Saints Sell Out Superdome Season Tickets For The First Time

[oldmanTED]

NEW ORLEANS -- The New Orleans Saints officially sold out the entire regular-season home schedule in the Louisiana Superdome.
It is the first time in the history of the franchise, founded in 1967, that every available seat is owned by a season ticket holder.
One year after Hurricane Katrina displaced the Saints for the entire regular season and placed the NFL's future in New Orleans in doubt, Saints officials now are making plans for a waiting list.
"We're now competing on that basis with places like New York, San Francisco ... Chicago and other major cities," owner Tom Benson said Tuesday. "This is just tremendous. People in New York and other places can't hardly believe what you all have done and people in this whole area have done."
Benson spoke at the reopening of an NFL-sponsored youth center near a now-closed public housing development. Several Saints players had joined volunteers in gutting and cleaning the center which had nearly 4 feet of water in it after Katrina. On Tuesday, Benson's granddaughter, team executive Rita Benson LeBlanc, presented the center with a check from the team for $100,000. College Sports TV gave another $109,000 at the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Benson called on all Saints fans to wear black and gold on Monday to show solidarity with New Orleans and the team.
Benson also asked area employers to let people out of work an hour or two early on Monday so they could take part in festivities around the Superdome whether they have tickets to the game or not.
"Let's look like a Mardi Gras," Benson said.

 

[jeckll]

"It is the first time in the history of the franchise, founded in 1967, that every available seat is owned by a season ticket holder."

Is it just me or is that incredibly ambiguous style? It sounds like the author is saying that every seat in the stadium is held by season ticket holders? Or is he saying that every available seat designated as a season-ticket-seat is held? If so, how many is that?

Bah either way, nice read OMT and while I will refuse to root for an opposing NFC South team, it's good to hear that New Orleans is doing so well at least when it comes to football. Gotta love the city even if I hate the team

 

[AngleBroom]

Im just wondering if this will be a giveaway game like the Saint's opener last year at Carolina. If so, this could go on for decades.

 

[RobFunk]

Wish I could be there.

This upcoming MNF game should be a lot of fun.

 

[TheWolf]

My friends and I were talking the other day. My one buddy made a point that he feels the NFL paid off the CEO of the Texans to pass on Reggie Bush so the Saints could draft him to help the spirits of the people in the Katrina ravaged area. Thus in turn bringing the Saints back to respectability and a making the regon and the team marketing machine.

Nothing surprises me anymore and this may have well went down.... who the hell knows. What I do know though is that it made ZERO sense for Houston to pass on Bush with DD not recovered from knee surgery. Then they try to push Wali Lundy as the answer, then trade for Gado. Something doesnt add up. Them passing on Bush was like passing on LT, Alexander, or LJ with the first pick in a fantasy draft to take Antonio Gates.

 

[RobFunk]

Ace, you are right. Pretty strange stuff.

You could easily see Bush was going to be a HUGE impact player.

It was like watching Cleveland pass on Jordan

 

[jeckll]

My friends and I were talking the other day. My one buddy made a point that he feels the NFL paid off the CEO of the Texans to pass on Reggie Bush so the Saints could draft him to help the spirits of the people in the Katrina ravaged area. Thus in turn bringing the Saints back to respectability and a making the regon and the team marketing machine.

Nothing surprises me anymore and this may have well went down.... who the hell knows. What I do know though is that it made ZERO sense for Houston to pass on Bush with DD not recovered from knee surgery. Then they try to push Wali Lundy as the answer, then trade for Gado. Something doesnt add up. Them passing on Bush was like passing on LT, Alexander, or LJ with the first pick in a fantasy draft to take Antonio Gates.

See that fantasy mentality is just the reason why most people don't get decisions made by GMs in all sports and could never make such decisions. A fantasy draft is for ONE year, the draft is for MANY years, DECADES even.

A quality D-End like Mario Williams can have a huge impact on a team for 10+ years whereas most RBs go in and out of their prime in 5. Do you really think Reggie is TWICE as good as Mario? :grandmais

 

[Brock Landers]

i read somewhere or heard that this is really a lot more hollow than it appears, yeah they sold all their tickets, BUT the big money they need to make comes from the boxes, and those aren't all sold/aren't ready yet...There isn't the business base in the area to make those happen.

