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| 31st October, 2005 - 12:13 am |  AP - While the New Orleans Saints played their first game of the season in Louisiana on Sunday, state officials scrambled to make sure it wouldn't be one of the last.
NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue said he was committed to keeping the team in New Orleans after meeting with team owner Tom Benson, Gov. Kathleen Blanco, and other officials.
``The Saints are Louisiana's team and have been since the late '60s when my predecessor Pete Rozelle welcomed them to the league as New Orleans' team and Louisiana's team,'' Tagliabue said. ``Our focus continues to be on having the Saints in Louisiana.''
The Saints moved operations to San Antonio after Hurricane Katrina devastated the city and the Louisiana Superdome. San Antonio Mayor Phil Hardberger has lobbied hard to keep the Saints there, and believes Benson wants to stay in the city as well.
Tagliabue pointed out that under NFL guidelines, Benson is prohibited to talk about moving his team during the season. Still, Benson has made some moves that appear to back up Hardberger's contention and has come under fire from Saints fans. [READ] |
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