Article: Love from LeCharles Bentley

strato · 01-30-2010, 07:49 AM

LeCharles Bentley / Special to The Plain Dealer

The most difficult task for even the most astute marketing expert to assess is the value of any given NFL franchise to its respective city. Certain cities are just happy to have something to do on Sunday afternoons in the fall, while in others the team and the city are synonymous. This is the reality for the city of New Orleans and their beloved Saints.

I had the honor of being selected by the New Orleans Saints in the 2002 NFL Draft, but when my telephone rang and former Saints coach Jim Haslett notified me I was their next selection, I was anything but honored. Considering I had just taken team visits to Miami, Dallas and San Diego, I was far from excited about being drafted by the city that was the poorest and most dangerous in America.

View full sizePatrick Semansky / APNew Orleans residents have a strong connection to the Saints, as barber Willie Pearson proves with his Saints tattoo at Impressive Barber Shop in New Orleans. A lifelong Saints fan, he got the tattoo after the team's 2006 comeback season following Hurricane Katrina.It didn't take me very long to realize statistics were not the sum of what the Crescent City represented. As I grew from a bright-eyed-and-naive college athlete, the city not only grew on me but became a part of me. Growing up in Cleveland, I was fortunate enough to land in a city that mirrored much of what I understood home to be. Both cities were represented by hard-working, resourceful, prideful, compassionate and passionate individuals that above all adored their football teams

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New Orleans loves the Saints without measure: Former NFL center LeCharles Bentley | Cleveland Browns - cleveland.com

Thought Canton would like this

01-30-2010, 07:49 AM	#1
strato Banned Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: "Little Ole Town in Tejas" Posts: 7,586	Article: Love from LeCharles Bentley LeCharles Bentley / Special to The Plain Dealer The most difficult task for even the most astute marketing expert to assess is the value of any given NFL franchise to its respective city. Certain cities are just happy to have something to do on Sunday afternoons in the fall, while in others the team and the city are synonymous. This is the reality for the city of New Orleans and their beloved Saints. I had the honor of being selected by the New Orleans Saints in the 2002 NFL Draft, but when my telephone rang and former Saints coach Jim Haslett notified me I was their next selection, I was anything but honored. Considering I had just taken team visits to Miami, Dallas and San Diego, I was far from excited about being drafted by the city that was the poorest and most dangerous in America. View full sizePatrick Semansky / APNew Orleans residents have a strong connection to the Saints, as barber Willie Pearson proves with his Saints tattoo at Impressive Barber Shop in New Orleans. A lifelong Saints fan, he got the tattoo after the team's 2006 comeback season following Hurricane Katrina.It didn't take me very long to realize statistics were not the sum of what the Crescent City represented. As I grew from a bright-eyed-and-naive college athlete, the city not only grew on me but became a part of me. Growing up in Cleveland, I was fortunate enough to land in a city that mirrored much of what I understood home to be. Both cities were represented by hard-working, resourceful, prideful, compassionate and passionate individuals that above all adored their football teams Read the rest New Orleans loves the Saints without measure: Former NFL center LeCharles Bentley \| Cleveland Browns - cleveland.com Thought Canton would like this