SAN ANTONIO, Texas, 2 September 2005 — American football officials plan to move New Orleans Saints games for the entire season due to damage from Hurricane Katrina, National Football League commissioner Paul Tagliabue said yesterday.
The Superdome, the Saints’ home stadium, suffered major damage and was used as a refuge for thousands of people while the surrounding city was flooded and could be uninhabitable for months.
“At this point you have to proceed on the assumption, just as a working assumption, that they may be unable to play in New Orleans at all for the entire season,” Tagliabue said.
“If things evolve in a more positive way, then that would be something we could adjust to. But our assumption is that for planning purposes, we should assume that it is going to be difficult, if not impossible, to play at all in New Orleans this year.” The Saints will relocate workouts to Trinity University in San Antonio. The Texas city’s Alamodome could host some or all of the Saints’ scheduled games, starting with their September 18 home date against the New York Giants.
Another possibility is Louisiana State University’s 90,000-seat stadium in Baton Rouge, 125 kilometers northwest of New Orleans. But such games could task area law-enforcement and transportation, hampering recovery efforts.
Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama, is another possible site for Saints games. NFL rivals in Houston and Dallas have also offered their stadiums.
Players meanwhile tried to concentrate upon their final pre-season exhibition game.
“It’s not easy to focus,” Saints standout Michael Lewis said. “We just have to do our jobs. It’s hard to separate the two during practice. Once it’s over I’ll try to find out what’s going on at home.” The National Football League donated $ 1 million to the American Red Cross to help with relief efforts.
