Koolaid Time
Drink Up!
Read between the lines... it says "through the 2010 season".... Which means that LA or San Antonio has 3 1/2 years to build a stadium. Its amazing... the State of Louisiana actually PAYS the Saints to play in New Orleans.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/football/nfl/03/26/bc.fbn.saints.state.ap/index.html
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) -- The New Orleans Saints will stay in Louisiana through the 2010 season, reaching an agreement with state officials.
Both sides agreed Monday to toss out contract clauses that would have allowed the NFL team leave the state within the next four years. They also said they will keep negotiating on a deal that could keep the Saints in New Orleans beyond the current contract.
"For the foreseeable future, Louisiana's team will keep marching to victory right here," Gov. Kathleen Blanco said.
Blanco said the Saints are important to Louisiana's economy, but even more so to state residents struggling to rebuild after Hurricane Katrina. The governor said the Saints' record-setting 2006 season brought hope to the hurricane-damaged region. The team played in its first conference title game and sold out all eight home games on season tickets.
"It's great news for the people of New Orleans, the people of Louisiana and the fans of the NFL," NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said from the NFL meetings in Phoenix. "We now have an opportunity to focus on the long-term needs of the franchise and, most importantly, the long-term needs of the community."
Saints owner Tom Benson is "committed over the next four years to get a long-term deal done here and to stay here forever," team spokesman Greg Bensel said. Benson was at the NFL meetings.
Katrina caused extensive damage to the Superdome in 2005. The state repaired the dome and put another $185 million into improvements and upgrades long sought by Benson.
The contract had allowed the Saints to opt out of its current deal with the state by repaying about $70 million the state has provided in inducements to the team. But the Saints will drop that termination clause, and the state will eliminate its ability to opt out of the contract.
The current $186.5 million contract with the Saints was negotiated in 2001 by former Gov. Mike Foster's administration and involves making annual payments to the team on top of other subsidies through 2010.
Those state payments will continue. Blanco said she didn't agree to give the Saints any more money, but ongoing upgrades to the Superdome will continue.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/football/nfl/03/26/bc.fbn.saints.state.ap/index.html
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) -- The New Orleans Saints will stay in Louisiana through the 2010 season, reaching an agreement with state officials.
Both sides agreed Monday to toss out contract clauses that would have allowed the NFL team leave the state within the next four years. They also said they will keep negotiating on a deal that could keep the Saints in New Orleans beyond the current contract.
"For the foreseeable future, Louisiana's team will keep marching to victory right here," Gov. Kathleen Blanco said.
Blanco said the Saints are important to Louisiana's economy, but even more so to state residents struggling to rebuild after Hurricane Katrina. The governor said the Saints' record-setting 2006 season brought hope to the hurricane-damaged region. The team played in its first conference title game and sold out all eight home games on season tickets.
"It's great news for the people of New Orleans, the people of Louisiana and the fans of the NFL," NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said from the NFL meetings in Phoenix. "We now have an opportunity to focus on the long-term needs of the franchise and, most importantly, the long-term needs of the community."
Saints owner Tom Benson is "committed over the next four years to get a long-term deal done here and to stay here forever," team spokesman Greg Bensel said. Benson was at the NFL meetings.
Katrina caused extensive damage to the Superdome in 2005. The state repaired the dome and put another $185 million into improvements and upgrades long sought by Benson.
The contract had allowed the Saints to opt out of its current deal with the state by repaying about $70 million the state has provided in inducements to the team. But the Saints will drop that termination clause, and the state will eliminate its ability to opt out of the contract.
The current $186.5 million contract with the Saints was negotiated in 2001 by former Gov. Mike Foster's administration and involves making annual payments to the team on top of other subsidies through 2010.
Those state payments will continue. Blanco said she didn't agree to give the Saints any more money, but ongoing upgrades to the Superdome will continue.
