OPEN LETTER FROM SAINTS OWNER TOM BENSON
 

I would like to thank Governor Blanco and the negotiation teams for both the State and the Saints for their time and effort over the past several months. Many ideas have been discussed between our organization and the State in order to address the increasingly competitive economics of the NFL as well as the challenging economic marketplace in which we find ourselves. Since I acquired the team over 20 years ago to prevent it from being moved to another state, it has been my sincere desire to keep the Saints in New Orleans.

Over the past few weeks, I have had an opportunity to consult with the League, other NFL owners and my family regarding the State-Saints discussions. After much deliberation, I believe it is in everyone's best interests to continue to operate under the existing agreement reached with the State and approved overwhelmingly by the Louisiana legislature only three years ago. I would also expect the State to do likewise.

I am excited about the Saints prospects for the 2005 NFL season and, at this time, all of the energies of our organization will be focused on making this season a special one for all of our fans. At the conclusion of the Saints season, we once again look forward to continuing our dialogue with the State.








Tom Benson

RE: OPEN LETTER FROM SAINTS OWNER TOM BENSON
 

This letter is a month old TP. You're pretty quick on the uptake, huh? ;)