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It was only a one line rumor, posted on the ten spot on cnn.com:

The latest rumor is that the New Orleans Saints are the franchise most likely to relocate in L.A./O.C.
-- Orange County Register

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

I'm pissed about this seasn too, but damn I don't want to lose our boys to L.A. Fans over there could care less. We Louisianians love our Boys!!!

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anyone think that maybe benson held onto haz/brooks in hopes that they would suck so much he could move them to LA?

Major League anyone?

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Cards, Vikes, Colts, Chargers, Saints, and an expansion team are frequently mentioned.

We will lose them eventually, but not soon.

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Exactly my my point the Cards have been mentioned the most out of any of them. I\'m just sick of hearing this moving **** a new stadium would fix it. This is not possible though. Renovation may keep them around awhile this looks to be happening soon. RENOVATION THAT IS.

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You know what, that rumor has been circulating around since Gov Arnold announced he wanted a team... it\'s old. It\'s that SI is just publishing it. And rumors are what they are.

Let me explain something that is known in the media, Benson will probably not sell because he has a sweetheart deal with the State and because he likes the feeling of being the \"King\" of New Orleans. PLain and simple, he loves the attention. If he passes away, his estate will continue to run the team and they want to make $.

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Benson is angling for A) a new stadium to put in luxury boxes, or B) a pipeline into the 2nd largest, yet most unresponsive market in the country. LA hates football. They never have been fans of anything and only get turned on when the Lakers play well. That\'s it.

He would be stupid to move there unless he planned to sell soon after. Besides, he does have a sweet deal with the city. I know 5 business guys right now that would kill for that kind of deal! (come to think of it, 3 have... ;) Either way, holding the fans hostage and pleading poverty is a crappy way of giving back to us loyal, deep south fans.

He won\'t sell, but if he does, I hope it would be to some one that keeps the Saints here. Just stop with the moving crap!!!

[Edited on 8/11/2004 by BiggPoppaFro3]

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I hear talks from NFL commish office and what makes the Saints IMPOSSIBLE to move is that the contract thru 2009 solid. Another is the NFL does NOT want Benson in LA, they want new blood at the helm of there new LA franchise. Benson isn\'t getting rid of the Saints anytime soon. The Sorry-ass Saints are here to stay...

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Thank you Halo. This enitre discussion is silly to me. Indy seems like a much better candidate to become LA\'s team than the Saints. That said, I think the Saints need to do a better job of locking up the gulf south with several quality regional teams--Atlanta, Jax, Tennessee. From a business point of view, we need to win to grow our fanbase.

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Everyone just keep in mind that our owner has been adamant about staying put and is discussing stadium renovation (where the team will contribute funds) and a new deal with the state. Compare that to Minn. who has a stadium just as old as ours and probably more outdated, and an owner actively trying to sell his team. Like Danno said, unless something major changes in NO, the city will lose the team eventually... but not yet.

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First of all, do you really think LA would take a losing franchise. The fan base over there is not as die heart as it is over here, and the NFL know is it. The vikings will be moving pretty soon.

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Why wouldnt they move to LA? Because I don\'t believe investors from LA would want to buy a team that did\'nt have a chance to win for the first 4 or 5 years at least.

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Gimme a break. A team is better than NO team. Coaches take jobs at organizations with no talent. Teams spend hundreds of millions on expansion franchises. You guys have to learn that money is what makes the NFL go round and there is ALWAYS someone willing to take a shot. That\'s why Houston is willing to spend ungodly sums of money on an expansion team and good coaches like Denny Green and Marvin Lewis take jobs in Arizona and Cincinnati. Why do you think Haslett took the Saints job in the first place? Our 3-13 record wowed him? Why did Benson buy the losingest franchise in the game (except maybe for Tampa at that point)? There is ALWAYS someone ready to buy a team - winning or not.

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Actually they want a team in LA and the commish is talking with a software magnet they don\'t want Benson in LA so he may sell the team to the magnet and then they will move to LA.

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You mean the CEO of Oracle? Larry Ellison? Big sailing fan? That the guy you talking about?

Actually he said he\'s in the market for a football OR basketball team. He also didn\'t say he wants the team in LA. People know that Tagliapoo wants a team in LA, he lives in LA, he wants a team. So people speculate. The Saints WILL PROBABLY MOVE... BUT NOT YET. Bottom line - the team ain\'t for sale and say what you will about Benson but he has been very dedicated to NO and the State. The Saints WILL NOT move to LA. I\'m so tired of hearing about this. It used to be every three years, now we can\'t go 3 games. The Saints moving to LA rumor isn\'t new folks. It started a decade ago. It\'s not going to happen. It simply comes up more frequently when the Saints are losing. I\'ve got news for you guys - if winning and losing really affected Benson\'s bottom line - and that\'s ALL that matters - he would have moved the team a LONG time ago.

[Edited on 11/11/2004 by WhoDat]

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Ellison was the one, but it\'ll fade from memory in about 6 month\'s when he\'s found another pet project. The guy has the attention span of a 6 year old and has a hard-on for Gates.

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Question
WHY?
Why would Benson sell?
Why would he sell to an LA owner
Why would he sell to the NFL?
Money isn\'t there
Plus,
the NFL would lose money... perrenially
Why is this rumor so rampant? LA the state is much more suited for football

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Forget Benson for a moment, and look at the city\'s interest in the Saints. It\'s no secret that a monumental amount of New Orleans\' capital comes from tourism, and the Saints are just one more excuse to take off to New Orleans for the weekend. For example, do you think many NFL fans say to themselves: \"Hey, my team is playing in Carolina this weekend, I think I\'ll take a little road trip and check out the nightlife.\" ??? Nope. But \"my team is playing in New Orleans this weekend\" might just be a good excuse to pack up and enjoy Bourbon St. for a night or two, and then catch the noon game before heading home.

Living in Birmingham, I\'m speaking from experience here. Hotel prices in the Quarter skyrocket when the Saints are playing at home, but folks (including me) don\'t seem to have a problem paying up to enjoy a fun-filled weekend plus a game on Sunday. It\'d hurt the city significantly to lose the business (and income) the Saints bring, so don\'t you think they might step up if serious talk of moving the team was going on?