LA_MERC_Shadow
September 4th, 2005, 04:27 PM
Got this today from someone
FORWARD THIS TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW!!!!!!
My name is Fletcher Mackel and I'm a sports anchor/reporter at WDSU (NBC) TV in New Orleans and everything you are about to read is true!
I spoke with Saints Vice President Arnold Feilkow for 1 hour last night in my hotel room and he says Tom Benson DOES NOT CARE about being the most hated person in the history of New Orleans.
I've talked with Feilkow dozens of times and I've never heard him as passionate and upset as he was last night. He really is a good man and wants to do the right thing. Here's EXACTLY what he told me!
He said Tom Benson WANTS to upset season ticket holders and the Louisiana Legislature! He wants to play this season in San Antonio...forcing the state to tell him that since he turned his back on the community in a time of need they won't make any more payments to him. If the state fails to make their payment next summer Louisiana is in breech of contract and Benson can move the team without making a penalty payment. He would then shop the team to the highest bidding city. San Antonio, L.A., even New Orleans with a better deal in place. He's simply going to use this tragedy get a better deal and perhaps new stadium from some city.
Feilkow also told me he has no intention of ever selling the team!
To make sure this plan works I was told season ticket holders in New Orleans may not be getting refunds! Fine print in the ticket contract protects the team against 'natural disasters'.
Feilkow told me the plan he presented to Benson, which has been shot down is as follows:
-Play in LSU's Tiger stadium. (Athletics Director Skip Bertman says the school will do anything to make this happen.)
-Season ticket holders could go to the games since Baton Rouge is only 50 minutes from N.O.
-Also, 300,000 New Orleans residents are currently living in Baton Rouge. Many will spend the entire fall semesters in the state capitol because their children have to enroll in school there. Fans looking for a little piece of home WILL go to the games on Sundays.
-Playing in southeast La. will make the Saints organization good guys and saviors for taking peoples minds off their problems and restoring some sense of normalcy to displaced residents.
-Playing in Baton Rouge would allow the Saints organization to make new contacts with state leaders who would have never traveled to New Orleans to watch a game.
-On top of this Feilkow told me the team COULD get a new or totally refurbished stadium in New Orelans and HELP the city make an amazing comeback.
He said the insurance money for the severly damaged dome will go along way to helping. He also said the team and state can make a pitch for federal monies to build a new/refurbished stadium that can also serve as a better, category 5 hurricane fall out shelter.
This plan is WHAT THE TEAM SHOULD FOLLOW!
Feilkow told me Benson will make a decision in 24 to 48 hours so forward this to as many people as possible: politicians, fans, journalists!
Feilkow told me he's saying what he is because he can't stand by and watch as this decision is made while residents are struggling and the city is on it's knees!
This morning I ran into Deuce McAllister in my hotel lobby. He and I talked for 20 minutes and although he wasn't as open as Feilkow, he did confirm that "a bad decision" was about to be made! McAllister is a native of Misissippi with property along the Gulf Coast. He said he hopes the team can play in Baton Rouge and remain in New Orleans. I asked him point blanke if he though the Saints had played their last game in New Orlenas....his answer: "I just don't know, nothing would surprise me!"
The following is a more vanilla article I clipped from a Baton Rouge paper this morning.
Fletcher
Senator urges Benson to delay his decision
By Robert Travis Scott
Capital bureau
New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson is leaning strongly toward moving the Saints permanently to San Antonio following the devastation to the city and the Superdome by Hurricane Katrina, a state senator who has spoken with a top team official said Saturday.
Sen. Mike Michot, R-Lafayette, said he spoke with Saints' chief of administration Arnold Fielkow by phone Friday morning about Benson's potential plans.
Team officials could not be reached Saturday. The team had previously announced it was looking for a new home for the current season, and San Antonio was one of the options.
Michot said he was told that Benson has not made a final decision, but the owner is serious about moving once and for all to San Antonio. "We may lose them permanently," Michot said.
A possible move by the team is a "huge concern" among a few state officials who have become aware of it, but every significant political figure in the state is preoccupied with reacting to the storm aftermath.
State officials want to convince Benson to delay a decision so that the state can focus on the rescue and rehabilitation effort and later find a way to keep the Saints at home in New Orleans.
"This is like pouring salt into the wound," Michot said.
Michot said decency dictates that Benson should postpone any decision on a permanent move until state officials have had a chance to talk with him.
"Give us time," Michot said.
Another state official confirmed a similar conversation with Fielkow.
Michot is the vice chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, a key committee for legislation related to state agreement with the Saints.
He said that in the long run the Saints might be better off staying in New Orleans because a revived city with national support could provide a better stadium.
