Now this is ironic.....
 

Here is an excerpt from the Wikipeadia entry on Tom Benson

"Tom Benson is the owner of the New Orleans Saints NFL team. He is also the owner of automobile dealerships in the Greater New Orleans and San Antonio areas. He purchased the Saints in 1985 after he learned that the team was on the verge of being sold to parties interested in moving the team from New Orleans, Louisiana to Jacksonville, Florida. As a successful businessman, he recognized the economic implications of such a move not only for the city of New Orleans, but for the entire region. Ownership of the team was officially transferred to him on May 31, 1985."


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Benson

RE: Now this is ironic.....
 

Yep, go read his Bio on the Saints' website.
More of the same talk of how he was New Orleans' savior when he bought the team.
Well, ladies and gents, we need a new savior. This one is obviously fresh-out of good will.
Can the league force an owner to sell?

What really worries me is that fan support will not be there next year. And by fan support, I mean ticket sales. I know that I Love going to the Saints games...but I also know that I hate Tom Benson and don't want to give him a single dollar, much less the $150 per seat that it cost me for the last game I attended. (And that doesn't even consider the drink and food prices.)

Even if the team stays and plays 06 in LA, I think poor ticket sales will justify relocation after the 06 season.
BUT if Benson were to sell the team (I know, not likely) I believe support and ticket sales would be phenominal. I, for one, would have a renewed interest in my team. I suspect others would also.

Re: RE: Now this is ironic.....
 

The league can't force him to sell but they can sure make his life miserable and to where he makes nothing profit wise.

As for the support next year, I hate to say it but this is a set up. Only thing going for us is the NFL doesn't want any team to move anwhere unless it's to Los Angeles first, they see the S.A. move as a lateral move at best. Do you think after 5 losing seasons they will be packing the Alamodome? Do you think Texas willl build the Saints a new facility without any money from the organization or the NFL?

I think Benson doesn't care where he plays next year, he has an out in his lease and after next season, which he will stage as a disaster, he will definitely try to go. What he has to risk is if he goes to court I think the NFL will make his life hell to where he does sell. This isn't moving from LA where the Raiders nearly died to Oakland where they are profitable, nor is this Al Davis.

This is Tom Benson, someone I now think may be the worst owner in all of professional sports. I mean even George Shinn of the Hornets, a true arse, has handled the situation 150 times better than Benson. Benson will make his own bed, the NFL will make him sleep in it or check out.

Re: RE: Now this is ironic.....
 

Tags has made it clear that S.A. is only a temporary home for our Saints. The league doesn't want to be there long term.

I still don't understand the Los Angeles thing though. The NFL wants to put a team in L.A. but they haven't been able to keep a team in the past. Why would they be able to support a team now? What's changed?

RE: Re: RE: Now this is ironic.....
 

The NFL likes keeping that city 'open', it gives them some leverage in negociations with cities who have teams... "Build us the state of the art stadium, or we'll move the team to LA". They also want new blood in there so unless they award them a new franchise or let someone buy a team and move them there, I can assure you it will not be Benson moving to LA.

Re: RE: Now this is ironic.....
 

Unfortunately, I fully believe this to be true, especially the last part. We as fans are being set-up to take a fall. No one wants to support him, and therefore he will be justified in moving the team because of poor ticket sells, which he, himself caused.

RE: Re: RE: Now this is ironic.....
 

I think the league is a little smarter than that... I think they see there is a resentment with the owner and fans and hopefully will fix itself or force Benson out. If the team wins fans will put there butts in the seats. I think the NFL has the foresight to see that New Orleans is about to be come a boom town. Yeah it'll be nice for the NFL to get to say we were apart of the rebuilding by keeping the Saints there and all.

RE: Re: RE: Now this is ironic.....
 

It only shows you that it wasn't about the Saints or the fans of the entire gulf coast region, it was about money in Mr. Dipsticks pocket. Now he doesn't see all the free money he has been getting, 30 something sellouts in a row in a small market and the most loyal fans on the face of the earth anymore so it's time for Count Dipstick to suck another city and region dry before he and his swarm of locust move onto their next feeding ground. I hope the NFL forces him to sell. THe NFL should be ashamed and outraged at the sametime because of this situation. It's like someone being raped and shiiitttt on afterwards, you know you caused enough damage you didn't have to shiiiitttt on us too.

RE: Re: RE: Now this is ironic.....
 

actually i belieive that the league really doesnt want a team in SA b/c of the TV market being so small and would have to compete with dallas and houston.... we all the the NFL is all about marketing... with such a small market in SA they dont see any return from TV contracts