ONE MORE YEAR FOR SAINTS IN THE BIG EASY

Saints agreed on a one-year deal last month to return their operations to New Orleans. Repairs to the Louisiana Superdome, which was damaged during Hurricane Katrina and the relief efforts after it, are scheduled to be completed by Sept. 1, in time for the Saints’ home opener. The stadium will feature new scoreboards and a new sound system and playing turf. A few other upgrades to areas such as the luxury suites likely won’t be completed until after next season. These improvements should have a positive impact on the Superdome’s ability to lure big games back to New Orleans. The Sugar Bowl has already announced that it plans to return to New Orleans next year, and the awarding of another Super Bowl date may not be far off.
Nevertheless, while a new head coach and a return home should be reasons to celebrate, there is a segment of the NFL world that remains skeptical.
When NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue and team owner Tom Benson announced that the Saints were marching back to The Big Easy, that was only after Benson had signed a one-year deal to keep the Saints in New Orleans. No long-term deal was in place at the time of this writing, and no long-term deal was planned any time soon. And the Saints still have an exit clause in their contract with the Superdome that was pushed back to March 2007.
The Saints and the NFL are playing a wait-and-see game. Benson wants to make sure enough fans return to the Superdome so he can pay his bills, and the NFL also wants to see that New Orleans is still dedicated to the NFL.
Suffice it to say, 2006 will be by far the most important year in this franchise’s history.