Fans bail on faltering Saints
 

Players say don't blame the bye week
By LARRY HOLDER
lholder@sunherald.com

NEW ORLEANS - Scott Fujita looked around the Louisiana Superdome during the fourth quarter and saw something was missing - the fans.

The New Orleans Saints linebacker said he was disappointed to see that three-quarters of the stadium crowd were gone during the final quarter of the Saints' 35-22 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.

Fujita, who has become a fan favorite, wanted to send a message to those who left.

http://www.sunherald.com/mld/sunhera...orleans_saints

RE: Fans bail on faltering Saints
 

Oh come on Scott. This is no different than any game or team. If the team is not contending for the win the fans will leave. Thats how sports works. I for one, have never left a sporting event I attend early but I would call myseld a rarity. It is no travesty the fans left the dome watching our team lose by 4 touchdowns.

RE: Fans bail on faltering Saints
 

i don't know...
I can remember quite recently Charles Grant talking about how different the Dome feels this season...
When fans don't start booing after the team gets behind early.
Maybe Fujita, who has played in the dome before as a visitor, just doesn't want it to happen to HIS Saints team.
Is it that hard to stay?
Last I checked Bourbon Street stays open late
I kept watching on TV.
You NEVER know

RE: Fans bail on faltering Saints
 

Yeah I noticed that too hey look at it on the bright side it was the best Defense we faced this year and what happened we gave them 3 picks a fumble and a sack no to shabby in my opinion thus we were able to expose there weakness the d-line and there pass coverage 389 yrds. for 3 TDs two by a rookie

Re: RE: Fans bail on faltering Saints
 

I agree with you dude. Little overly sensitive hey Scott?

RE: Re: RE: Fans bail on faltering Saints
 

see i agree with scott. thick or thin way of thinking. he may have been a little over emotional but i agree with the idea

RE: Re: RE: Fans bail on faltering Saints
 

I agree with Scott. If you're going to stick it out for the wins, tough it out for the losses. You're still supporting your team either way. Plus you could miss the best plays or even a great comeback. If you don't think the Defense needs you in the fourth quarter when they're trying to get a key stop so the Offense can get back on the feild you're wrong. They need the fans even more. It's easy for an opposing offense to get into cruise control when the fans have shut up or left.

Oh and B&B, before you start... I was still watching the game even though I left the chat.

RE: Re: RE: Fans bail on faltering Saints
 

I feel that the fans can leave an impression on a team and can actually help or hurt a teams morale. Well...Scott has kind of put it into perspective. I feel he is right. I know we all want to beat the traffic rush but seriously......I think you guys need to hang in there until the end. I know I am from out of town but I promise all of you I watched that game until the clock said 0:00. When a team is down they sometimes need encouragement from any place they can find it. That includes the stands. I dream of the day I get to catch my first Saints game in the dome. Man you season ticket people are so damn lucky.

RE: Re: RE: Fans bail on faltering Saints
 

I normally stay until every second ticks off of the clock regardless of the score. I live and die with my team, but I admit that I left after 3 quarters in this game.

I had my reasons, though. I had band practice. We only have one more before our debut show and it was crucial that we started as early as possible. I also had some homework to do because I had school the next morning. Add all of that to the fact that I had practice 3-hours away from New Orleans, I think I had a viable excuse. I really wish I could have stayed.

At home on mu television, i'll watch the whole game no matter the score. But if we are down 35-7 in the second half of a game against a team with a defense like Baltimore's, I don't fauly anyone for leaving. Those seats aren't exactly comfortable, and if you don't have something to cheer for, go ahead and roll out. I don't fault anyone for that. Those same fans will be back in their seats the following weeks hoping for a different result. There's nothing wrong with that.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/foo.../teams/saints/

Cool page on cnnsi.com. I am sure they have one for each team but its cool. A constant collage of Saints pics. And there seems to be tons.

FWIW:

I never sit in my seat anyways. And, I've yet not to make SOME kind of noise during a defensive play.

I think its good to call the fans out -- the teeam is making the fans part of the game -- expecting us to be there -- this isn't the old saints and we should not treat them that way.

No offense, but those seats are ALOT more comfortable than many stadiums. And with no weather to deal with it's a joy to sit in the dome (comparatively). It's not like it's zero degrees and raining. Hell, I stayed at the Vet during the (then) coldest game on record when Eric Allan (then Eagle) returned two INTs for TDs. We were down big against a great D and I sat there freezing hoping to see a spark.

I think if the coach can say that the crowd didn't cheer loadly enough during the TB game, then players can complain about fans leaving. It's a loyalty thing, a new regime thing, and should become a New Orleans thing.

Right. A lot more comfortable than many other stadiums does not equal comfortable. I am 6'2" 223, my dad is like 6'4" 250-260, and sitting side by side in the dome is a chore. It's a great time, and Iw ould give anything to be able to do it every week. That doesn't mean I should have a problem with fans who wanna leave a blowout and poor performance by the team a little early. Coaches and players have the right to say whatever they feel, and I have the right to disagree. I certainly hope complaining about the fans doesn't become a "New Orleans thing." I would also hope Scott Fujita would be more concerned about Jamal Lewis running for 100 yards and Steve McNair looking like co-MVP from 4-5 years ago Steve McNair against our D, but that's just me.

Great post & I totally agree with you. The players & the coaching staff are making a conscious effort to make the fans an actual part of this special team. That, my friends, is a good thing. I really like the fact that this team & it's fans are bonding on a bigger level than ever before. This actually happened before to a team in 2001......a team called the Patriots right after 9-11. Guess what? They rode that emotion all the way to an upset Super Bowl win over the then favored Rams. :wink:

I've left games at the Dome when the Saints were getting blown out but have also left when they were blowing out their opponent, but I always watch the entire game on TV, I guess the reason is I don't have to deal with all the traffic on I-10.

if the players did it we all would have hung them. the 12th man bailed, end of story.
when we scored mid way through the fourth like Scott pointed out I had hope still. I even heard myself say now get the ball back. that alone got a free beer from my Pats friends. They were impressed also how we keep plugging away.
The team did not play well and they admit it.
But the Team did not give up on the field and they prove it
The fans let the team down and took home field out of the game.
Now the fan has to admit it

Who in the world wants to see their team get blown out?

Next game.

Exactly. You'd think they threw stuff at the team or something. So some people left a blowout. Get a grip.