Why are the Saints in New York?

I have to disagree.

I recommend reading this article……….

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/4840428

While I wish the Cowboys and the triplets were alone on Monday Night Football, I don’t begrudge the NFL or the Giants for this opportunity. If it were the same and we were the ones donating a part of our ticket sales to Katrina, and gained a home game I doubt we would read this article.

Tom Benson if he exits New Orleans deserves more ridicule than Taglibue or the Mara family. Who cares if the Giants get another home game, New Orleans is going to beat em anyway! You cannot tell me the Giants are a better team than Carolina, and I am certain the Saints will again be welcomed at all home and away games this Season in light of the events of the gulf.

I actually believe Jerry Jones if given this opporunity would have done a similar thing in donating a portion of ticket sales to Katrina. Wealthy People are the ones that have the ability to make a difference in charity and times of need. Joe Gibbs donated a plane and worked with doctors and churchs to relocate over 20 people to the state of NC. He paid for the Jet to take Doctors down to a shelter, and then sent a bigger jet to bring the familys to NC. It was the first time many of them had ever flown, and own a luxury jet no less. Churches in the region have them in an Extended Stay American and are working to get them food, clothes, and JOBS in the NC area. That is the kind of generosity that we need more of while FEMA, Governors, and Mayors dilly and dally a guy like Joe Gibbs made a donation to a doctor that made a difference.

WOW,i agree with you!i couldnt have said it better my self!!Those damn mediots and that commisioner thats no good,personally I’ve never liked him,and boy are they trully milking this tragedy for money that isn’t going 100%to the cause,people trying to profit from this situation.How sare they show that segement instead of that ring of honor induction.If tagli-idiot cared anything back the nfl and its great he would’ve tried to atleast step in and do something about this.Its without a question ridiculous

This is just another example of the media pandering to New York City. The Giants are undoubtedly the greatest beneficiaries of this covert heist. All I can say is that if the Giants have a better-than-expected season, and edge out another team for a playoff spot, the entire league should cry foul.

I completely disagree with the the first three sentences in the initial posting, and found its point to be loathsome.
I don’t come here to read crap like that. Please keep your politics, and your impressions of what is “right” and “wrong” to yourself. If not, then i think that you should take a long hard look at that term you throw around – mediot. An editorial voice in charge of a media outlet who makes baseless, unsupported assumptions with the intention of enflaming and influencing, to further an agenda.

I agree with Rafael. There is no real reason for this game to be in NY. There is definatly a bias for NY, maybe not for the Giants specifically but definately NY. The NFL needs to be unbiased and its hard to say the saints will benefit. The giants stand to benefit the most. The game should have been in San Antonio or even Houston.

Seems like baseball and basketball play most every day of the week. How much money do those games during the week pull in for their leagues? Would a double header on a Monday night pull in twice as many fans or more? The charity of the National Football is Lucrative league should not be questioned!! Well, probably should not be questioned! Ya know, if it smells like it, and it looks like it, I say don’t taste it. The NFL is a business that is in business to make money, and to put a feel good slant on it can only help them on this one. IMO.

I just feel sorry for the Saints fans who are in shelters in San Antonio and Houston who were going to be able to see their team for some relief of their situation(and radio stations,car dealers,Spurs players were going to buy the tickets and bus them in)……..I live in SA

Joey2zs:

Not sure which 3 sentences you’re referring to, but the point here is simple – why NYC? It obviously gives the Giants an advantage as the only NFL team to have 9 home games.

I’m not sure it matters, however, because the Saints basically have only 4 homes games (when they play at Tiger Stadium).

I agree with some who say that this is payback for the botched pass interference call that was made int he SF/NYG playoff game a couple years back … :roll:

They should have played in the Alamodome, but San Antonio ain’t the big apple- not enough glitz, I guess.

What an opportunity it would have been to get those displaced by tragedy out of the damn SHELTERS for a few hours to see their Saints play. San Antonio would have seen to it that they’d be taken care of with transportation and everything. Contrary to popular belief, there IS money in San Antonio. It’s a GREAT city with good, generous people who take care of their neighbors.

Wouldn’t it have been cool if a kid living a shelter could have done the coin toss, wearing a Saints jersey in front a stadium filled with REAL SAINTS FANS who themselves were directly affected by Katrina? That would have been a special moment, and San Antonio is the kind of city that could have made it happen. It would have been as true a “home game” for the Saints as possible.

And they could have still done the telethon.

But, no. The league wants the game in New York. Well, maybe they’ll fly a few people in from the shelters; maybe they’ll set the shelters up with some really nice TV’s….

So Joeyz, what “agenda” are we trying to promote by questioning the NFL’s decision to have the Saints home opener in NY? I don’t get it?

So what’s my agenda, Joey? That I think the Saints should have eight home games like everybody else and the Giants not get nine?

If you’re so upset explain why the game should be in New York?

