All our complaining is justified!

qball316 · 12-07-2005, 07:04 PM

They have us ranked last overall. The glaring catagory is the ownership. We are picked dead last in that catagory. Funny they judge it on "Honesty, loyalty to players and city."

http://sports.espn.go.com/chat/sport...anks?year=2006

dberce1 · 12-07-2005, 08:07 PM

here's the other piece of that article:

Updated: Dec. 7, 2005, 4:18 PM
Ultimate Standings: Saints Rank LastESPN The Magazine

Think it seems harsh to list a team on the run from a natural disaster at the bottom of our rankings? Might be, so we're going to let Saints spokesman Greg Bensel have his say: ''Eighty percent of companies in New Orleans haven't been able to reopen yet, but we are keeping this company in business. We relocated to San Antonio so we can stay afloat. We remain a Louisiana corporation, and we're paying $25 million into the state income tax fund this year. All anybody wants to do is criticize Mr. [Tom] Benson, but they're barking up the wrong tree.''

He has a point. Even Mayor Ray Nagin has moved his family to Dallas, and for that matter, the Hornets are playing in Oklahoma City. None of these have gotten the bad press Benson has for refusing to commit to the Crescent City. Truth is, though, Saints fans were probably ready to rank Benson dead last among all franchise owners even before Hurricane Katrina. The guy got a sweetheart deal like no other in the country when, in 2001, Louisiana agreed to pay him $186M over 10 years just to stay put. Yet he still whined about needing a new stadium.

Well before hurricane season, speculation abounded that Benson was going to buy out the state and move the team to Albuquerque or LA or San Antonio. Many fans believe Benson will now claim that he has no choice; that with the city's infrastructure still in shambles, he has to bolt. As a result, they're down on everyone -- Saints players (who are now on their fifth practice facility) and good-guy coach Jim Haslett -- almost as much as management.

Most teams go through tough periods, and our rankings will reflect them. This tough period is biblical. More than three months after Katrina, the NFL still hasn't figured out where the Saints will play next season, or what kind of cap relief to provide so the club can attract free agents (imagine what a selling job that will be). Nor has Benson given back the $3M in payments he's already taken from the state this year even though the Saints aren't playing in the Superdome.

For better or worse, fans see the Saints as a special symbol of their community. And ownership and the league have been about as effective in helping repair their shattered hopes as FEMA has.

12-07-2005, 07:04 PM	#1
qball316 100th Post Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: New Iberia Posts: 124	All our complaining is justified! They have us ranked last overall. The glaring catagory is the ownership. We are picked dead last in that catagory. Funny they judge it on "Honesty, loyalty to players and city." http://sports.espn.go.com/chat/sport...anks?year=2006

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12-07-2005, 08:07 PM	#2
dberce1 Chuck Liddells Right Hand Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Prairieville, Louisiana Posts: 1,227	here's the other piece of that article: Updated: Dec. 7, 2005, 4:18 PM Ultimate Standings: Saints Rank LastESPN The Magazine Think it seems harsh to list a team on the run from a natural disaster at the bottom of our rankings? Might be, so we're going to let Saints spokesman Greg Bensel have his say: ''Eighty percent of companies in New Orleans haven't been able to reopen yet, but we are keeping this company in business. We relocated to San Antonio so we can stay afloat. We remain a Louisiana corporation, and we're paying $25 million into the state income tax fund this year. All anybody wants to do is criticize Mr. [Tom] Benson, but they're barking up the wrong tree.'' He has a point. Even Mayor Ray Nagin has moved his family to Dallas, and for that matter, the Hornets are playing in Oklahoma City. None of these have gotten the bad press Benson has for refusing to commit to the Crescent City. Truth is, though, Saints fans were probably ready to rank Benson dead last among all franchise owners even before Hurricane Katrina. The guy got a sweetheart deal like no other in the country when, in 2001, Louisiana agreed to pay him $186M over 10 years just to stay put. Yet he still whined about needing a new stadium. Well before hurricane season, speculation abounded that Benson was going to buy out the state and move the team to Albuquerque or LA or San Antonio. Many fans believe Benson will now claim that he has no choice; that with the city's infrastructure still in shambles, he has to bolt. As a result, they're down on everyone -- Saints players (who are now on their fifth practice facility) and good-guy coach Jim Haslett -- almost as much as management. Most teams go through tough periods, and our rankings will reflect them. This tough period is biblical. More than three months after Katrina, the NFL still hasn't figured out where the Saints will play next season, or what kind of cap relief to provide so the club can attract free agents (imagine what a selling job that will be). Nor has Benson given back the $3M in payments he's already taken from the state this year even though the Saints aren't playing in the Superdome. For better or worse, fans see the Saints as a special symbol of their community. And ownership and the league have been about as effective in helping repair their shattered hopes as FEMA has.