tickets in Baton Rouge," Hardberger said. "Do you want to see half of the seats filled or all of the seats?"
NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue is expected to talk to LSU officials next week about the Saints playing their 2006 home games in Baton Rouge.
Tagliabue "doesn't want them here," Hardberger said. "He wants them in Baton Rouge, and the only reason he wants them there is he doesn't want them to settle in here and be successful. Otherwise, Baton Rouge makes no sense because we will outsell their tickets, two to one. (Benson) doesn't want to be in Baton Rouge, where he would be losing money every game."
The Saints could face stiff resistance from the league if they attempt to relocate. According to league policy, such a move would require approval from 24 of the NFL's 32 owners.
"It's going to be a struggle," Hardberger said. "But the Saints are not working against this. Benson has said on numerous occasions he wants to be in San Antonio. The players want to be here and the coaches want to be here. Now, (Benson) is a businessman.
"But I believe him when he says he ultimately wants the team to be here and stay here."
http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/met...s.8a8a74b.html
It's getting serious. Read who Benson had in his freaking suite. The Gov, a Senator, three Mayors including our own.
no champagne yet, but this is AWESOME NEWS!
Benson always held the keys to this bandwagon.
lets watch the doubters climb aboard now!
This would be fantastic for our wonderful city of San Antonio!
Niceeeee. Make it happen so I can go to more NFL games!
Where does Benson actually say he, as you put it in your thread le: Tom Benson want the San Antonio Saints.
Quote #1
"Benson has said on numerous occasions he wants to be in San Antonio."
Quote #2
"But I believe him when he says he ultimately wants the team to be here and stay here."
Again, show me where he is quoted not hearsay.
Hearsay?
So if Bush is told by bin Ladan that he is going to bomb this place at this time, it's just "hearsay"?
So if Bush went to someone and said: "Hey, bin just told me so and so."
That person should respond: "Hearsay Mr. Bush, hearsay."
Really?
Seems you just want a reason to say: "Ain't happenin'."
Also, just did a quicky dictionary.com look up for the word "hearsay."
hear·say
n.
1. Unverified information heard or received from another; rumor.
2. Law. Evidence based on the reports of others rather than the personal knowledge of a witness and therefore generally not admissible as testimony.
Mayor Hardberger relaying what he's been told by Benson himself is not "hearsay."
You're free to try again.
I want it to happen as much as the other guy.
Do I see it happening? Unfortunately, no. But I hope I'm wrong.
I'm not saying that Benson hasn't said those things...maybe he has, maybe he hasn't. Words don't mean much. Action does. I'm just asking to show me a quote directly from Benson.
man. get some sleep. you take this TOO SERIOUS.
Jesus.
How much more of a quote from Benson do you need than the Mayor telling reporters Benson has told him that he wants to move the team here.
Of course you're not going to get a direct quote from Benson until the season is over, maybe just maybe before its over but most likely afterwards.
It seems clear that he wants to be here, the city wants him here, , the state wants the team here. Not to mention it seems Louisiana won't have a foot to stand on when it comes to making the Saints keep their end of the contract up.
So as it is, the Saints will most likely get out of their contract with the state and the city on Nov 28th, thereby making the Saints "free agents."
The city comes up with the right deal and bam! I'll that leaves is votes from owners.
I take this too serious? You're the one wanting quotes to justifiy my le.
BuddyHolly- do you actually see the Saints coming to SA? Or for that matter...expansion team?
Serious.
Yes. The Saints are definitely the most realistically as of this moment.
BuddyHolly- do you actually see the Saints coming to SA? Or for that matter...any team?
Serious.
If Benson wants to be here, I don’t see what could stop him. I believe once the season is over the hysteria of Katrina and post-Katrina will die down considerably to the point that only die hard Saints fans and San Antonians will be paying attention to the goings on.
If we don't get the Saints, I don't think we're out of the relocation game but it'll be a while.
I honestly believe its 60-40 on the Saints relocation to SA.
Do the owners have to vote to approve the move of a team?
Yes, 24 of 32 have to vote yes.
It's possible. For some crazy reason..i thought all 32 had to approve.
With the NFL able to extract a franchise fee of $700 mil for the Texans to join the league back in 1998 or 1999, it would not be surprising to see someone come along and offer Benson well over $1 billion for the Saints with the purpose of relocating them to Los Angeles. There would be no resistance in the league to such a deal.