I think the games should have been played where the Players and team ownership wanted to play them. The same place they will be playing next year and the year after and the year after………..San Antonio.

Did anbody catch Dan Patrick’s show today? I missed the beginning in which I gathered a Cowboy fan or two complained about missing the triplets’ induction and the use of “America’s Team” to describe the Saints. Dan allowed the next hour or so that I listened to be filled with venomous Cowboy hater phone calls trashing Cowboy fans everywhere. I swear 20% of the calls were coming from Virginia (Deadskin country). First, I am sad I will miss the induction but helping out those folks down south is more important. Second, I hope I don’t come across to insensitive but…this whole Saints being “The New America’s Team” is a bunch of bunk. The “America’s Team” label came from our popularity and extremely large fan base. The Saints don’t even have a very solid fan base in Louisiana and neighboring states. I have lived less than 5 hours from New Orleans these past two years and NOBODY around here cares anything about the Saints! I have yet to meet anyone that can name more than 3 players for the Saints! This “New America’s Team” is a ridiculous, media-driven, shallow expression of political correctness! I have cried for the folks on the Gulf Coast. I have prayed for them. I have given money and items from my home to them. But I will not mock them and fake sympathy for them by calling their horribly, historically underachieving football team “The New America’s Team.” Just an opinion. Go Cowboys.

“The New America’s Team” is only being driven by the pinko communist rag know as Sports Illustrated. Mostly by Peter King and Don Banks. Those guys need to shut their pie holes and report sports. I’m tired of his “10 things I think I think” garbage.

If San Diego could play a home game in Phoenix because of the forest fires, the NFL could have found a site closer to Louisiana to play this game, whether it be in San Antonio, Houston, Memphis, Jacksonville, etc.

JoeBradley:

Agreed, and I think that’s the point. ESPN reported that the league is flying in 600 displaced Saints fans for the game.

Hardly a “home” crowd… They would have had more of a Saints presence if the game were in Baton Rouge or San Antonio.

There are plenty of places that would have been more appropriate. Houston, Atlanta, San Antonio, Baton Rouge, Memphis all of these would have had significant refugees to attend the game. In the end it doesn’t really matter to me. I will watch some of the game, but will welcome the switch if it happens. I live in the Northeast corner of Louisiana and the two abc affilliates that I get are in Mississippi so I am not sure what they are planning to do. I hope I get to see the Cowboy game in its entirety, but I will have to wait and see. I see this as a advantage to NY like others have said. And if I have to wait until the Saints game is over then at least I have this blog to warm my spirit.

Raf,

Just saw espn interview Jim Haslett and he expressed exactly
your sentiments !!!!!!!Congrats on saying it .

joeyz,

The Saints players are quoted as preferring to play all 8 “home” games at the Alamodome (source Inside the NFL on HBO), and THEY were a bit upset that they have to travel to NY. The players understood the reasoning for playing back in Lousiana for the fans, but THEY questioned the reasoning to play in NY. So what agenda are they furthering?

The reason for it being in N.Y. is simple money.Abc/espn is
 based in the NY/metro area so it would keep the cost down
for broadcasting two games and ny is #1 in ad revenue.

Great reception for the Saints according to Dan
 Patrick yeah right !!!!!!!!

They’re BOOOOINNNGGG!!!!!!!

Kickoff, Saints run a reverse, ball is fumbled and the Giants recover. The crowd goes wild!

Yep … Saints home game … :roll:

Sure sounds like those fans are cheering for the home team.

I don’t care one little bit that the Giants have gained some slight advantage over the other teams in the NFC East. I don’t even really care that the Saints are getting screwed here. What I DO care about is that the Saints’ fanbase, the ones who are actually suffering, are getting p###ed on, and having it called rain.

How many of those displaced people from Louisiana will attend this game? Two? How many would have attended if it had been held in San Antonio or Houston or Baton Rouge? Tens of thousands, I suspect. They could have bussed people in as a special promotion, and given those people something to occupy their minds, other than their plight. I might add, the game still could have been held on Monday night.

Well, I’m sure they will really enjoy watching the game on TV. [/sarcasm]

Guys,
Firstly, don’t rag on Rafael for bringing up a good point!

Jon,
We should keep politics and religion off of this blog, but you are right on the money.

Let’s face it: Tagliabue is not going to miss an opportunity to promote the league and the failing institution of MNF, even if it is for a legitimately good cause. Even if it is at the expense of our beloved ‘Boys, who oddly enough, have contributed greatly over the years to making MNF what it was. (Unfortuneately, more pandering by Tagliabue to the rest of the league, who, are of course Dallas haters.) As for my comments about letting the Saints “BORROW” our moniker of "America’s Team", I was only wishing to be generous to someone who was really, truly, down on their luck. If I was behaving in a misguided manner, I beg forgiveness.

The game should have been played at a neutral site. Period.