NFL advisory committee formed about Saints' location issue

[Kori Ellis]

Chief: Saints' location NFL issue

http://www.2theadvocate.com/stories/...aints001.shtml

By SHELDON MICKLES
[email protected]
Advocate sportswriter

In the wake of news that San Antonio officials will try to get the New Orleans Saints to relocate to Texas next season, NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue told Gov. Kathleen Blanco on Wednesday that the league and its members will make decisions about where the Saints will play in 2006 -- and beyond.
NFL spokesman Greg Aiello confirmed Thursday that Blanco phoned Tagliabue, who told the governor he's formed a New Orleans Advisory Committee -- made up of eight owners -- to assist him and Saints owner Tom Benson in making decisions about the franchise's future.

Aiello, the NFL's vice president of public relations, said the committee will discuss the Saints' situation in mid-November and mid-December, likely by conference call, and tentatively Jan. 4 at the league offices in New York City.

"The commissioner discussed the NFL's decision-making timeline for the Saints playing schedule for 2006 -- including the possibility of playing the games at LSU," Aiello said. "The league is looking to make that decision shortly after the season ends, and possibly sooner, depending on developments."

Team owners appointed to the committee are Pat Bowlen (Denver), Lamar Hunt (Kansas City), Robert Kraft (New England), Jeff Lurie (Philadelphia), Mike McCaskey (Chicago), Jerry Richardson (Carolina), Dan Rooney (Pittsburgh), and Wayne Weaver (Jacksonville).

Blanco reached Tagliabue at his New York office just two days after San Antonio Mayor Phil Hardberger said he would actively seek the relocation of the Saints to his city. Hardberger told the San Antonio Express-News that Benson agreed to discuss the possibility, likely after this season.

Hardberger said Benson understood "we will sit down and talk."

"That is his desire as well," he said. "I'm pretty comfortable in saying he wants to be here."

Benson told the paper he would not have any comments until the end of the season. San Antonio has long sought an NFL franchise and the city welcomed the team when it temporarily set up operations there after Hurricane Katrina ravaged New Orleans, rendering the Superdome unplayable.

Three of the Saints home games were eventually scheduled for the Alamodome in San Antonio, while four more were set for LSU's Tiger Stadium after the home opener was played in Giants Stadium.

About 50,000 tickets were purchased by the public for the first game in the Alamodome on Oct. 2 and a sellout crowd of 65,562 was on hand for Sunday's game against the Atlanta Falcons. Some 40,000 tickets remain available, however, for a Dec. 24 game with the Detroit Lions.

"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," Hardberger told the Express-News.

Aiello said Tagliabue and Blanco discussed the overall economic situation in Louisiana and the entire region, and also talked about the four Saints games to be played at LSU.

The first game is set for Oct. 30 against the Miami Dolphins, a game Tagliabue will attend. During his visit, he's expected to meet with LSU officials to talk about using Tiger Stadium for Saints' games in 2006 if Superdome repairs aren't completed.

During a Sept. 12 trip to Baton Rouge to announce the games to be played here, Tagliabue expressed a desire to return the Saints to New Orleans considering the tragic cir stances that forced it from the city.

"We wanted to make it one-thousand percent clear that the New Orleans Saints are committed to New Orleans and their fans," he said. "The New Orleans Saints represent New Orleans, Louisiana and the Gulf Coast region, and Mr. Benson and I both recognize we have a great responsibility to the people of this state and of New Orleans and the region."

Following a meeting Thursday in New Orleans with area tourism and hospitality leaders, Blanco told reporters she spoke with Tagliabue and he indicated a strong fan showing at the Saints-Dolphins game would be a big plus for the state.

Denise Bottcher, the governor's press secretary, said Blanco and Tagliabue did not talk about the Saints' future. She said they discussed Benson, but would not say what they talked about.

The Saints announced Thursday afternoon that 52,218 tickets have been sold for the game with the Dolphins. The club has sold about 32,000 tickets in the past 2‰ weeks.

Blanco said she hasn't spoken recently with Benson, but is planning to do so very shortly, to talk about the team's future.

She wants the Saints to stay, but also said she supports the stance New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin took Wednesday when he said the city should get the "Cleveland plan" if Benson moves the team.

The NFL awarded Cleveland an expansion team after the Browns picked up and moved to Baltimore following the 1995 season. The mayor said the team shouldn't take the Saints' logo or name if they leave.

"We do want the Saints to stay here among the people," said Blanco, who plans to attend the Dolphins game.

