State dollars eyed to help lure Saints
Web Posted: 10/18/2005 12:00 AM CDT
Tom Orsborn
Express-News Staff Writer
A state lawmaker says he would like to use a portion of a state economic development fund to help San Antonio's campaign to permanently land the New Orleans Saints.
State Sen. Jeff Wentworth, R-San Antonio, said Monday he is exploring use of the Texas Enterprise Fund to help build a Saints relocation war chest. Of the $182 million appropriated this year for the fund, about $146 million remains available through 2007.
"That's the first logical place to look," Wentworth said.
"That fund was created to help (businesses) make decisions to come to Texas as opposed to somewhere else. In my judgment, the Saints coming here would create jobs and spark economic development."
Wentworth said he has asked Gov. Rick Perry, who, with the lieutenant governor and speaker of the House, must unanimously approve each disbursement, to consider using development funds as part of a financial incentives package to entice the Saints to stay in San Antonio.
Meanwhile, in a move that could signal the Saints' intentions, team owner Tom Benson on Monday fired his chief administrator, Arnold Fielkow.
Fielkow, who was in his sixth year with the organization and a member of the team's board of directors, was known to be a strong supporter of the Saints returning to New Orleans as soon as the city's Superdome facility, damaged during Hurricane Katrina, is repaired or replaced.
Last month, as the Saints were settling into new training quarters at the Alamodome, Fielkow warned Louisiana state officials that Benson was considering permanent relocation. Team sources said Fielkow was dismissed for opposing Benson's desire to explore relocation options.
The team moved its operations to San Antonio on Sept. 2, just days after Katrina left much of New Orleans underwater.
The Saints already have played two of their scheduled home games in the Alamodome and will play another there on Dec. 24. Four home games are scheduled for Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La., the first Oct. 30.
Mayor Phil Hardberger, interviewed during Sunday's games against the Atlanta Falcons at the dome, said he intends to open negotiations at the end of the season with Benson with the goal of keeping the team in San Antonio.
Hardberger said Benson shares that goal and has agreed to discuss permanent relocation.
Other local leaders fell in behind Hardberger on Monday.
"That kind of leadership is a necessary ingredient for any attempt to acquire an NFL team," said businessman B.J. "Red" McCombs, who until last year owned the Minnesota Vikings.
"I applaud him every way I can because the NFL is good for the city. Without that leadership, there's no way we would even have a chance."
"It's about time we had some strong leadership on this issue," said Mike Lynd Jr., an executive with The Lynd Co., the city's largest apartment management company.
"You can't ask for much more than what (Hardberger) said. He recognized the opportunity and is taking advantage of it. This is not going to happen without a tremendous amount of leadership citywide."
Count Judge Nelson Wolff said he in "100 percent agreement" that the city should pursue the Saints — but without the promise of a new stadium or subsidies.
Hardberger said he opposes city funding of a new stadium and will not support subsidies, which Benson receives from the state of Louisiana to play in the Superdome.
"I think he laid it out just right," Wolff said of Hardberger.
Perry, who briefly addressed the Saints issue while attending Sunday's game, said he supports the idea of the Saints moving to Texas. But a spokeswoman for Perry said Monday "it's way too premature" to discuss dipping into the Texas Enterprise Fund.
"The governor thinks it would be great if the Saints want to move here — and Texas would welcome them," spokeswoman Kathy Walt said. "But, beyond that, it's way too early to talk about whether there are funds available for assistance."
Hardberger's comments drew a carefully crafted response from the attorney representing the Louisiana Stadium & Exposition District, which operates the Superdome.
"The post-hurricane challenges for Louisiana should not lead to a tug of war between San Antonio and New Orleans, and certainly not between San Antonio and Baton Rouge," attorney Larry Roedel said.
"The Saints have at least two generations of loyal supporters in Louisiana and the Gulf Coast on our end of the rope. San Antonio has been a gracious host, as is LSU, during a difficult time. There are many precedents in the NFL for a pro team to play two or more seasons at a college venue while a stadium is being built or remodeled. We are following NFL precedent in that regard."
The Saints have a contract with the Louisiana Stadium & Exposition District to play at the Superdome through 2010. But a force majeure clause allows the Saints to declare the stadium unusable and terminate the contract.
http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/met...s.de2a6c7.html
It's funny that people say that San Antonio is this big rich city that can support an NFL team but they can't even round up the money to secure the team or build a stadium without having to try to wrangle the money away from the cities that already have NFL teams.
If Perry agreed to waste the TEF on something as stupid as the Saints he'd be dragged into the street and hanged.
Using that fund for an NFL team is like a welfare mother who uses her check to buy a Coach purse.
I'm going to have to chime in to my state rep about this.If Perry agreed to waste the TEF on something as stupid as the Saints he'd be dragged into the street and hanged.
Stop looking for a handout! If you want a team, pay for it your goddamned selves!
Ah, San Antonio de Bexar.
Benson and the Mayor will probably arrive at a deal for the city to lease the Alamodome to the team for the next 3 years at the rate of a buck a year or something ridiculous. Then watch as San Antonihomers pitch a fit about that.
Why...we could get the Antiques Roadshow on a Sunday afternoon!
Getting state money is a pipedream. The sad thing is...getting the public to approve a small amount of public funding for a NFL stadium (~$50 mil) would be too.
Also, before I forget...3 games doesn't prove much about how well a franchise would do at the gate in SA.
How about 2 years from now when the 2-5 Saints, coming off a 6-10 season the year before, are trying to sell tix while you have the Spurs, coming off yet another championship, starting their season?
I don't believe the "novelty" of having a NFL team in SA would help the team's ticket sales past the 1st season in SA.
