Analyst doubts Saints will stay in N.O.
 

Analyst doubts Saints will stay in N.O.

The South Mississippi Sun Herald
By JOSHUA NORMAN
May 01, 2006
Peter King is one of Sports Illustrated's head football writers, an analyst for HBO's Inside the NFL and a recent addition to NBC's new Sunday Night Football broadcasting crew, where he will also provide analysis and some game-time reporting.

King was in New Orleans last week to talk with Saints coach Sean Payton and General Manager Mickey Loomis ahead of the draft. He decided to swing by the Coast Friday afternoon to get a firsthand look at the devastation from Hurricane Katrina, as his friendship with Packers quarterback Brett Favre had brought him to the Mississippi Gulf Coast before. Here is a conversation with King after his tour of Harrison County along U.S. 90.

When was the last time you were on the Gulf Coast?

'I was here in 1996 at the first Brett Favre benefit golf tournament and Brett Favre himself was not there. He was in rehab. He called me the night before he was going in and said, 'I really want you all to still come.'

'We stayed at the Grand Casino. It was a great event. This place was hopping. I'd never been here and I really had a great time. I've got the tag on my golf bag still.

'The whole area was one of the prettiest places I'd ever been. It was just gorgeous. That's why seeing it today is absolutely stunning. '

That brings me to my next question. What are your impressions after touring the area?

'Just sadness. People have lived their whole lives in one place, in the span of one day had everything taken away from them. I can't imagine if your house disintegrates. I can't imagine what that would feel like. '

What can Saints fans expect from the coming season?

'We went out to dinner with Sean Payton and Mickey Loomis. It's very hard to be in the presence of Sean Payton and not be incredibly optimistic and energized about what this team is going to be. Sean Payton is a really bright handler of quarterbacks and they got Drew Brees. Now, Drew Brees has major health issues, but, to me, I think the Dolphins are going to regret not signing him. Brilliant move by the Saints to get him and I think it's a good risk to take.'

What do you think about the long-term outlook for the organization?

'I'm not optimistic. The Saints have an incredibly eager-beaver staff of 16 ticket sellers who I saw on the phone today making cold calls trying to sell season tickets. The Saints know and I think the people of New Orleans know that if the Superdome is not sold out eight times this year and sold out again next year, that team is moving.

'They've got over 100 suites and half the business community is not back. Who's going to buy those suites?

'If you're a business somewhere on the Gulf Coast and if you value the Saints and you want the Saints to be the team on the Gulf Coast, you better sell out that building for the next two years. If you don't, you give Tom Benson every reason to say, 'Well, you know, I can't stay here because there isn't the economic base to support an NFL team.'

'As almost unimportant as it seems talking about a football team, you've got to buy tickets. Look, I have no understanding of what it takes to get your life back together. However, if you have a love of this team and feel they're important to the area, it's time to put your money where your mouth is.'


http://www.topix.net/content/kri/272...98551193448081

RE: Analyst doubts Saints will stay in N.O.
 

The analysts can kiss my ass.

Re: RE: Analyst doubts Saints will stay in N.O.
 

I 100% agree!!!

RE: Analyst doubts Saints will stay in N.O.
 

Peter King is an a**hole!!! And for the record.... I doubt that ticket sales B.S. considering we just drafted Reggie Bush. New Orleans may have taken a beating & lost alot of it's population, but the Saints are not just New Orleans' team. Their fan base covers the entire state of Louisiana & most of the state of Mississippi.

RE: Analyst doubts Saints will stay in N.O.
 

You heard reports even before the draft that they were selling tickets like crazy and were on pace for a new record. The suits however is a different story.

RE: Analyst doubts Saints will stay in N.O.
 

One thing I don't understand is with all the great news and good things that are happening to the Saints right now and the State of Louisiana, why would you write such a negative article. Let us be happy and proud of the Saints for a little while.

It sounds to me like someone is a Jets fan, and is a little mad that the saints wouldn't trade the second pick to them.

RE: Analyst doubts Saints will stay in N.O.
 

I never liked Peter King..
The Dome will be ROCKING so they better not come a knocking

Like the rest of you I was a little steamed that this article was posted. But then I realized that maybe he posted it to appeal to any business owner that might read this, or someone who has a connection to a business owner. Awareness of the situation only helps to find ways to prevent it from happening. Pak is a diehard Saint's fan through and through, so I know he didn't post this to ruffle feathers.

