Michael82
07-17-2003, 09:31 AM
State officials and Saints executives met for about 90 minutes Wednesday in the opening round of discussions aimed at keeping the National Football League team in New Orleans well into the next decade.
Sources familiar with the negotiations said the franchise is offering to delay its push for a new stadium in favor of playing in a renovated Superdome with enhancements to increase revenue. The organization also said it would work to bring two more Super Bowls to New Orleans. In exchange, the team wants a commitment from the state to build a new stadium by 2020 and to assure the team's profitability through a revamped package of financial guarantees and incentives.
Arnold Fielkow, the Saints' executive vice president of administration, and Andy Kopplin, Gov. Foster's chief of staff, said the meeting was cordial and that the parties expect to meet many more times over the coming months.
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Sources familiar with the negotiations said the franchise is offering to delay its push for a new stadium in favor of playing in a renovated Superdome with enhancements to increase revenue. The organization also said it would work to bring two more Super Bowls to New Orleans. In exchange, the team wants a commitment from the state to build a new stadium by 2020 and to assure the team's profitability through a revamped package of financial guarantees and incentives.
Arnold Fielkow, the Saints' executive vice president of administration, and Andy Kopplin, Gov. Foster's chief of staff, said the meeting was cordial and that the parties expect to meet many more times over the coming months.
CLICK FOR MORE... (http://www.nola.com/saints/t-p/index.ssf?/base/sports-0/1058422187221010.xml)