Offseason News of the Year II

This blog is gradually turning into a Saints only blog, thank God for my music interests.

Louisiana, Saints drop exit clauses; team obligated through 2010

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — State officials and the New Orleans Saints have agreed to toss out contract exit clauses that would have let the NFL team leave Louisiana within the next four seasons.

"For the foreseeable future, Louisiana's team will keep marching to victory right here," Gov. Kathleen Blanco said at the Gov.'s Mansion on Monday, announcing the latest developments in ongoing negotiations to keep the Saints in New Orleans.

The contract had allowed the Saints to opt out of its current deal with the state by repaying about $70 million the state has provided in inducements to the team. But the Saints will drop that termination clause, and the state will eliminate its ability to exit the contract.

Those changes to the contract keep the team in Louisiana through the 2010 football season, Blanco and Saints officials said.

Both sides agreed to continue negotiating on a long-term agreement that could keep the Saints in New Orleans beyond the current contract.

Saints owner Tom Benson "is committed over the next four years to get a long-term deal done here and to stay here forever," said team spokesman Greg Bensel.

The current agreement with the Saints, a $186.5 million contract, was negotiated in 2001 by former Gov. Mike Foster's administration and involves making annual payments to the team on top of other subsidies through 2010.

Those state payments will continue. Blanco said she didn't agree to give the Saints any more money — but ongoing upgrades to the Saints' home stadium, the New Orleans Superdome, will continue.

Hurricane Katrina caused extensive damage to the Superdome in 2005. The state repaired the domed stadium and plowed another $185 million into improvements and upgrades long sought by Benson.

Benson was in Phoenix on Monday for the NFL owners' meeting and was not at the Gov.'s Mansion for the announcement of the contract changes.

Offseason News of the Year (Local Style)

This made my day...twice!

"The New Orleans Saints and Superdome management announced that for the first time in the team's history every suite at the Superdome is sold out for the upcoming Saints season.

Officials say there are 137 suites that range in price from $88,000 to nearly $150,000.

Superdome Commissioner Robert Bruno says this speaks volumes for the region and its economic recovery.

Every seat in the Dome is also sold out to season ticket holders. That benchmark was hit last season."

Top 10 Favorite Movies of All Time

I was having a conversation with a friend of mine the other day about him recently seeing 300 at the movies this past weekend. He also stated that after seeing this film, that it was in his top 10 movies of all time. That's quite a statement from someone whose opinion on movies I respect immensely. So, just for the fun of it, I compiled my all time top 10 fav movies, shown below. And subsequently, I'm now stoked to go and see 300 this weekend.

Review to follow next week!

Feel free to comment and enjoy the list:

1. Raiders of the Lost Ark
2. Braveheart
3. The Matrix
4. Se7en
5. Saving Private Ryan
6. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
7. The Lord of the Rings (All count as one)
8. Fight Club
9. Rounders
10. Enemy at the Gates

!!And the Rest Will Follow Blog BONUS!!
Honorable Mention:
Memento
Full Metal Jacket
Godfather
The Shawshank Redemption
Grease 2

Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

Hollywood...Joe Horn is now an Atlanta Falcon.

What a joke...

I apologize in advance for this entry because it's negative in a way and it's me blowing off steam but all in all I think it's a tale of my eyes opening to the reality that is the former WR for the New Orleans Saints, Joe Horn.

If you haven't been following the career of this "gentleman", then you should probably not read any further.

As a fan of the New Orleans Saints, I wanted to believe that Joe Horn cared about the fans of his former team. May I say to you now that I can unequivocally say that Joe Horn is all about Joe Horn and could care less about the fans of his former team.

In short, he's nothing but a mercenary. Essentially that's what all NFL players are in this day and age of free agency but when you come out and say I love the fans of this city, I'd do anything for them, I'll NEVER play for the Atlanta Falcons, and after his release, the first thing he says to his agent is "Get Atlanta on the phone". It ain't right.

Oh of course he can do anything he wants, it's his career and it's a free country but not when you're intimately involved and care for the fans of New Orleans like he says he did. Unless, of course he never really cared at all.

You know, after putting pieces together from quotes of former players and my own observations, I believe Joe Horn is a con man and a master manipulator and essentially a CANCER in the locker room, which is why I think Sean Peyton ultimately wanted his release.

I believe Joe Horn is the type of person in that locker room that if you aren't buying into what Joe Horn is saying and what he wants to do involving the team, then you're his enemy. I really believe he thought he was the real leader of this team and not Sean Peyton. He was even quoted as saying "This city isn't big enough for both Joe Horn and Sean Peyton."

So now he's a Falcon and he's got the most inaccurate/talented quarterback in the nation throwing to him. Good luck Joe trying to catch balls from this guy, he's going to hang you out to dry and it's not going to feel good.

The reason I'll miss him is because other than the fact that in his prime he was close to an elite receiver, he brought a swagger to our football team, which I think we SORELY needed at the time. I admire players that have the confidence to talk up the team and back it up emotionally and physically and I think that's what Joe Horn is/was about, among the other things I've mentioned. So, I look forward to the next Saints player that can be the emotional leader of our team, maybe he's already here.

Joe Horn, if you're listening, the only thing you did this week was throw your reputation and legacy as a New Orleans Saint in the dumper. You've ensured that the Atlanta Falcons will lose against the New Orleans Saints next season because that dome is going to be rocking against you and your boys.

I'm circling the date on my calendar and I will be there. I can't WAIT to see you get yours this fall.

Good riddance.