Saints trying to stay in Louisiana

[124]

Negotiators for the state and the team are trying to set up a fourth meeting.

"We haven't agreed on a date, but we're trying to,'' said Superdome commission president Tim Coulon, the state's chief negotiator. "It's not easy to get a time we can all get together."

The two sides have met only three times to try to hammer out a new deal that would keep the Saints in a renovated Superdome longterm.

"We're still sorting out the areas we can work on,'' Coulon said. "We're trying to see where there is some room to negotiate.''

The state wants to replace an agreement worked out under the administration of former Gov. Mike Foster. Louisiana has had to borrow money to make the annual payments called for under the deal. Those payments would escalate to $23.5 million in the last years of the deal.

The Saints want a long-term deal and owner Tom Benson is willing to stay in a renovated Superdome rather than demand a new stadium. The sticking point is expected to be Gov. Kathleen Blanco's demand that the team bear some of the cost of the deal.

Information from SportsTicker and The Associated Press was used in this report.

[T-Mac]

In further news the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival has been relocated has been relocated from the Louisianna Fairgrounds to Audubon Park. Or not. Either way I'll be at the track in April.

BTW, the arena team is pretty good, but I'm sure they'll keep the NFL team in the dome.

[The Troll]

Being a resident of Louisiana, I think I speak for most of us here on the Bayou when I say that the Saints could move L.A. and not too many people would notice.

More people might use plastic bags instead of paper, but that's about it.