The state can't afford paying
 

Loved the article 67, it just confirmed the gut feeling I have been having for a while about LA. as a potential place for the Saints.

Gumbo, why don\'t we just make Benson Dictator of Louisiana and get it over with? Then he wont move the team, I\'m sure.

Look at this...

Benson has profitted handsomely every year he has owned the team...maybe not as much as others, but maybe that\'s his fault.

Benson bought the team for about $70 mil. By the time he has owned it for 20 years, it may be worth 10 times that much. Do you have any idea how much someone can reasonably expect money to grow over the course of 10 years? 7 to 10 percent. Thus for 20 we\'re looking at 20% max for reasonably good growth. That is 1.2 as opposed to the 10 Benson actually has gotten or can anticipate getting.

I can\'t fault him for making a wise investment. But for him to cry like he\'s not even solvent on the Saints while refusing to divulge the actual figures, is petty, dishonest, and down right dirty.

The state can't afford paying
 

You\'ve been getting a little \"snippy\" for the past couple of days, Scotty?

I\'ve got feelings too. :P

Check this out Scotty,

I know you feel very strongly in your beliefs about the state not giving in to Benson. But that doesn\'t make you right. Which is the way you are coming across.

And get this, I don\'t agree with you and here\'s why:

If the Saints leave Louisiana, the state will lose money. No matter which way you slice it.

And........... I love the Saints........... I don\'t give a damn about Louisiana, I don\'t live there anymore. J/K folks, I love Louisiana.

So, if the state follows your advice, Scotty and the Saints leave Louisiana, does the state lose money? Yes or No will do.

Now, I\'m just playing around with ya Scotty. I hope you know that. I hope you were playing also...

The state can't afford paying
 

I don\'t mean to come off snippy, Gumbo. I\'ve probably just ignored my usual editing that weeds that out since I\'ve been posting more. Thus, I\'m coming off harsher than I intend.

To answer your question, Yes the state will lose money if the saints leave. This is true only until the payments get into the 20+ mil range. Then I\'m not so sure based on the figures Halo posted.

But why can\'t the state use the same argument that Benson is using. We can look at the benefit other cities and states are getting from their teams and tell TB that we want that kind of cash to be generated by the team so we as a state can stay competitive. That would seem fair to me.

You can agree that N.O./Louisiana is not making as much money off the team as most other ciies are, right?

The state can't afford paying
 

It\'s all good, Scotty. You know I\'m used to a little \"snippyness\". That is a word, right?

Like I\'ve said, there\'s two sides here.

Neither are being unrealistic, IMO.

They just both have to look out for themselves.

There at two opposite ends of the spectrum.

Benson didn\'t create the presedent for owners receiving money for their teams. That started a good while back.

Now, Benson is using that presedent as a bargaining chip to gets what he wants.

And if other states are doing this, who\'s to say it\'s wrong to ask for it. Benson has to compete with these other teams who are getting money from their state.

But, I can see the State\'s side also. They don\'t owe Benson a damn thing. Nothing. Notta. Zilch!!

But, if Louisiana wants to keep an NFL team, they might have to do like other states and pony up some cash.

Its my opinion that the state should pay as long as they continue to make money off the state.

When the day comes that the state is losing money......then, adios saints.

The state can't afford paying
 

I guess my biggest gripe is that he is demanding this money based on the premise that he would leave Louisiana when to do so wouldn\'t net him any more profits.

L.A. was discussed above. There\'s no money to be made there and the NFL isn\'t going to allow Benson to own the team in L.A. anyway.

San Antonio has been discussed or mentioned but, really, how well do you think a team that has a history as sad as ours is going to compete against the cowboys and the texans for fans? Not too well, i think.

So, where else can he take them that would destroy our love for the team? If he moves to the gulf coast that doesn\'t hurt me any. It\'s just a little farther away.

I\'m just sick of his threats. If the state renovates the superdome, then he can help pay for it by letting the state out of the contract. if he wants a new stadium, he can build it himself. I don\'t have a terrible problem with finihsing out this deal although it is distasteful. Foster made the deal - we should stick to it, if we can.

But once this deal has been completed, I don\'t want to hear any more about the state paying him to stay. I\'m not against making additional concessions like excusing him from state income tax or something, but no more checks written to the man from the State. That gravy train needs to end.

I also figured that I get a little bit grumpy for having to type into that little -bitty box with the little-bitty font size in order post.

