Where will the NO Saints play this season? NOLA is a mess and

[maveric]

the Superdome is badly damaged. Clearly not in any condition to hold an NFL game/season. Where will the Saints play?

Los Angeles Saints anyone? The Rose bowl, Coliseum and Anaheim stadium are available.

Or do you think they can fix everything in two weeks?

[GOPisEvil]

1. They have spoken to San Antonio about their game Sept. 18.

SA has a 65,000 seat domed stadium gathering dust for the most part.

Edit - this was presented as a long shot by SA news.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

2. I'll be surprised if the Superdome isn't still housing people in 2 weeks.

[Pithlet]

3. I heard they will play in Memphis

at the Liberty Bowl. But this was word of mouth; I have no idea if it's comfirmed.

[DeposeTheBoyKing]

4. Was wondering that too.

Doesn't look to be in such terrific shape.

[Zomby Woof]

5. I think this is the LEAST IMPORTANT ASPECT

Of what is going in New Orleans. THE LEAST IMPORTANT.

And I like football as much as the next person, but damn, priorities here!

[maveric]

6. Yes it is the THE LEAST IMPORTANT aspect. This is the lounge

and the proper forum to raise such a question.
Geesh!

[Zomby Woof]

8. Being the Lounge doesn't excuse it

I think the preoccupation most Americans have with sports is unhealthy, and I say that as an ordinary sports fan.

Not even the frivolous nature of the Lounge excuses being preoccupied with where a team of millionaire players will bounce a little brown ball around while people are swimming in their own shit.

[WeRQ4U]

26. self delete, wrong spot

[LynneSin]

7. I'm going to disagree and here's why

I remember back when the 4 hurricanes hit Florida last year there were a couple of football teams displaced for a few games. But those teams used those displaced games in order to help raise both money and morale for the fans who supported them but had lost so much.

Plus I remember how NYC rallied around the World Series whichw as really only about a month after 9/11/05. Although these sporting events are insignificant compared to the tragedy that has happened, it does help morale to have something to unite over.

Also - I remember the first weekend after 9/11 was one of the biggest sporting events in Delaware which is NASCAR Racing. Dover Downs hosts 2 major races on the NASCAR circuit and that stadium can hold over 100k people. Dover Downs provided free space for Red Cross (which at the time I was doing some volunteer work) to set up booths and collect donations. It was amazing how everyone reached out and found $1, $10, $100 to add to the Red Cross collection.

What would be great is if there was an available stadium at one of the Northern Universities in Louisiana or Mississippi where the team could have their games, help bring a little morale back to a city that is at an all-time low!!

[justabob]

10. Morale is a great reason nt

[Zomby Woof]

12. I understand that

First, I think it's a given that the team is going to play. Somewhere.

It isn't that the playing will lack morale-building effort and such.

It's that it was asked WHERE (and the poster is a fellow SoCal'er who suggested my backyard in L.A. fergawdsakes, which just isn't going to happen because the Saints have 1000's of viable options in the southeast), not WHY, or WHEN. But WHERE.

So it isn't that I disagree with you, it's that I think asking WHERE is really pointless and irrelevant.

We know they will play, and it doesn't matter where. Then the things you posted about will probably come to pass.

[LynneSin]

13. I don't - I'm hoping WHERE is someplace where they can be in state

which would hopefully be one of the several major universities in Louisiana.

I think we all mean well including the original poster of this thread who asked 'where'. The 2001 World Series in New York was such great healing powers and I'm so glad they were able to have it and win (I think that year we were all Yankee fans - even the most staunchest anti-yankee fans).

[Zomby Woof]

17. I don't doubt anyone here means well

But I get my ire up when I just come out of GD reading about people jumping to their death in the Superdome, and coming in here reading about where the Saints will play. That is quite a mental leap, and I would think explains my scolding.

Sorry, but I despise the Yankees so much, that I pulled for the D-backs in that Series. I showed my solidarity with New York in other ways. I just cannot genetically alter myself, not even in extreme emergencies.

But on the whole, we agree - the OP means well, even if I am a hard ass.

[redsoxliberal]

16. how will they rally around the saints? They suck.

[redsoxliberal]

14. strongly agree.

[petronius]

18. Are you joking here?

Of course the future of the Saints is one of the most trivial aspects of the disaster, but we are all capable of holding many thoughts - from the most profound to the most mundane - more or less simultaneously. Discussing something trivial in the Lounge doesn't mean that anyone is discounting or minimizing the gravity of the situation. Now, if the question had been raised in Mayor Nagin's news conference, you would clearly have a point.

If Lounge discussions of the 'best Bond theme' or kitty threads don't have to be put on hold until after the disaster, why shouldn't pointless talk about the Saints be allowed?

[Zomby Woof]

19. No, I am not joking

But I proved my point. Sports-worship is so pathologically embedded in the American psyche that the fact I QUESTIONED ITS RELEVANCE gets me questions about my seriousness and a few flames.

Damn right I am serious. The poster means well, but it is sorely out of place right now to worry about how spoiled millionaires will spend their autumns.

I am hoping that people will learn alternative means of boosting their morale other than their sports teams.