 

[jeckll]

Yes well if I'm not mistaken ticket sales go to the league, the team (and by extension the community) makes money from parking, beer, food, merchandise(?).

...Just for full disclosure, I believe TV, radio rights, as well as video games, etc go exclusively to the players as per the bargaining agreement.

So yes, selling a shitload of tickets is undoubtedly a good thing for the team and the city but it's not a guarantee that they will be making money. Just highly likely because who goes to a football game and doesn't spend any more money than the ticket? :lolBIG:

 

[Teddykgb]

Ace, you are right. Pretty strange stuff.

You could easily see Bush was going to be a HUGE impact player.

It was like watching Cleveland pass on Jordan

YOU MEAN PORTLAND?

 

[CHOPTALK]

"It is the first time in the history of the franchise, founded in 1967, that every available seat is owned by a season ticket holder."

Is it just me or is that incredibly ambiguous style? It sounds like the author is saying that every seat in the stadium is held by season ticket holders? Or is he saying that every available seat designated as a season-ticket-seat is held? If so, how many is that?

Bah either way, nice read OMT and while I will refuse to root for an opposing NFC South team, it's good to hear that New Orleans is doing so well at least when it comes to football. Gotta love the city even if I hate the team

Every single seat is sold out by season ticket holders. Every last one.

 

[Kruser6]

Too bad the Saints are going to get man handled by the Falcons. Just not enough speed to match up.



Choptalk, off subject but did you get my e-mail?

 

[Rev_Al]

See that fantasy mentality is just the reason why most people don't get decisions made by GMs in all sports and could never make such decisions. A fantasy draft is for ONE year, the draft is for MANY years, DECADES even.

A quality D-End like Mario Williams can have a huge impact on a team for 10+ years whereas most RBs go in and out of their prime in 5. Do you really think Reggie is TWICE as good as Mario? :grandmais

Not a 'fantasy mentality'...a GM also has to have a business mentality. A Reggie Bush will sell more tixs than a Mario Williams, yes thats my opinion but basically is fact.

Michael Vick hasent brought Championships to Atlanta- but he has been one of the reasons the Falcons sell out & make a good revenue. The good revenue then can sign good defensive players like John Abraham.

People like Bush, Vick, etc bring hype & attention to a ballclub. Its attention that is very valuable.

The Houston defense still looks the same...in fact they allowed 34 first downs last week...and Indy single season record. There is a chance that Mario Williams becomes a sack machine...but thats a risky 'if.' When the risk on Bush pays initial rewards.

Passing on Bush was a stupid move, bottomline.

 

[Kruser6]

Every single seat is sold out by season ticket holders. Every last one.

In the WHOLE entire stadium? You mean to tell me that if I wanted a ticket I couldn't go get one from the ticket office?

 

[CHOPTALK]

In the WHOLE entire stadium? You mean to tell me that if I wanted a ticket I couldn't go get one from the ticket office?

Nope.

As a matter of fact, for the game Monday night. The tickets are selling for 10X face value.

 

[CHOPTALK]

Too bad the Saints are going to get man handled by the Falcons. Just not enough speed to match up.



Choptalk, off subject but did you get my e-mail?

I did not get your email.

I changed adressess. Send it to me with the same address but use gmail.com instead of yahoo.com.

 

[Brock Landers]

Nope.

As a matter of fact, for the game Monday night. The tickets are selling for 10X face value.

Whats the story with the Money Making Luxury Boxes??

 

[CHOPTALK]

Whats the story with the Money Making Luxury Boxes??

They have a few left to sell, but are way ahead of the pace from 2 years ago. I read a story about that. Something like 70% of the box seats are sold with alot of good leads for the others.

But thats season packages. For the game Monday. All box seats are sold out.

 

[nhoj]

All that FEMA money wasted on Saints tickets. Next time they have a storm I say let them all die!!!! Houston won't take them again that is for sure.

 

[CHOPTALK]

All that FEMA money wasted on Saints tickets. Next time they have a storm I say let them all die!!!! Houston won't take them again that is for sure.

If I were a mod, I would ban you for that comment.