FORWARD THIS TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW!!!!!!
My name is Fletcher Mackel and I'm a sports anchor/reporter at WDSU (NBC) TV in New Orleans and everything you are about to read is true!
I spoke with Saints Vice President Arnold Feilkow for 1 hour last night in my hotel room and he says Tom Benson DOES NOT CARE about being the most hated person in the history of New Orleans.
I've talked with Feilkow dozens of times and I've never heard him as passionate and upset as he was last night. He really is a good man and wants to do the right thing. Here's EXACTLY what he told me!
He said Tom Benson WANTS to upset season ticket holders and the Louisiana Legislature! He wants to play this season in San Antonio...forcing the state to tell him that since he turned his back on the community in a time of need they won't make any more payments to him. If the state fails to make their payment next summer Louisiana is in breech of contract and Benson can move the team without making a penalty payment. He would then shop the team to the highest bidding city. San Antonio, L.A., even New Orleans with a better deal in place. He's simply going to use this tragedy get a better deal and perhaps new stadium from some city.
Feilkow also told me he has no intention of ever selling the team!
To make sure this plan works I was told season ticket holders in New Orleans may not be getting refunds! Fine print in the ticket contract protects the team against 'natural disasters'.
Feilkow told me the plan he presented to Benson, which has been shot down is as follows:
-Play in LSU's Tiger stadium. (Athletics Director Skip Bertman says the school will do anything to make this happen.)
-Season ticket holders could go to the games since Baton Rouge is only 50 minutes from N.O.
-Also, 300,000 New Orleans residents are currently living in Baton Rouge. Many will spend the entire fall semesters in the state capitol because their children have to enroll in school there. Fans looking for a little piece of home WILL go to the games on Sundays.
-Playing in southeast La. will make the Saints organization good guys and saviors for taking peoples minds off their problems and restoring some sense of normalcy to displaced residents.
-Playing in Baton Rouge would allow the Saints organization to make new contacts with state leaders who would have never traveled to New Orleans to watch a game.
-On top of this Feilkow told me the team COULD get a new or totally refurbished stadium in New Orelans and HELP the city make an amazing comeback.
He said the insurance money for the severly damaged dome will go along way to helping. He also said the team and state can make a pitch for federal monies to build a new/refurbished stadium that can also serve as a better, category 5 hurricane fall out shelter.
This plan is WHAT THE TEAM SHOULD FOLLOW!
Feilkow told me Benson will make a decision in 24 to 48 hours so forward this to as many people as possible: politicians, fans, journalists!
Feilkow told me he's saying what he is because he can't stand by and watch as this decision is made while residents are struggling and the city is on it's knees!
This morning I ran into Deuce McAllister in my hotel lobby. He and I talked for 20 minutes and although he wasn't as open as Feilkow, he did confirm that "a bad decision" was about to be made! McAllister is a native of Misissippi with property along the Gulf Coast. He said he hopes the team can play in Baton Rouge and remain in New Orleans. I asked him point blanke if he though the Saints had played their last game in New Orlenas....his answer: "I just don't know, nothing would surprise me!"
The following is a more vanilla article I clipped from a Baton Rouge paper this morning.
Fletcher
Senator urges Benson to delay his decision
By Robert Travis Scott
Capital bureau
New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson is leaning strongly toward moving the Saints permanently to San Antonio following the devastation to the city and the Superdome by Hurricane Katrina, a state senator who has spoken with a top team official said Saturday.
Sen. Mike Michot, R-Lafayette, said he spoke with Saints' chief of administration Arnold Fielkow by phone Friday morning about Benson's potential plans.
Team officials could not be reached Saturday. The team had previously announced it was looking for a new home for the current season, and San Antonio was one of the options.
Michot said he was told that Benson has not made a final decision, but the owner is serious about moving once and for all to San Antonio. "We may lose them permanently," Michot said.
A possible move by the team is a "huge concern" among a few state officials who have become aware of it, but every significant political figure in the state is preoccupied with reacting to the storm aftermath.
State officials want to convince Benson to delay a decision so that the state can focus on the rescue and rehabilitation effort and later find a way to keep the Saints at home in New Orleans.
"This is like pouring salt into the wound," Michot said.
Michot said decency dictates that Benson should postpone any decision on a permanent move until state officials have had a chance to talk with him.
"Give us time," Michot said.
Another state official confirmed a similar conversation with Fielkow.
Michot is the vice chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, a key committee for legislation related to state agreement with the Saints.
He said that in the long run the Saints might be better off staying in New Orleans because a revived city with national support could provide a better stadium.