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Saints/Hornets to leave city? How serious is this?

Discussion in 'Sports and News' started by Blitz, Feb 10, 2009.

  1. Blitz

    Blitz Active Member

    I can't believe $27 million can't be raised rather quickly.
    This does, though, signify to me that the city is having trouble supporting pro teams ion the long run.

    As a life-long Saints follower, can anyone tell me how serious of a threat this is?

    http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2009/02/saints_hornets_payments_short.html

    http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/seattlesports/archives/161730.asp
     
  2. DisembodiedOwlHead

    DisembodiedOwlHead Active Member

    Can't comment about the specific severity in NOLA, but I can tell you that municipality is not alone. Across the country you will start to see these local sports authorities coming up short based on taxes and other projected revenues vs. rising costs. Read a similar story last week about the Pacers/Colts. So don't get panicked yet.
     
  3. Johnny Dangerously

    Johnny Dangerously Well-Known Member

    We'll find out whether Jindal wants to govern Louisiana or do what he thinks could help him become president. A summary of a Politico piece about him said Jindal claimed his focus was on being reelected (the election's in late 2011, I would point out) and not on running for national office.

    Call me crazy, but I think his focus should be on governing Louisiana, not on staying popular enough to be reelected in 2011. And yes, I've posted that before.
     
  4. tapintoamerica

    tapintoamerica Well-Known Member

    New Orleans was a lousy market before Katrina and before the economic meltdown. Not everybody can have pro sports. That's life. As long as there are people still in need three years after the hurricane, how can a state keep justifying paying millions upon millions to subsidize teams that will get out of town at their earliest convenience?
     
  5. Diabeetus

    Diabeetus Active Member

    I wouldn't be surprised if some cities had some teams leave for places that have none. NOLA might be one example. Keep the Saints or the Hornets, but it's in your best interest to put full support behind one so they both don't pack up.
     
  6. Starman

    Starman Well-Known Member

    Read the stories very carefully.

    You are aware this is in addition to all the revenues from ticket sales, right?

    See, most fans and even most people in the media think that stadium lease arrangements are like your apartment lease: You, Ted Tenant, want to live in the Lahdeedah Apartments for a year, so you write Mr. Landlord a check for $900 a month (or whatever).

    In pro sports, Mr. Landlord writes the checks to Mr. Tenant. :eek: :eek:

    That is, of course, after the taxpayers have already paid to build the stadium.
     
  7. RossLT

    RossLT Guest

    Seattle Hornets?
     
  8. BYH

    BYH Active Member

    I was going to page Starman to this thread but, well, I see he's already arrived. :D
     
  9. Mark2010

    Mark2010 Active Member

    The public and politicians got themselves into this bed by paying outlandish sums of money to build stadiums and attract teams.

    I've lived in three different cities that have had professional teams up and move during my time there and in each case my response was "good riddance". I don't object to having a team in town, but not at the expense of millions of dollars that need to be spent on other things. Biding for something like the Olympics is one thing. Handing over public dollars to team owners is another. These people knew what they were getting into when they plopped down millions to purchase franchises.

    Having gone to high school in the New Orleans area, I can honestly say I detest the city and could care less if the Saints and/or Hornets relocated. Hell, half of the population it seems has relocated. If they can sucker some other poor sap into a better deal, pack up and leave town pronto!! Just don't let the door hit you on the way out.

    In the economic meltdown we are currently in, spending money on teams and stadiums while people go hungry and without healthcare is INSANE!!
     
  10. Mizzougrad96

    Mizzougrad96 Active Member

    There are a lot of people who think Katrina saved the Saints. If that hurricane doesn't hit, they would have moved a couple years ago. The NFL didn't want the PR hit of taking a team away from a city that was in ruins.

    It will be interesting to see what happens. Goodell won't let any team move to LA, because he knows the buy-in for the LA Franchise could bring in $1 billion to the league. The league also loves having 32 teams for competitive reasons, so I'll be curious if a team is eliminated right before the LA franchise is announced.
     
  11. Ben_Hecht

    Ben_Hecht Active Member

    It would be tragic if the Saints left, but I can't see how anyone sober can possibly
    expect that town -- in its current state -- to support a decent NBA team in the manner
    in which a decent NBA team might reasonably expect.
     
  12. I thought San Antonio was basically putting the finishing touches on things to get the Saints, then the craptastic storm of events happened in New Orleans.
     
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