Saints’ owner not about to return sweet steal from Louisiana
May 2, 2005
Commentary: Glenn Guilbeau…
Those checks started at $12.5 million in 2001, went up to $15 million in 2002, will rise to $20 million in 2006 and to $23.5 million in 2008 and remain there through 2010. The checks, which will add up to over $180 million by 2010, keep coming regardless of what the Saints do on or off the field.Should the Red Sea part and the Saints go 12-4 this season and make more money on ticket sales, game-day sales, merchandise sales and the like, they would still get $20 million from the state in 2006. It won’t matter what kind of season the state has.
It’s clearly the sweetest deal in the history of the NFL, which is known for having the most lucrative and competitively balanced financial blueprint in all of sports.
Thank you, former Gov. Mike Foster. You always said you weren’t much of a sports fan, but you made NFL history. And it could well be your legacy.
Stop with the talk of New Orleans being a poor market. All NFL markets make money because of the TV contracts and shared revenue. The Saints had the highest payroll in the NFL in 2003 and still went 8-8.
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And this ladies and gentlemen is why the Saints suck. It doesn’t matter if they win or lose. All they have to do is show up. This is why Aaron Brooks is still pitching the ball back to his imaginary friends in the backfield. This is why it doesn’t matter that Donte Stallworth should have had his “breakout season” by now. This is why it doesn’t matter that we had the worst defense in the NFL last year and we took an OT in the first round of the draft.
Dave’s right. All businessman, no NFL fan. And who suffers because of it. The fans. The people of the City of New Orleans have been so loyal to this team. The Saints are regarded as a joke across the NFL. Commonly known as the worst team in NFL history. And yet every season, we dont give up. We keep supporting this team, even though they will only break our hearts. And now Benson is trying to use fear tactics on the fans talking to San Antonio. Disgusting.
There is no other deal out there for you that is better, Tom. Bite the bullet, be a hero to the city. The man who saved the Saints.