You guys need to stop beating around the bush and just come out and say you don't think a predominately Mexican society can afford an NFL team. Maybe you think we're uneducated and there's no future here. Don't be panzy asses and just come out and say how you feel.
They're too chicken to fess up.
Because they're so much better than us living in that overrated city 70 miles northeast of here.
Actually I think a city that is one of the smallest and poorest markets in the NBA would have a tough time supporting two major pro sports franchises.
Race has nothing to do with it. Try again.
Um, I don't live there. Try again.
Thanks for using per capita to measure wealth in a city dumb .
Now go try again.
Damn, you are grasping at straws. Weath is accounted for in income stats. The term you were looking for was "wages".
Try again.
This city has a world of potential, but sometimes it's hard for people to see past the brown faces.
Damn, you are grasping at straws. Weath is accounted for in income stats. The term you were looking for was "wages".
Try again.
When you have nothing left, claim racism. Awesome.
You have only used per capita income.
Damn, you are grasping at straws. Weath is accounted for in income stats. The term you were looking for was "wages".
Try again.
Try median household income or median family income.
I already gave you San Antonio's.
More than 41,000.
Now try again poser kid.
"Poser kid"? If that doesn't describe Buddy Holly perfectly I don't know what does.
Per capita income stats do account for income from sources other than wages. That's why it is not referred to as "per capita wages".
You've provided nothing in the way of meaningful data in this forum. Now shut up and sit the down you little wannabe.
Not at all, I'm a Neo-Con but feel compelled to state the obvious.
Over 41,000 dollars is the median household INCOME.
Now go stick those numbers up your ass like you do dildos.
And I'm Santa Claus. There is no "obvious". You cannot respond to the claim that SA is one of the smallest and poorest markets in the NBA so you claim "racism". The numbers don't lie, man.
Goddamn, you are that stupid.
Your opinion is more of a joke than someone using racism as a claim.
Nope, just that your using one tangable to make SA look bad yet I proivde another and you call me stupid.
Why, because it doesn't make SA look bad.
The numbers don't lie. And they're colorblind too.
sourceThe 15 smallest NBA cities - Listed by television market, out of 210 total areas (Number of Television Homes):
1. Memphis, Tennessee (658,250)
2. New Orleans, Louisiana (675,760)
3. San Antonio, Texas (748,950)
4. Salt Lake City, Utah (800,000)
5. Milwaukee, Wisconsin (886,770)
6. Charlotte, North Carolina (1,004,440)
7. Indianapolis, Indiana (1,053,020)
8. Portland, Oregon (1,086,900)
9. Orlando, Florida (1,303,150)
10. Sacramento, California (1,315,030)
11. Denver, Colorado (1,401,760)
12. Miami, Florida (1,496,810)
13. Cleveland, Ohio (1,556,670)
14. Phoenix, Arizona (1,596,950)
15. Minneapolis, Minnesota (1,665,540)
That's TV households.
Now how about per capita income?
What about other NBA TV markets in the bottom half of the league?Table 1. Personal Income and Per Capita Personal Income by Metropolitan Area, 2001-2003
Personal income Per capita personal income/1
Millions of dollars Percent Dollars Rank in
Area name change/2 U.S.
2001 2002 2003 2002-2003 2001 2002 2003 2003
San Antonio, TX 47,218 47,797 49,733 4.1 27,044 26,832 27,381 186
BEATable 1. Personal Income and Per Capita Personal Income by Metropolitan Area, 2001-2003
Personal income Per capita personal income/1
Millions of dollars Percent Dollars Rank in
Area name change/2 U.S.
2001 2002 2003 2002-2003 2001 2002 2003 2003
Memphis, TN-MS-AR 36,241 37,767 39,244 3.9 29,790 30,787 31,677 79
New Orleans-Metairie-Kenner, LA 36,923 38,211 39,595 3.6 28,142 29,091 30,092 116
Salt Lake City, UT 28,619 29,316 29,935 2.1 29,055 29,456 29,768 128
Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI 50,920 51,910 53,182 2.5 33,819 34,384 35,133 35
Charlotte-Gastonia-Concord, NC-SC 44,820 46,485 47,850 2.9 32,604 33,045 33,251 52
Indianapolis, IN 50,515 52,040 53,816 3.4 32,484 32,983 33,618 42
Portland-Vancouver-Beaverton, OR-WA 63,933 64,395 65,629 1.9 32,345 31,988 32,152 70
Orlando-Kissimmee, FL 46,350 48,096 50,670 5.4 27,151 27,407 28,114 168
Sacramento-Arden-Arcade-Roseville, CA 57,532 59,439 62,079 4.4 30,807 30,864 31,425 83
Denver-Aurora, CO 87,646 88,602 90,239 1.8 39,432 38,923 39,203 11
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Miami Beach, FL 163,860 169,151 174,652 3.3 32,025 32,493 33,094 55
Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor, OH 68,208 69,022 71,051 2.9 31,799 32,219 33,196 54
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 97,139 101,447 106,327 4.8 28,712 29,080 29,590 131
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 113,012 115,401 119,080 3.2 37,370 37,773 38,601 14
Among the 15 smallest NBA markets in terms of TV households, San Antonio was the lowest in terms of per capita income in 2001 through 2003. The only reason the Spurs remain in San Antonio is because of the arena deal, which heavily subsidizes the team as well as due to the salary cap and in particular the luxury tax distributions as well as the ins ution of maximum salaries in the league.
Nope, just that your using one tangable to make SA look bad yet I proivde another and you call me stupid.
Why, because it doesn't make SA look bad.
:yawn
Stop wasting space.
Exactly. You have nothing.
Well except, per capita.
Anyone care to offer a response that isn't predicated on a unfounded racism charge or the notion that Buddy Holly has any clue what he is trying to say?
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