# What will happen to the Saints and the NFL schedule? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 1, 2005, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-happen-to-the-saints-and-the-nfl-schedule/319640 "2005-09-01T21:29:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2005, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-happen-to-the-saints-and-the-nfl-schedule/319640/1 "2005-09-01T21:29:15Z")
Any one hear of anything from the NFL regarding the Saints? I suspect they will get a new home for the duration of this season and probably next. I know with riots, the insanity, Fats Domino is missing and will we ever be able to get shitfaced on Bourbon Street again? T Thinking about the football season is just insane, but returning to some sense of normalcy is vital. ---
**Author:** ![Scruloose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@Scruloose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scruloose)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2005, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-happen-to-the-saints-and-the-nfl-schedule/319640/2 "2005-09-01T21:41:59Z")
I heard a blurb on the news today about that. Apparently the NFL announced that the Saints will play all of their home games in Texas. Where specifically, I do not recall. ---
**Author:** ![Scruloose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@Scruloose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scruloose)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2005, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-happen-to-the-saints-and-the-nfl-schedule/319640/3 "2005-09-01T21:45:39Z")
Perhaps they were referring to [this](http://www.fox23news.com/news/national/story.aspx?content_id=81C694D1-573F-4380-B9D0-363481663148), in which case they don’t yet know where they’re gonna play. ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2005, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-happen-to-the-saints-and-the-nfl-schedule/319640/4 "2005-09-01T21:46:43Z")
There’s an article on [nfl.com](http://nfl.com) saying they have moved practice operations to San Antonio, Texas, and they are not certain whether the Superdome will be ready for the Saints’ home opener. I imagine they could play in the Alamo Dome in San Antonio. In the alternative, they could temporarily use a college stadium in Houston or Arkansas. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2005, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-happen-to-the-saints-and-the-nfl-schedule/319640/5 "2005-09-01T21:51:22Z")
[More](http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ap-homelesssaints&prov=ap&type=lgns): > [@](#): > > None of the options for the Saints seem ideal, including the unlikely scenario of playing their entire schedule on the road. > > Switching their home opener to the Meadowlands is a problem because the Giants share their stadium with the New York Jets, who are scheduled to play Miami at home that day. > > There has been talk of using Reliant Stadium in Houston, but the Texans are home Sept. 18 to Pittsburgh. > > Those hurdles could be overcome by playing games on Saturday or Monday, but it hardly seems like a palatable option to either the team or the league… > …Even before the hurricane, the team has been negotiating with the state of Louisiana for a new stadium to replace the Superdome. Owner Tom Benson has suggested that without one, he might sell the franchise, leading to speculation that the Saints might be the team that fills the hole in Los Angeles left vacant when the Rams moved to St. Louis and the Raiders went back to Oakland after the 1994 season. > > Yes, the Los Angeles Coliseum is among the sites suggested as a possibility for this season. ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2005, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-happen-to-the-saints-and-the-nfl-schedule/319640/6 "2005-09-01T22:01:32Z")
Kinda fits with the City of Angels theme. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2005, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-happen-to-the-saints-and-the-nfl-schedule/319640/7 "2005-09-01T22:17:00Z")
I thought they were going to play at the Alamodome in San Antonio? ---
**Author:** ![BabaBooey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/dfb087/32.png) [@BabaBooey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BabaBooey)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2005, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-happen-to-the-saints-and-the-nfl-schedule/319640/8 "2005-09-01T22:22:23Z")
The nice thing to do would be play them in Tiger Stadium. Baton Rouge will not have an empty house/apartment for at least 6 months and we all need anything we can get to get our minds off of the disaster. Quite a few Baton Rouge citizens are season ticket holders as, obviously, are the New Orleaneans that will be staying here. ---
**Author:** ![rexnervous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e9c0ed/32.png) [@rexnervous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rexnervous)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2005, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-happen-to-the-saints-and-the-nfl-schedule/319640/9 "2005-09-01T22:22:32Z")
I don’t know Louisiana geography well, but couldn’t they play at LSU or another large college stadium? Yes, the Sat --\> Sun transfer could be difficult, and some of the college towns may not be able to support the incoming fans… But I’d think it would be terribly important for the N.O. Saints to try and play in Louisiana this season, lost profits be damned. ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2005, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-happen-to-the-saints-and-the-nfl-schedule/319640/10 "2005-09-01T22:26:26Z")
If the play in Anaheim Stadium, they could change the name to the Los Angeles Saints of New Orleans & Anaheim ---
**Author:** ![Kiros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/439d5e/32.png) [@Kiros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiros)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2005, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-happen-to-the-saints-and-the-nfl-schedule/319640/11 "2005-09-01T22:54:09Z")
> [@Bearflag70](#): > > If the play in Anaheim Stadium, they could change the name to the Los Angeles Saints of New Orleans & Anaheim I laughed at this probably more than I should have, given the circumstances. LSU makes the most sense, of course, but has quite a number of difficulties. After that, I’d think San Antonio would be the choice that would make the most sense. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2005, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-happen-to-the-saints-and-the-nfl-schedule/319640/12 "2005-09-01T23:04:52Z")
> [@Bearflag70](#): > > There’s an article on [nfl.com](http://nfl.com) saying they have moved practice operations to San Antonio, Texas, and they are not certain whether the Superdome will be ready for the Saints’ home opener. > > I imagine they could play in the Alamo Dome in San Antonio. In the alternative, they could temporarily use a college stadium in Houston or Arkansas. I love the way the NFL keeps saying they’re unsure if the Saints can play in the Superdome. Uh, let’s see. It’s surrounded by water, filled with refugees, there is no power, no water, no sewer, and it has a newly retractable roof. Geez, Paul, do we have to draw you a picture or are you spending all your time watching ESPN instead of CNN? ---
