Plea from a Saints fan

[geauxsaints8402]

If I could just take a moment of your time, things are heating up regarding a relocation of the New Orleans Saints, and I'm asking for help regarding the situation.  The situation is explained at length below, and we're hoping to get some people who go to games this sunday and the next to make some sort of recognition of the situation at hand.  A simple "Keep the Saints in New Orleans" sign would do wonders for the cause, and I'm hoping you all will be willing to oblige.  It really is a sad situation.

Fellow Fans of the NFL,

Throughout the past week, the threat of relocation has been more real than ever for my beloved New Orleans Saints. In between the time since Hurricane Katrina devastated the city I love, the region I love, causing ample problems as far as having family flung about, cleanup, and furthering my education by belonging to three different universities in a three-week timeframe, and now the stressing task of figuring out when, not if, I will go back to the city I love. And between all that, I now have to deal with the threat of the football team I've loved since I was a child being ripped from my grasp, as are millions of fans across the Gulf Coast. I'm sure you all feel the same way for your respective teams; that monday after the weekend of your team's bye week, how you just feel empty. I dread that feeling becoming commonplace.

In between Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Owner Tom Benson has given no statement of commitment to New Orleans, the state of Louisiana, or the Gulf Coast. His actions, on the other hand, have spoken volumes. On Monday, Executive Vice President Arnold Fielkow was fired by Benson. Fielkow, the individual responsible for the 36-game sellout streak in New Orleans that has been going on the past few years, gave called Benson on his nonexistent marketing campaigns and the lack of a real commitment to New Orleans. Arnold Fielkow felt the New Orleans Saints should play an integral role in the reemergence of the storied city, and Tom Benson did not care for that point of view. Soon afterwards, Connie "Conrad" Kowal resigned due to the same commitment to New Orleans.

Next, the San Antonio Mayor, Phil Hardberger, issued this statement, "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. He understands that we will sit down and talk."

The day afterwards, the NFL came out with a statement that stated neither Tom Benson, nor the mayor of San Antonio, has any authority in initiating a move. That is an NFL decision. More pointedly, New Orleans mayor came out and said "We want our Saints, we may not want the owner back. I'm ready to go to the NFL and to Tagliabue and say, 'Give us the Cleveland plan... Whatever the Saints want to do, you let them leave, but they can't take our logo, they can't take our name, and you give us a promise to give us a franchise when the city's back."

Around this time, a grassroots campaign at www.saintsreport.com, was initiated. The plan of action was, and still is, to show NFL that Louisiana and the Gulf Coast can still support the team that they have supported since 1967. The first goal, to sell the Baton Rouge games out. Mayor Hardberger in San Antonio went as far as to say "Baton Rouge is a disaster. We will outsell them two-to-one."

As of last update, the ticket sales were going briskly, and we are somewhere around 55,000 tickets sold thus far. That is an incredible feat, seeing as how there has been little marketing effort by the Saints organization. Want proof of how dedicated the fans are? The fans have purchased airtime over radio station all across the Gulf Coast imploring anyone who wants professional football in the Gulf Coast to make their voices heard by purchasing tickets. Fans are paying for advertisement time, picking up the slack of marketing where Benson has failed.

Furthermore, NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue will be present at the Oct. 30th game against Miami, held at Tiger Stadium in LSU, and will bear witness to an airplane hired by the Saints fans that will trail behind it a banner to read "Tagliabue, SOS: Keep Our Saints in New Orleans!" 10,000 flyers are being printed out explaining the dire situation to fans not in the know. All at the fans expense. And our grassroots movement is gaining steam! We have just hit national radio. On Sporting News Radio, all of these developments are being illustrated for the first time to the national media by Tim Brando. The New Orleans Saints are Louisiana and the rest of the Gulf Coast's team, and we are showing that in full-force.

Now that you know our plight, we ask for your support. We want your voices. For anyone going to an NFL game on the 23rd, 24th, or on the 30th,31st, I ask for fifteen minutes of your time and about seven bucks. Buy a posterboard and a black sharpie. It doesn't need to be pretty, but it needs to get the point across. Write on that posterboard in bold "Tagliabue, SOS: Keep the Saints in New Orleans!", or "Fix The Dome, Bring Them Home!" or any other manner of supporting the stay of the Saints in New Orleans. If you are not going to a game, contact your favorite team regardless. Let the officials of your favorite team know the situation of the New Orleans Saints, and let them know the rotten manner in which the loyal fans of nearly forty years are being treated. In either occasion, it would not take long to help this noble task New Orleans Saints fans are trying to accomplish.

A heartfelt thank-you goes out to all of you for helping out.

Anthony Ellis
AnthonyKEllisLA@yahoo.com

For more information regarding the situation, or further inquiries to help the cause, visit www.saintsreport.com message boards.

[satoshi]

Hey, I have lived there once.

[PhillyPhreak54]

Good luck with that. You should find an e-mail address and/or phone number for the NFL offices in New York City and bombard them with calls and letters in support of keeping your team there.

I wold hate to be in that situation where my team was potentially going to leave. I was too young when Tose was toying with moving the Birds in 1984 so it had no impact on me.

I'd hate to see any city lose their team. Well, except for the taterskins and their fans. I'd be as happy as a pig in shtein if they left DC because I hate them.

[henchmanUK]

Best of luck, geauxsaints. Tom Benson is a first class arsehat.

[Rome]

I guess I'm in the minority here.  I think the Saints should move to San Antonio.

That said, I also think the Saints name should remain in New Orleans like the Browns name remained in Cleveland.  Once a new stadium is built and the city has gotten back on its feet, the NFL should definitely return. 

Sorry, but I think there's more pressing concerns for the city and region than an NFL football team.

I wish you good luck in your endeavor, though, even if I think a better course of action is available to all parties concerned.

[MDS]

I think the Saints should fire Jim Hasslett cause he's an idiot.

[hbionic]

SPAM!

[henchmanUK]

I guess I'm in the minority here.  I think the Saints should move to San Antonio.

No. Considering all the shteiny teams they've had over the years, they've drawn really well. Yes, the city has more things to worry about than the NFL, but it would be a real kick in the teeth if Benson took the Saints away from them.