Highway Robbery
The Saints are threatening to March out of New Orleans.
They do have it exceedingly tough there.
Under the current agreement, the state will pay the Saints $15 million this year and in 2006, $20 million in 2007 and 2008 and $23.5 million in 2009 and 2010. The Louisiana Stadium and Exposition District refinanced bonds on the Superdome to cover this year’s payment.
And they want the new ritzy stadium, blah, blah, blah but the frickin’ State of Lousiana expects them to HELP PAY for it! BASTARDS !!
The state pushed for a deal to make the team responsible for increased revenues through their on-field and box office performance. The state has proposed a $175 million renovation of the Superdome with the Saints covering $40 million, arguing the team could earn between $10 million and $12 million annually from increased capacity and new suites. Additionally the state proposed lowering annual inducements to $14 million in 2008 and $9.5 million in 2009 and 2010. The team said it would only cover $23 million toward renovating the Superdome, believing it will generate an additional $4 million annually from the upgrades. The state is asking to renegotiate but they’re pulling $50 million off the table that’s guaranteed in the current contract, Wilkerson said.
There’s a whole lot more to this than I have the patience for. Like how the Cresent City ~ Third World and Proud of it ~ has experienced the ‘greatest flight to the suburbs in their history, crippling their infrastructure repairs, not to mention the schools and city services. (I’m sure they’re not teaching $12,500 race relations classes there.)
It’s disgusting how officials sell the farm to get these teams. I remember what the Garden State gave away to get the Meadowlands. (Actually, that was the gift that keeps on giving.) I’m telling you, New Yawk City should be happily paving streets, sweeping sidewalks and fixing the subway station for the Yankees’ new digs. They sure as hell are the only major team in any market who’s volunteered to foot the bill for the new stadium themselves.
I’ve got a bad case of ‘don’t let the turnstyle hit you in the ass…’
Public Service Announcement | tree hugging sister | 
May 19, 2005 3:11 pm
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You hit one of my keys, Ms. Sister. I don’t know about the original Meadowlands deal (except for Jimmy Hoffa’s perpetual season ticket deal, heheheh). The new deal, however, seems more than fair. A far cry from nearly everything else out there, not just for football but all the hell over. As it is TV provides the lion’s share of football money, not the stadium; the taxpayers are right to balk. And the Saints are pitching this about as accurately as their scatter-armed quarterback.
But it gives me yet another chance to ask: has New Orleans fired Coach Medavoy yet?
Ah, dear old New Orleans. Tulane typically sells more tickets for its games at the Superdome than the Saints do…Roll Green Wave! I actually had my graduation at the Superdome: the university one, before the smaller law school one at the convention center. But yeah, I completely can’t stand how state and local governments bid over these things iwth taxpayer money: it’s a vicious circle, and at this point the sports teams expect it.
Are the Marlins still demanding that Florida build them a new stadium, THS? They were when I was there, and I think there was some speculation about Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Counties all trying to bribe them with respect to where it would go.
After years and years of turning in uniformly miserable performances and still being feted by us, you’d think the Saints would be damned pleased to stay in the ‘Dome. Ungrateful bastards.
Look what happened to our basketball team — now they’re the Utah Jazz. Because, of course, one thing that the Mormons are known for other than polygamy, being on the wrong end of a 19th-century religious crusade, and a quasi-polytheistic theology based on questionable evidence is their long-time devotion to Dixieland stylings. As for us? We don’t need basketball, because those poor sons of bitches have to play in Salt Lake.
Um, WatchfulBabbler, you ARE aware that the Hornets moved from Charlotte to New Orleans a few years back, right? Honestly, not that I ever pay any attention to basketball except when the Celtics are in the playoffs.
Dave – I just looked up the record for the New Orleans Hornets this past year, and Watchful has a point. That’s hardly basketball.
Oh, and they traded away their best player during the season.
When does hockey start again?
Haven’t paid attention to New Orleans sports since I moved to Texas — I had heard that the Hornets had moved there, but forgot all about it. (Of course, for Dallas I have but two words: Steve Nash. Ouch.)
That also means that I left NO before the Saints started turning in marginally respectable football. Our expectations were not just low — they were nonexistant. As long as someone showed up to play, we were happy. Where else can you get that kind of fan support?
When I was in college UVA was so bad we actually sang our ‘fight’ song when the other team scored, because if we waited until we scored then we’d have never gotten to sing it. There’s something to be said for a 1-11 team: kept the football staff and players humble and somewhat focused on that other reason to go to college…now what was it…oh yes, an edjumacation. Now Virginia has spent millions and millions of dollars to go from 1-11 to 6-5.
Mr. Jefferson is rolling in his grave.