Aiello said Tagliabue will report to the league's owners about the New Orleans Advisory Committee when they meet for their fall business meetings Wednesday and Thursday in Kansas City, Mo.

Advocate staff writersJoe Gyan Jr. and Mark Ballard contributed to this report.

[j-6]

I was going to post on this earlier. That's an interesting group of owners for this situation.

Weaver's team is the most frequent target for wannabe relocators due to the small market size of Jacksonville.

Hunt is the only one that has relocated a team, and that is because the old AFL Dallas Texans were going head-to-head against the expansion Cowboys over 40 years ago.

Richardson is a former player and is fiercely loyal to the Carolinas region. He's also fast climbing the power ranks of the NFL owners.

Dan Rooney is a second generation owner with lifelong bonds to his area as well - especially since his father might be the most revered man in Pittsburgh. McCaskey is "Papa Bear" Halas' grandson.

Kraft and Lurie are both lifelong NFL fans that fulfilled a dream when purchasing their teams.

[greywheel]

So is the purpose of this committee to give credance to Benson's SA decision or to persuade Benson that LA is better for him.

[Vashner]

The purpose of this is to screw us out of the team of course.

Tag s on San Antonio... along with Jerry Jones trying to keep us his merchandise slave.

[j-6]

So is the purpose of this committee to give credance to Benson's SA decision or to persuade Benson that LA is better for him.

Well, there's no real maverick owners and noone who has moved a team in the last forty years. Also no owners in the Texas and California regions for balance against Carolina (NFC South rival) and Jacksonville (almost a Gulf Coast team). The closest thing to a ion on this committee is Bowlen, and he's more of an egotist than a maverick. The major market owners on this thing (Kraft, Loria, and McCaskey) are all company-line kinda guys.

Strange place for the Jaguars' Weaver. Will he see the potential advantages of San Antonio and Los Angeles during his consultations and maybe use them for his own purposes one day?

Really weird committee. It's like Tags asked for volunteers rahter than evaluated strengths and weaknesses.

[tgrgrd00]

The purpose of this is to screw us out of the team of course.

Tag s on San Antonio... along with Jerry Jones trying to keep us his merchandise slave.

S.A. is getting screwed out of a team.

[blaze89]

You could see this ina couple of ways:

1. The NFL truly wants to Saints to remain in New Orleans and will try to prevent Benson from moving the team.

2. This is all a PR stunt for the NFL to say, "We did all we could to keep the Saints in New Orleans".


Now can someone close to Hardberger tell the Mayor to shut up. It appears Benson has made Hardberger his unofficial spokesperson. Don't make this public cause when situations like this go public, the end result is complete different than what was intended. It makes me think that this is all lip-service, we are getting played and in the end, San Antonio won't get an NFL team.

[Marcus Bryant]

You could see this ina couple of ways:

1. The NFL truly wants to Saints to remain in New Orleans and will try to prevent Benson from moving the team.

2. This is all a PR stunt for the NFL to say, "We did all we could to keep the Saints in New Orleans".


Now can someone close to Hardberger tell the Mayor to shut up. It appears Benson has made Hardberger his unofficial spokesperson. Don't make this public cause when situations like this go public, the end result is complete different than what was intended. It makes me think that this is all lip-service, we are getting played and in the end, San Antonio won't get an NFL team.

It's all up to Benson. He's the trump card here for SA. If he wasn't involved, I would think that SA has no chance. If Benson wants to be in SA, it's going to be difficult for anyone to root him out.

[blaze89]

It's all up to Benson. He's the trump card here for SA. If he wasn't involved, I would think that SA has no chance. If Benson wants to be in SA, it's going to be difficult for anyone to root him out.

True, any owner who wants to move can do so. The Browns were approved to move from Cleveland to Baltimore. The NFL really can't stop it, maybe they can influence but the owners can't stop it.

However, the more this situation is made public, in my point of view, the more we will get screwed. I still think that Benson is trying to milk the state of Louisiana for all that he can get.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

I just think it's rich that the league thinks they are all of a sudden going to tell an owner how to run his team.

Didn't see them forming any committees when Houston or Cleveland left town.

Blanco, the stupid couldn't run a McDonald's, I don't know how she got to the point of making decisions for a whole state, and now thinking she has a say in the Saints.

Dear Dumbass Blanco :

There is no economy in New Orleans. There won't be the kind of economy needed to sustain an NFL team for probably ten years. Do the ing math.