RE: Analyst doubts Saints will stay in N.O.
 

Talking about tickets, do you know how hard/easy it is to get a ticket lat in the season? I'm gonna graduate in June and start orking pretty much right away. I'm thinking about saving up enough money for the trip, maybe watch my old Highschool play and then go see the Saints.

RE: Analyst doubts Saints will stay in N.O.
 

Was this made before or after we got Reggie Bush?.... because right now the Saints are probably pulling in some cha-ching.

I don't see where King's remarks were out of line. His prediction, unfortunately, is a real possibility.

Regardless of how upbeat things may seem at the moment, I don't trust Benson.




8)

RE: Analyst doubts Saints will stay in N.O.
 

We are going to see the seats filled to the brim this year. Duece, Brees, Horn and Bush will fill the seats this year.If the team comes even remotely close to the playoffs they will be filled even more next year. I really don't see "butts in the seats" being an issue.

RE: Analyst doubts Saints will stay in N.O.
 

No doubt!

Brees and Bush sales should go through the frickin roof!

Doesn't sound like a slam to me just objective observation. I do think it should be all time tickets sales with the new high powered offense. The suite though are a serious issue. I don't know a thing about them. It seems there should be some means of creative marketing to promote them though. Per game rentals to groups (such as message boards) would seem workable. What about some lottery/raffle type sales?

As terrible as the team was and as putrid as Benson was last year Louisiana people were up in arms about his rumblings of moving. Ya know how nuts people are here for football. If the team actually shows some signs of life this season then Benson and the legislators will have a constant earful to contend with if only considering such.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2352598

That is from March, I have seen a greater number in a much more recent article but i can't seem to find it at the moment.

Peter King writes about the current situation in New Orleans.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...bte/index.html

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...772/index.html

Ticket sales will go through the roof of the Dome, I'm not at all worried about Benson not selling tickets now with a great team brewing..

this was written after the draft

I suspect it was published after the draft.



8)

I sure hope we don't leave NO. I think us signing Reggie will definately help our chances of staying in NO. Reggie is already selling tickets (I'm laughing at all the posters, and there are a lot of you, that said one player can't sell tickets, winning does. Winning definately does, but so does Reggie Bush) and the dome should be insane this year. I think by us landing Bush, the NFL believes that the Saints can be a major contributor in rebuilding the city. We will be a team people want to see and the NFL always prides itself on helping build communties, lets see if they are true to their word, I think in this case they will be. The NFL and a lot of owners will come off looking real bad if they took the Saints out of NO after we got Reggie Bush.

It's all good though. If the Saints win big this year, your looking at America's team. Screw the Cowboys. I know alot of people around the county are pulling for the Saints and for the area becouse of what we went through last year. I have friends in Canada that I keep posted on Saints activity becouse when the Saints were getting coverage, in Mora's day, they got to see some games that televised up there and are fans still today but since we have been slumped, they dont play the games up there, they only play the top teams.. So, all we need to do it win and small market will change to big money. Just like when every building in N.O. had Saints banners hanging when we won the division for the first time and the city went nuts.. The Patriots did it, San Diego did it, the Rams did it, so I'm sure we can do it. If the niners can suck like they do these days, we can kick ass like they used to, lol.

oH, by the way.. Speaking to a few Raiders fans from the Oakland area, they cant give away 49ers tickets becouse the fans dont want to go, with the team being so horrible. All the 9er fans are getting into the Raiders, Charger, and Seahawks. Move the Saints is stupid.. We hold the league record for ticket sales to winning percentage beating out the mighty Packers. The Saints, entire history included, averages something like 70,000 ticket sales per home game and that is with a huge losing margin and is more then the Super Dome holds today becouse Tulane Stadium was selling out 100,000 seats with 2 win seasons for years.. That is the real reason the NFL hasn't allowed the Saints to move yet and likely wont as long as we continue to show up. The NFL -thinks- the market is there if the Saints win and buisnesses get interested with the winning.

