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NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell made another visit to New Orleans on Monday.

Eliot Kamenitz/The Times-Picayune
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell called the 2006 reopening of the Superdome one of the highlights of his career.
He was here six months ago to watch the New Orleans Saints earn their first-ever Super Bowl berth, and he'll be back here in a few weeks for the official kickoff of the 2010 season.
His day began in New York and included a pit stop in Jacksonville before heading to New Orleans. He'll embark on a whirlwind tour of several camp sites around the league before heading to Canton, Ohio, this weekend for the Pro Football Hall of Fame festivities.
Relaxed and comfortable in a light blue dress shirt and khaki pants, he looked like he was headed to White Linen Night instead of the speaking engagement at a local convention.
Goodell was born and raised in New York, but he loves New Orleans. He understands what the city means to the NFL. He gets it.
He said he can't wait to return to New Orleans for the Saints' game against the Vikings.
"I wouldn't miss it, " Goodell said.
He's as responsible as anyone for what took place in the Saints' magical 2009 season. The Saints' storybook run might have ended with Drew Brees and Sean Payton hoisting the Lombardi Trophy but it started with Goodell and then-NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue.
They were the puppet-masters who orchestrated the Saints' return to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.
Tagliabue received the credit for bringing the Saints back from San Antonio and rightfully so. His steady leadership throughout the crisis was exemplary. It cemented his legacy in league history.

David Grunfeld/The Times-Picayune
New Orleans Saints Coach Sean Payton, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and Super Bowl XLIV MVP Drew Brees hold the final press conference of the event.
But Goodell, then the league's chief operating officer and Tagliabue's right-hand man, played a pivotal role, too. He was the liaison between the state and team and maintained constant contact with officials from both parties. He monitored the progress of the city and pushed Superdome officials to accelerate the construction timeline so the stadium could be ready for the 2006 season.
And it turned out even better than anyone could have imagined.
"I'm not surprised because I think this team has always had a special relationship with this community, " Goodell said Monday during his visit to Saints training camp.
Back then, though, no one was certain what would happen -- not even the NFL.
On Dec. 30, 2005, the day the league announced the Saints' intentions to return to New Orleans, Tagliabue was noncommittal to the long-term future of the city.
"There are a lot of things yet to be accomplished to make it more than a one-year arrangement, " he said. "There are a lot of chicken-and-egg decisions. It's a complicated situation."
Asked whether the New Orleans market could support an NFL team long-term, Tagliabue said, "We think it can. But it's not a slam-dunk."
Still, doubters remained, even among some New Orleanians.
"I don't think anybody thinks it is likely that New Orleans is going to keep this franchise for the long term," Gary Roberts, director of Tulane's sports law program and a former NFL attorney, said at the time. "We should probably say, "San Antonio, you're welcome to it. New Orleans had better start accepting the fact that it is not likely to have an NFL team."
The league did the right thing. They basically gave New Orleans a chance. They pumped $15 million into the Superdome renovations and pulled strings in Washington to expedite FEMA funding.
And Goodell's fingerprints were on every move.
"I have tremendous respect for Roger and Paul Tagliabue, " said Doug Thornton, who manages the Superdome for the state. "Without them stepping in and lending a helping hand early on, we would never have created the momentum we needed to get this done."
Goodell reflected on the moment Monday. He called the 2006 reopening of the Superdome one of the highlights of his career. As usual, he downplayed his role in the process and deflected the attention to others.
"I think (the Saints) played a very valuable role as well as the NFL in helping rebuild the Dome, which was a symbol of the tragedy that took place here, " Goodell said. "That was a big part of (the successful return). " That was a great evening for this team and the NFL in general."
Because of Katrina and his role in the recovery, Goodell harbors a deep emotional attachment to New Orleans.
"I'm not surprised, " Goodell said. "This community keeps coming back and meets every challenge and shows the world why it's such a great place to be."

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the-commish

Tags and Goddell really made it happen. The San Antonio Saints really doesn't have that good of a ring to it.

One of the reasons they wanted the team back in New Orleans is because they didn't want any city to lose a franchise because of conditions beyond its own control.

Another reason is because Benson was cozy with San Antonio officials, and the NFL was determined that the next franchise move, or expansion (whichever came first) would go to Los Angeles. In fact, had L.A. been ready at the time of the last expansion, the Houston Texans would have been the L.A. Californians (tut-tut). It actually worked out better for the Saints that Benson wanted to keep the team in San Antonio, because, if he had moved them to Houston instead, New Orleans likely would never have gotten them back.

Rugby Saint II

Right on brother.