New Orleans Saints executive vice president Arnold Fielkow, until recently regarded as one of owner Tom Benson's most influential confidants and the man most responsible for negotiating a $186.5 million subsidies package from the state of Louisiana, was removed from his job on Monday. When several media outlets suggested after Katrina that Benson might never return his team to New Orleans and would seek relocation alternatives, Fielkow became a very outspoken advocate for not abandoning the Gulf Coast. Sources told ESPN.com at the time that, while many in the organization assumed Benson was merely reacting out of frustration and that his words were hasty and ill-conceived, Fielkow legitimately feared the Saints owner would pull up stakes.