If, again, Benson wants to leave a load of money on the table and for community/personal reasons wants the team in SA, then it's going to take the state and all of the city and county governments between the Valley, SA and Austin to come up with the jack for a new stadium. In addition, it is going to take the NFL having the willingness to take a major PR hit by bolting from Louisiana so soon after Katrina as well as to see a team relocate to a marginally better market, instead of Los Angeles.
On the state political scene it would be interesting to see the arguments put forth for state assistance with a major stadium project, especially considering that Reliant Stadium as well as the new Cowboys stadium, were not and will not be, respectively, to my knowledge, built with any state government assistance whatsoever.
In addition, while South Central Texas may indeed be a marginally better market than South Louisiana and Mississippi, it's not as though you will be getting more Texans to watch NFL football. The basic premise of a move to SA from NO is that you will get Texans to watch more football. To me, that makes the prospective gains for the NFL from a relocation of the Saints to SA all the more spurious. Are Cowboys fans going to tune in to watch the Saints as well? What's the value in that versus putting a team in the 2nd largest media market in the US?
In addition, the Saints will at some point in the near future need a new stadium and that is not going to run cheap. The only way a franchise is going to be viable in South Central Texas is if it taps heavily into the Austin market. That means the stadium would have to be built along I-35 and probably no further south than San Marcos. The "money" in Austin is located in Central Austin and then points West and North. If you expect to draw people and companies from Austin out to games then you have to recognize that people have to drive 15 to 20 miles, if not more, just to get out of Austin. Factor in a realistic time allowance for Austin traffic (1 to 2 hours) and whatever stadium better not be in San Antonio or even New Braunfels for that matter.
Northside San Antonio may not mind driving up to San Marcos to catch some games but if you're on the Westside or Southside that's a 50+ mile trip.
Sure, if the team officially relocates to South Central Texas, then for a season or two it might draw well. But when someone is looking at spending 4 or 5 hours in the truck to see the 3-9 Saints take on the 4-8 Cardinals, well, that's where the fairlytale ends.
Which is why Benson will undoubtedly seek some kind of sweetheart stadium deal from the state and/or local governments. I would think it would be somewhat difficult for SA city government to get the populace of San Antonio de Bexar to agree to new taxes to build a stadium in...San Marcos.
But that's what I suspect Benson is looking for at the moment. He might be prepared to leave some money on the table that might come from a sale to another group bent on relocating the team in Los Angeles, but a 'man's gotta eat', I suppose.
Thieving ers...if you want to steal poor people's football teams, build your own ing stadium...Explain to me why the state should have to pay for San Antonio's football team, exactly?
What, you guys are going to pay the state back?
NFL cities should be able, AND willing, to pay for their own freaking football teams.
Deadbeats...thieves.
If you want a ing football team, pay for it yourselves, like every other city does.
Yeah, I'd be surprised to see the state government come up with any large scale assistance for the Saints to relocate as well as to build a stadium. No state assistance and is San Antonio de Bexar going to approve funding for another facility?
Oh, so you want to bring other city and county governments in on the deal? Alright, then be prepared to pony up some cash to see the stadium built...in San Marcos.
At some point, other needs in SA need to be addressed.
The one potential angle is that a significant corporate sponsor could be found. SBC, soon to be AT&T, seems like a natural choice. But with the SBC Center and SBC Park would the company agree to another sports stadium deal?
It all comes down to Benson. If Benson is content to leave money on the table, if he is willing to move his team to another small market, if he is able to persuade the NFL to go along, if he can endure vitriolic personal criticism for leaving Louisiana so soon after Katrina and if he is fine with seeing his Saints play for the next decade in an outdated facility, then yeah, SA gets a team.
Again, do not discount the notion that SA is being used by Benson to get what he wants out of the State of Louisiana. He has been making noise for years about getting a new stadium. The Superdome is now out of the picture. He has the state right where he wants them. He apparently will be able to get out of the Superdome lease ASAP. He has a functioning stadium and a marginally better market to go to. The Louisiana state government, unlike Texas' has been willing to provide state assistance to a pro team.
So don't get your hopes up. Though, if SA is going to get a NFL team in the next decade, this is its best chance.
Last edited by Marcus Bryant; 10-17-2005 at 07:45 AM.
What does this have to do with the San Antonio Spurs?
Most forum participants and readers are from San Antonio or have ties to it.
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