Which does bring me to my next point, final one also, the owner of the Bills doesn't think he can keep his team in Buffalo, the Vikings have done everything within thier own power to make the team uninteresting which makes me think they will move since the state refuses to help them at all on a stadium deal at any level, and the Chargers are a REAL prime suspect for relocation, especialy considering that the Charger fans will still have thier team in the same state which could be a little sympathy from the NFL.

I LOVE seeing the 49ers suck. Montana, Craig, Rice, Taylor, etc. tried to ruin my childhood with all their last second victories against us.

One thing I'll never forget is the one time the roles were reversed and Morten Andersen hit 60yd bomb of a FG as time ran out to win. I don't know that I ever heard the Dome that loud, and my dad had season tickets for over ten years. I swear the Dome was shaking.

F all 49ers forever.

The suites are a big key if and only if at least 90% of the rest of the seating is sold, they become less of a factor. This year we have a bit of a break seeing they are not going to be finished.
What yall have to do is put heat on the elected officals to change the tax codes there in the city on the downtown buisnesses. The oil companies were taxed out and have not returned. That was the stupidest thing the mayor and the city council could have done. There are other tax issues that are killing the City and the Saints but this would be a great place to start. Louisiana is the chemical capitol of the country, off shore oil port , and the second largest port period. So why are these companies forced out? They are the ones to buy the suites. They are the big money companies to the state and the city. Give ONE Shell Square back to Shell Oil.
Time is now to change the city and you guys have the VOTE so in the end it rest with the people. Old ways are hard to change but now is the time. Katrine wiped out the city but let it wipe out the old ways too.
Chocolate city or not which in itself should have been political sucide. I will get of my soap box now and wont even bring up the death tax issue here. Correct me if I am wrong, please give me some hope.

Man this kills me. I feel bad about the fact that I can't directly support the Saints because I live in Miami. I pray that you and your city do get together and really fill up that dome for the sake of the team. If I can somehow...someway make it to a Saints home game...I will definitely get the best seats I can. Good luck to you all...I'll be watching on my DirectTV.

The Bills like the Saints are in a cities that is going through a slow death. The change in the buisness over the past 30 years have left them behind. Atlanta, my favorite example, has bet right on the buisnesses it brought in and saved the city. We have not! Quality of living attracted them as well as tax breaks. Long and hard road but it can be done.
Vikings will not leave Minnesota. The loss of North Stars was a hard lesson to learn. The city learned to watch it's back when dealing with the likes of Norm Green and and the Gunde Bro. Yes I have a Norm Green Sucks t-shirt and I wear it when ever I am in Dallas. Plus building a dome stadium in Minni awas the stupidest thing you could do in an area were 4-6 months of the year is winter. Most of the fans want the frozen tundra back, 40 for 40 and the purple people eaters. Scandi's love the image. They do not like the dome, the hardest ticket in town is to Bill Murrays minor league baseball team ST. Pual Saints because it is outdoors and well it is Bill's version of family fun too. If you go it is a ticket worth getting.
As for the chargers I can not say. I say it is early into the stadium deal I think.
We blew it by not putting some of the money the US gov. and others gave us into a new stadium site at least. I see a move to Mississippi's Gulf Coast the most likely of all possibilities in the future.

'I'm not optimistic. The Saints have an incredibly eager-beaver staff of 16 ticket sellers who I saw on the phone today making cold calls trying to sell season tickets. The Saints know and I think the people of New Orleans know that if the Superdome is not sold out eight times this year and sold out again next year, that team is moving.

'They've got over 100 suites and half the business community is not back. Who's going to buy those suites?

CONTRADICTION
Regular working people can't afford suites... That's why they are suites. Don't tell you average fan to put his money where his mouth is whe you are really saying companies shoudl do that.
Oh, and the SuperDome was sold out like 27 straight times before last season...
Then the owner starts talking about moving.
let's see why no sell out last year?
This guy has no idea what he is talking about.
The Saints might move, but let's call it what it is... A GREEDY OWNER... Who knows noting about football.
You mean to tell me if the Saints had the Patriots record the past 4 years they wouldn't be america's team?
C'mon... New Orleans was like Vegas... Strip Clubs, Casinos, Great food and Great people... Everyone in the nation would have come down to watch.

Frankee has a point. There is a reason why your city has hosted the most Super Bowls.

Party town.

Remember, this "wonderful" Peter King article?