**Author:** ![lno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a8b319/32.png) [@lno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lno)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2005, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-happen-to-the-saints-and-the-nfl-schedule/319640/13 "2005-09-02T03:19:59Z")
The most recent article I’ve [seen](http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/writers/peter_king/09/01/saints/index.html) states that > [@](#): > > Faced with uncertainty and chaos in New Orleans, the NFL is considering moving the Saints’ first home game of the season – Sept. 18 against the Giants – to Giants Stadium, possibly to be played Monday night, Sept. 19. > … > It’s thought the Saints would prefer to play the game on Saturday, Sept. 17, because playing on the Sept. 19 would give them a short week of preparation heading into a difficult Week 3 game at Minnesota. But playing Saturday might be tough in New Jersey because of a massive Rolling Stones concert scheduled for Giants Stadium on Thursday night. Tough, but not impossible. > … > The Alamodome in San Antonio is the other prime possible site for a Sept. 18 Saints game. For regular season ‘home’ games, the Alamodome and LSU have been tossed around. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2005, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-happen-to-the-saints-and-the-nfl-schedule/319640/14 "2005-09-02T03:30:44Z")
I don’t see why they’re fixated on Giants Stadium. There’s got to be twenty stadiums in North America that don’t already have NFL teams in them that you could ramp up for NFL contests pretty quick. The Alamodome. The L.A. Coliseum. Any number of university stadia. Shit, the SkyDome. ---
**Author:** ![Scruloose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@Scruloose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scruloose)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2005, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-happen-to-the-saints-and-the-nfl-schedule/319640/15 "2005-09-02T03:37:07Z")
They could convert Wrigley Field and play there. Lord knows the effing Cubs aren’t using it for anything important. ---
**Author:** ![lno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a8b319/32.png) [@lno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lno)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2005, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-happen-to-the-saints-and-the-nfl-schedule/319640/16 "2005-09-02T03:40:03Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > I don’t see why they’re fixated on Giants Stadium. There’s got to be twenty stadiums in North America that don’t already have NFL teams in them that you could ramp up for NFL contests pretty quick. The Alamodome. The L.A. Coliseum. Any number of university stadia. Shit, the SkyDome. I wouldn’t necessarily call it fixated – they’re playing the Giants that weekend anyway, and it sounds like it’s just for the one game. But from my link: > [@](#): > > Playing Monday night in the shadow of New York would also give the league a chance to promote the massive relief effort sure to be under way in the United States bt then. And you can never underestimate the league’s desire to promote charitable efforts to the max. Commissioner Paul Tagliabue may have to weigh the competitive interests of the itinerant Saints against the value of moving the game to a Monday night in the media capital of the world, where the outpouring of emotion and public giving could be significant. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2005, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-happen-to-the-saints-and-the-nfl-schedule/319640/17 "2005-09-02T04:47:13Z")
What about the Astrodome? What are they going to do with the refugees that are living there? ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2005, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-happen-to-the-saints-and-the-nfl-schedule/319640/18 "2005-09-02T11:54:08Z")
There is the Silverdome up here that is currently only hosting truck pulls, fairs and roller blading. I say the either ship some refugees up here ( Michiganders have big hearts and love to cook.) I think the Saints should play in LA. For moral. For the people. I bet they make it to the Superbowl this year becasue of the emotional UUUMMPHF that will be behind them all season. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2005, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-happen-to-the-saints-and-the-nfl-schedule/319640/19 "2005-09-02T12:09:47Z")
> [@Zebra](#): > > What about the Astrodome? What are they going to do with the refugees that are living there? No major team currently plays at the Astrodome. The Oilers headed for Tennessee and the Astros moved to Minute Maid park. Might be one of the smaller leagues still using it for all I know. I agree that playing in Louisiana would be a good public relations move. The whole ticket sales angle for the Saints is screwed this year no matter what so they might as well get what good they can. It’s for damn sure that New Orleans is going to have other problems more important than putting up a new stadium for the Saints in the future. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2005, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-happen-to-the-saints-and-the-nfl-schedule/319640/20 "2005-09-02T13:24:49Z")
> [@lno](#): > > I wouldn’t necessarily call it fixated – they’re playing the Giants that weekend anyway, and it sounds like it’s just for the one game. Yeah, the basic idea (or one of the many) is to just have the Saints play 16 away games, and as a result all their opponents would get 9 home games in 2005. There are numerous problems with this idea, of course, but the main one is that the very first home game they have on the schedule is against the Giants, whose stadium is being used that weekend by the Jets, so right off the bat it’s problematic. As far as playing Monday night, that’s quite possible, actually. This year is the first year (or is it next year?) with a “flex” MNF schedule later in the season; if a week 10 MNF game ends up being between two 3-6 teams, they can switch it for a more meaningful game. And the turnaround isn’t much of an issue; last year (or the year before) the Giants hosted one of their annual Saturday games late in the season, and the Jets hosted two days later on MNF, so it can be done. Saturday, however, would be bad in that the NFL has always avoided Saturdays like the plague so as not to step on the toes of NCAA football, who in turn try to avoid Friday nights to avoid stepping on the toes of local highschool games. Then again, this would be special circumstances, much like the Dolphins / Titans game (I think) last season that got rescheduled to a Saturday due to a natural disaster…another hurricane, I believe. (The NCAA conflict is the reason that game was not broadcast live; it was tape delayed until Sunday, where it was broadcast in its original slot, despite the fact it was day-old news at that point.) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-happen-to-the-saints-and-the-nfl-schedule/319640.md?page=2)