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Saints, state fail to advance ball in third down
By MICHELLE MILLHOLLON
mmillhollon@theadvocate.com
Capitol news bureau

The New Orleans Saints and the state failed to break major ground Wednesday in a third round of talks about keeping the franchise in New Orleans through at least 2020.
The governor's point person on the negotiations, Tim Coulon, said the two sides will meet again in a few weeks.

"I'm not ready to concede yet for sure," Coulon said.

The Saints declined any comment on the four-hour meeting. The team's owner, Tom Benson, reportedly skipped the session, letting his top brass represent him.

The team has been tight-lipped about the negotiations. The state's also been cagey, citing the Saints' request to shroud the talks in secrecy.

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