At this point in the coverage of Hurricane Katrina, everyone knows that the Louisiana Superdome has just finished its stint as the main refuge for hurricane survivors. We’ve all heard of how quickly conditions deteriorated inside, and we’ve all seen what happened outside. As evacuations started, we all saw the tens of thousands of people clamoring for a spot in the bus lines to Texas and other states, as the Superdome became the only haven in New Orleans. And now they want to rip it down.
Conflicting reports have come out, one from Governor Kathleen Bianco’s office saying that the Superdome will need to be razed, and another from Doug Thornton of SMG, the company that manages the Superdome. According to Thornton, repairs could cost upwards of $100 million, but they are possible and the building may not need to come down. One thing is for sure about the Superdome, however, and that is that the New Orleans Saints will not play there this year or ever again.
No decision has been made yet as to where the Saints will be playing their home games this year. Currently, the team has relocated all of its operations to San Antonio and plans to be there through the season. Possible locations mentioned for the Saints’ remaining games include Louisiana State University’s field in Baton Rouge or San Antonio’s Alamodome. When it comes to the temporary solutions, the rule of thumb is to take what you can get, but when it comes to a permanent solution, the rule of thumb is to take as much money as you can get.
The rumor mill, started as soon as it was realized the Saints would be on the move, has the Saints’ temporary relocation possibly turning permanent. Saints owner Tom Benson has made no secret of his desire for a new stadium in New Orleans, a nearly impossible task in cash-strapped Louisiana. One hypothetical has the San Diego Chargers, another team who has made no secret about their desire to move to Los Angeles, moving north to L.A. with the Saints moving in to replace them in SoCal. Whether that happens or not, without a home by next season, it seems inevitable that the Saints will have to find a permanent solution.
More for the city of New Orleans than the Saints themselves, a way must be found to keep professional football in the bayou. New Orleans has been home to the Saints since 1967. For a good many years, the Saints were the only professional franchise in the city following the departure of the city’s NBA franchise after five seasons in 1979. While the Saints are by no means a historic franchise, with exactly one playoff win in nearly forty years, they are the lone franchise with roots in one of America’s oldest cities. For the survivors, nothing would cap off this catastrophe like watching their football team float away along with the scraps of their homes and tattered lives.
Somehow, the rebuilding or repair of the Superdome must play an integral part in the reconstruction of New Orleans. Since its completion in 1975, the Superdome has hosted five Super Bowls, bringing in an estimated $300 million for the city each time, as well as several Final Fours with similar economic bonuses. In short, the Superdome may have saved New Orleans from declining into poverty-ridden obscurity. Once again, it must do the same.