[maveric]

20. I'm not worried about how spoiled millionaires will spend their autumns.

I just had a curiosity about it. NFL starts up in two weeks and NO has a team that generates millions of dollars to the community.
Lighten up!

[petronius]

22. I don't think you've proved that point at all

Although I completely agree with you that worship of the athlo-industrial complex is severely overdone. And I for one in no way think that the future of the Saints is of serious importance at the current time.

However, I think what is getting you questioned is your contention that a trivial topic is somehow off-limits as a result of the seriousness of the situation. Why should it be? Why shouldn't we talk about the Saints, or the Jolie/Anniston debate, or kittens, or any other lighthearted topic? I don't think it is disrespectful to the victims or downplays the seriousness of the situation if we don't spend every second focused on the most dire aspects of the day...

[Zomby Woof]

31. Does anyone READ around here?

Did I say he was not allowed to post what he wanted? Did I try to shut him down?

No.

In fact, I encourage people to post whatever is on their minds, so I am free to show it up for what it is.

[petronius]

34. I think it's a safe bet that we all "read"

(except for the very tiny minority who might use a speech synthesizer or some other device). Excessive literalism is a bit dopey, don't you think?

As to "allowed": you said that talking about the Saints is inexcusable while there is suffering going on, and I say you're wrong. Nobody has accused you of trying to shut anyone down or place formal restrictions on posting topics.

I really don't understand why you seem to feel that this particular topic is inappropriate. There are thousands of threads everyday here that I think are inane, poorly-timed, or irrelevant, and I'm sure your experience is the same. Why is a question about the Saints such a travesty?

[Zomby Woof]

35. Because I am always right

Don't you know the rules?? ;-)

[petronius]

37. Dammit - you had a trump card

drinks are on me: :beer:

[Telly Savalas]

23. Better this discussion than another inane looting flamewar.

[Zomby Woof]

28. Touché!

;-)

[progmom]

32. good point

:hi:

[WeRQ4U]

29. He's allowed to ask this, and we're allowed to answer it.

I will not displace every single one of my thoughts simply because the situation is dire. I don't expect anyone else to either. We all know that terrible things have happened this week. I can't help these people except through my donations and good vibes. And I'll be damned if I'm going to just stop thinking about other things simply because this happened. It's not logical. And frankly, my not thinking about them and their struggle EVERY SINGLE SECOND won't help or harm them any further. I do what I can.

In no way does his asking a simple question, which is relevant to sports fans, imply that he's a heartless, overblown sports fanatic. And in no way does others' interest in and asnwers to the question make them any less compassionate.

And I'm not sure why you think that you've somehow "proved a point" by being able to wrangle a couple response posts.

[Zomby Woof]

30. Damn right we're allowed to answer it!

The irony is staggering, isn't it?

[WeRQ4U]

36. I'm not entirely sure of what you're trying to get at..

Where is the irony?

[justabob]

9. Local college stadiums maybe?

Maybe in Baton Rouge or some other place where there is a college with big football program.

[LynneSin]

11. That's what I was thinking

One would suspect that the Saints team would do all they can to help out their hometown. I just hope they can find a place near home instead of being relocated out of state!

[1gobluedem]

15. I hope it isn't too far away

Think of all the stadium hourly workers who can't move with them to San Antonio or Memphis; it's likely their housing is destroyed or seriously damaged and it'll be twice as bad if their jobs are gone for the season too.

They're paycheck to paycheck people.

[xmas74]

21. You have a point that I didn't think about.

Quite a number of people are employed in ticket sales, concessions, maintenance and janitorial. For them, this question is not silly at all. Many of them have just lost their homes. Most tend to live w/ poverty wages. I'm not worried about the team-they'll be fine. But not having a place for the team to play will create the loss of even more jobs in that area.
First their homes gone and now their jobs. The stress must be getting to them.

[1gobluedem]

24. Yep, pro sports are more than their overpaid stars

They provide employment for hundreds and generate a lot of revenue for their host cities. Revenue sorely needed in NOLA right now.

[xmas74]

25. Revenue is needed.

Also, the people of NO need to feel that something will still be there for them. Many need the jobs just to keep their minds off of what happened. They may have lost their homes but at least they still have their jobs(doesn't sound like much but it is something to many people.) It establishes a sense of normalcy.

[KamaAina]

27. They were already "in talks" with the state.

It kind of looked like owner Benson, who is a major repuke by the way, was looking for a way to weasel out even before this happened.

The Saints have been the subject of these kinds of rumors for years. First it was going to be Jacksonville, then San Antonio, now L.A. If this causes it to happen, it will only add to the heavy psychological toll down there. :(

[TheMightyFavog]

33. Couldn't they use LSU's Stadium?

Unless that area got battered, as well.

[petronius]

38. Tiger stadium holds 80,000+

and is being expanded as we speak. That could be a good choice - back to back weekend games would probably be great for the BR economy, but utter hell on the traffic around campus.

Thinking back the the Loma Prieta quake in CA - I think the 'Niners played a game or two at Stanford (Junior) University, so there is sort of a precedent...

[KamaAina]

39. For this season, that's probably the best option.

The rumors have been about the Saints leaving N.O. permanently, like the Baltimore Colts :grr: