Saints Go Marching Out?

Chris Mortenson of ESPN is reporting that the Saints are done in New Orleans, and will eventually end up in Los Angeles.

Tom Benson will absolutely get what he wants here, despite the Machiavellan nature of how he’s getting it in light of the awful disaster that was and is hurricane Katrina.

The numbers back him up, as attendance in New Orleans is in the bottom of the league when expressed as a percentage of seats sold. In 2004, the Saints were 31st in the league, 24th in 2003, and 26th in 2002. The only teams that were worse in that three-year span were Arizona, San Diego, Jacksonville and Buffalo (home of the best fans in the *cough* world *cough*.)

If that doesn’t give a business owner the right to relocate, I have no idea what does. The emabttled dimwit Mayor of New Orleans seems to feel they are deserving of the NFL franchise version of a golden parachute:

Marc Ganis of SportsCorp Ltd. in Chicago served as a consultant to Cleveland in 1996 when that city’s NFL team moved to Baltimore and the NFL guaranteed Cleveland a new team and allowed the city to keep the Browns’ logos, colors and nickname.

Earlier this week, New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin said he wanted the “Cleveland deal” if the team relocates. Gov. Kathleen Blanco said she supported Nagin on such a plan.

Unlike the Cleveland Browns, however, New Orleans has no history in supporting an NFL team. I think it’s bye-bye Saints, and hello California Bulls. Now imagine if they were to get OJ for their GM?