/s/ King of Snippyville

The state can't afford paying
 

From living in San Antonio Scotty they would not have to fight for fans here. Not only does San Antone have a larger population than New Orleans, the city is relatively well off and already has the Alamadome, which is a great stadium. The people here seem to be cowboys fans by default, since they don\'t have their own team. But theyhave the spurs and draw fans from Mexico and all the areas south of San Antonio. If they ever used San Antonio as a credible threat, the state better listen more than they do for LA cause this is a town starving for a football team. Any small inkling Red McCombs would ever move the vikings here and it is front page news. Trust me, San Antone is starved for a football team of their own. Now I hope the Saints never move, but if they come here, I won\'t be sad. ;)

But in all honesty, they should never leave New Orleans, unless Benson remains just an unreasonable jerk and keeps up with the blackmail. I am 100% with you, after renovation and all that crap NO MORE PAYMENTS. Stand on yoru own and promote your team. Put a winning team on the field to draw more fans. The Saints can do more as an organization to help themselves than the State can ever do.

[Edited on 3/2/2005 by saintswhodi]

The state can't afford paying
 

well if no more payments for the saints what do they do with that extra money for the state. give more to the less then deserving. dont we do that enough already. im going on what halo said. if thats all true then the state has no argument. what else will they do with that money give it to everyone other then the people who pay it. mind as well give it to the saints

The state can't afford paying
 

i read this on the voodoo site about benson-

His dedication, hard work and integrity has made Benson one of the most trusted and esteemed figures in the NFL. He plays a key role in many capacities, including as Chairman of the Finance Committee.

His involvement in pro football started in 1985, when Benson learned the Saints were on the verge of being sold to out-of-town interests who were primed to move the team from New Orleans. The sport had yet to become one of his passions, but Benson immediately recognized the economic and social importance of the club to the entire region.

-the part i emboldened- 1. he wasn\'t a football fan, no passion for it. i have stated before i think most of these owners are egomaniacs that having \"their\" team is as much status as it is interest in it. 2. he did see the economic opportunity but i think it was a lot more for himself than out of civic compassion.

remember this from the fall...
At an undetermined time in the not-too-distant future, Benson, 76, now widowed and not too far removed from back and heart surgery, will step away from the day-to-day operations of the Saints. Then Rita Benson LeBlanc will go marching into one of the most powerful and civically important jobs in this region.
i think he is a few steps out the door now. 76 with a new wife to enjoy yachting around with. maybe his grand daughter will boot loomis and venturi at least. lol

after i posted this it kept buggin me, i came back to emphasize- the dude was 56 yrs old when he bought the saints and it \"wasn\'t a passion of his\". gawd, amazin they have done as well as they have. he apparently he let\'s the front office run the team and doesnt butt in too much (less venturi\'s pics of him with the sheep). the problem is he cant tell the difference between a finks and a loomis as far as football goes it seems.



[Edited on 4/2/2005 by LKelley67]

The state can't afford paying
 

It\'s Benson\'s threats that I like care for, people of Louisiana are getting tired of the threats, I know I am.
Bottom Line:The tax money just isn\'t for Benson, it belongs to the state, the hotel-motel tax is through the roof and we\'re still off a lot with the money we owe him, whatelse can the State do?,
Benson could care less if the state goes broke trying to pay him what he thinks we owe him, I don\'t know what to think of this anymore, we\'ll just have to wait and hope for the best.

The state can't afford paying
 

...well, then I don\'t see why they have New Orleans in the weather forecasts between January and September...

...wouldn\'t it be that stations around the country show the New Orleans weather forecast because all of the myrad of conventions, Mardi Gras, Jazz Fest, etc., etc., etc, that occur all year long in New Orleans???
..I guess those don\'t bring any money...

...Mardi Gras alone has to blow away what the Saints bring into the State 20 times fold, yet you don\'t see bars in the quarter or the flashers asking for a share of the tax revenue..

.. heck I am willing to bet that the LSU football team brings in more money into the State than the Saints...

... no other type of business asks for guaranteed profits from a State... because this is what the Saints are doing... asking for guaranteed profits... imagine the Tabasco people going to Blanco and saying \"our sauce stinks, no one buys it, but if you want to keep us here and our 400 employees, you have to give us 15 million dlls\"

..one thing is to ask for tax breaks, infrastructure, etc.. but guaranteed profits? As much as I like the New Orleans Saints, I cannot bring myself to accept the gov\'t subsidizing multimillionaires...

The Saints are making money... the NFL\'s revenue sharing program makes sure of it: they get get 60% of the gate in home games and 40% of the gate on away games, they get an equal share of the TV contract revenue, etc...

..what the Saints want, is higher ticket prices, PSL\'s, and more corporate suites (but who the hell is going to buy those? There are no corporations left in LA.) Of course, the first 2 cannot happen without the \"new stadium\" excuse...

...this is 2005.. because of technology there are no \"small markets\" anymore... you want to be in a \"big market\"? Win games... Go to the playoffs every year, get to a SB... then kids in Seattle will be buying Saints gear... then TV stations across the Gulf, heck, in Shreveport, would want to televize the Saints game... then the Saints would play more national games... and more money would come in...



[Edited on 4/2/2005 by Tobias-Reiper]