The Saints have sold out the Superdome for the sixth straight season. Despite the lockout, the Saints began to offer season-ticket holders renewal packages in January with a February deadline. "Our renewal rate was at 98 percent or higher, during a time when there was labor uncertainty front and center in the news," Greg Bensel, Saints vice president of communications, said in an email to The Times-Picayune. "This is consistent with years prior. It speaks to the passion of our fans." The facility is currently undergoing an $85 million renovation that began in January, building on repairs and improvements made in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Saints rookie running back Mark Ingram believes there's room for Reggie Bush in the backfield and he looks forward to being teammates with the incumbent rusher. The running backs have known each other for a couple of years, according to Ingram, and have spoken about the issue. "I'm really looking forward to being in the same backfield as him and being able to learn from him," Ingram said of Bush. "Definitely (we want him there). I think it would be nothing but an advantage for our team to have an explosive guy like him in our offense. I think everyone still wants him. He's congratulated me and has given me positive advice. He's always been good to me."

Reggie Bush is aware that he'll have to take a pay cut if he's going to remain with the Saints. His current contract calls for him to make $11.8 million in 2011. "This is something that me, my agent and the Saints have to collectively come together to talk about and just come to a meeting point — a happy medium — because obviously there's going to have to be some type of pay cut," Bush said. "There's going to have to be some type of renegotiation."

Saints quarterback Drew Brees admitted he was discouraged by a decision Monday by the 8th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals that kept the NFL lockout in effect. Brees is one of 10 players named in the antitrust litigation against the NFL. On Monday, the players were dealt a blow when the 8th Circuit granted NFL owners' request for a permanent stay of a district judge's ruling that temporarily lifted the lockout. The league's full-fledged appeal will be heard in St. Louis on June 3. "I haven't read the opinion yet but I'm discouraged by the fact that that the U.S. District Court had ruled heavily in our favor and now it seems to be the opposite in the 8th Circuit Court," said Brees. "We're in mediation now and I always go in with a positive attitude that we can work towards a settlement. It has to run its course but I'm hoping there is progress made so we can get back to football."

Darren Sharper, a veteran of 14 NFL seasons, doesn't have to be looking for a job as a free agent safety. However, he wants to keep playing the game of football. "It is something I definitely don't have to do," he said. "I want to. I want to keep playing football." Sharper struggled in 2010 as he was never was right after offseason knee surgery.

Reggie Bush has returned to New Orleans and he is now saying that he would prefer to remain a member of the Saints. "I would love to retire here if possible," Bush said. "I would love to play for the Saints for however long my career, God willing, allows me to play. First and foremost, I want to be a Saint." Bush has backed away from recent negative Twitter posts regarding his future with the team.

Former Saints tight end Billy Miller says there is nothing wrong with the offseason work ethic of Reggie Bush. Bush has been criticized for comments posted on his Twitter page about the lockout, specifically that he was making the most of his time off. The running back later said the comment was made jokingly. Miller owns the Elite Performance Factory in Los Angeles, where Bush regularly works out. "Reggie comes in here and works, just like he always has. He never has any problem working hard," Miller said.

Saints running back Reggie Bush has raised eyebrows with some of the Twitter messages he has posted during the NFL lockout. "Everybody complaining about the lockout! Shoot I'm making the most of it! Vacation, rest, relaxing, appearances here and there! I'm good!" he wrote on Monday. "Right about now we would be slaving in 100 degree heat, practicing twice a day, while putting our bodies at risk for nothing." The tweet drew angry responses from many of his 1.6 million followers and prompted Bush to later clarify that he was joking. "FYI last tweet was a joke! Relax people damn it's called sense of humor! Cry me a river why don't you..."

Quarterback Drew Brees is paying the bill so his Saints teammates can participate in involuntary offseason practices during the lockout. The All-Pro quarterback helped organize three workouts this week at Tulane University which were attended by 37 players from the team's 2010 roster. Brees will pay as much as five figures for Tulane staff to help out with the practices, insurance and lodging for younger players. He also flew in his personal trainer to oversee the conditioning program.

Drew Brees wants to see running back Reggie Bush remain with the Saints. Bush posted a Twitter message saying, "It's been fun in New Orleans," shortly after the team drafted Mark Ingram in the first round of last week's NFL Draft. Brees said he texted words of encouragement to Bush soon after the tweet was posted. "I think that's just frustration a little bit, just because they draft a guy at your position," Brees said. "But I think the message that was sent to him was, 'By no means look at that as ... you're getting shown the door, that we don't want you,' or anything like that."