60 replies to this topic

[nola17]

The time is almost here. The Louisiana Superdome is preparing to open Monday.

Post your thoughts on the big events and what it will do for the city.

[UptownNewOrleans]

-The new & improved Superdome. Credit to Yahoo Sports.

It's gonna put N.O. on the map like never before. Once residents and viewers get a look at the new and improved dome, they're gonna be amazed. More conventions are going to be held there, Tulane is gonna get back to playing their regular games in the Superdome, New Orleans will be in the running for another Superbowl, the positives are endless. I'm going to the game tonight, most definitely.

Edited by UptownNewOrleans, 25 September 2006 - 02:35 PM.

[richyb83]

Thanks for posting. The Superdome looks great! Have fun at the game UptownNO. It should be a great ball game. I have a feeling Reggie Bush is gonna break-some tonite and make the high-light reels!

[moonshield]

I'm curious how that $180,000,000,000 rennovation was paid for.

Anyways, It should be a good game to watch. I'm rooting for New Orleans. I don't want to see Atlanta go 3-0.

Edited by moonshield, 25 September 2006 - 03:28 PM.

[NCB]

moonshield, on Sep 25 2006, 04:20 PM, said:

I'm curious how that $180,000,000,000 rennovation was paid for.

I don't have the actual amounts in front of me, but the largest chunk of that came from FEMA due to the fact that the Superdome was under their control as a shelter, which resulted in a major chunk of the damage. The state of Louisiana put up alot of the money, as well as the NFL, and the Saints organization itself.

If I can find the actual numbers and amounts put up by each organization, I'll post them for you.  

[UptownNewOrleans]

richyb83, on Sep 25 2006, 03:10 PM, said:

Thanks for posting. The Superdome looks great! Have fun at the game UptownNO. It should be a great ball game. I have a feeling Reggie Bush is gonna break-some tonite and make the high-light reels!

Definitely. Reggie Bush has some serious speed & strength. No one can stop him on the ground. The Saints have been lacking a good runningback ever since Ricky Williams went to Miami.

[UptownNewOrleans]

New Orleans laid the smackdown on Atlanta, held them to only 3 points throughout the whole game. My boys 3-0 The Saints were not about to go down on their first game back in the Superdome.

[nowensone]

Great win, NO, it was eerie (trying not to picture what previously went on there), but nice to see the stadium full and rocking like that.  Watching the game I had a thought, though, how much was finally spent on the renovation, and was this money pulled away from other more needed uses, or completely separate?  The question is not intended to be inflammatory, I personally think getting the Saints back into the Superdome is a psychological victory if nothing else, just wondering if funds were pulled from elsewhere to do so.

EDIT -----
Partially answered in above post, I obviously need to pay attention better.

Edited by nowensone, 26 September 2006 - 12:52 PM.

[UptownNewOrleans]

Honestly, I would say at least $200 million was spent on renovating the Superdome. Like NCB said, the bulk of that money came from FEMA, the Saints, NFL & the state of Louisiana. Post-game, some people walked around the Superdome for a good hour, myself included. I thought to myself "a little over a year ago, this dome was a wasteland."

[nashvillwill]

Congratulations to New Oreans and the Saints! The fanfare was outrageous, the Dome looked magnificent and the Saints did great! My buddy(from Slidel, currently living in Nashville) went to the game and had the time of his life. I know that the game meant alot to the city, the residents, and the team.

Once again, congratulations!

[byrde]

I'm happy to see the dome back in business. Hopefully they will be able to fill out the calender with activities there like it was in the heydey pre-Katrina. That econimic engine is needed in N.O.

[breaux]

moonshield, on Sep 25 2006, 04:20 PM, said:

I'm curious how that $180,000,000,000 rennovation was paid for.

Anyways, It should be a good game to watch. I'm rooting for New Orleans. I don't want to see Atlanta go 3-0.

I hope the renovation didn't cost $180 Billion!

At any rate, the SuperDome generates an enormous amount of revenue and exposure for the state of Louisiana and New Orleans in particular.  I have no qualms about the Dome being renovated.  The huge event last night coupled with the rest of the Saints' sold out season and then the Bayou Classic, Sugar Bowl, New Orleans Bowl, and numerous conventions and shows held at the Dome (etc., etc.) will be a huge boon to the economy.

[richyb83]

Quote

hope the renovation didn't cost $180 Billion!

Billion ???  Maybe Million .... right?

[NCB]

richyb83, on Sep 26 2006, 04:57 PM, said:

Billion ???  Maybe Million .... right?

breaux said that because the amount of zero's Moonshield put behind the number made it 180 billion, rather than 180 million.  

[NCB]

MEMORABLE SPORTING EVENTS IN SUPERDOME'S HISTORY

Saints' first regular-season game at the Dome against Cincinnati, lost 21-0, Sept. 28, 1975

Muhammad Ali defeats Leon Spinks in rematch to become the first three-time heavyweight champion, Sept. 15, 1978- 65,000 attendance.

Sugar Ray Leonard beats Roberto Duran for the welterweight title in the famous "no mas" match, Nov. 25, 1980

Freshman Michael Jordan makes the winning shot as North Carolina beats Georgetown for the NCAA basketball title, March 29, 1982

North Carolina wins basketball title over Michigan after infamous "time out" called by Chris Webber, April 5, 1993

Grambling State's Eddie Robinson, the all-time winningest coach in college football history, coaches last game in the Bayou Classic, Nov. 29, 1997

Saints beat St. Louis 31-28 for the franchise's first playoff victory, Dec. 30, 2000

Adam Vinatieri makes 48-yard field goal as time expires as New England beats St. Louis in Super Bowl XXXVI, Feb. 3, 2002

LSU defeats Oklahoma 21-14 in BCS national championship game, Jan. 4, 2004

SPORTING ATTENDANCE RECORDS

The 61,612 people who witnessed the 1982 NCAA Final Four were the most to see that event until 64,959 showed up in the Dome five years later to set a record that still stands.

LSU vs Notre Dame, 68,112 , a regular-season game between LSU and Notre Dame in 199. The biggest crowd for any college basketball game.

NBA- the largest crowd to witness an NBA game when 35,077 showed up to watch the New Orleans Jazz play Julius Erving and the Philadelphia 76ers.

A crowd of 27,673, a record for college baseball, watched Louisiana State beat Tulane, 9-5, April, 2002.

ADDITIONAL EVENTS

The Rolling Stones drew 87,500 people on Dec. 5, 1981 — still a world record for an indoor concert.

Pope John Paul II addresses 80,000 in attendance, Sept. 18, 1987

Republican National Convention, 1988

Indoor Grand Prix Road Race, June 1992

The Superdome has hosted six Super Bowls, more than any other stadium, Sugar Bowls, Pro Bowls, NFL playoffs, NBA, MLB, Bayou Classics, Bob Hope, Ringling Brothers, Mardi Gras, Harlem Globetrotters, World Indoor Soccer, movie filming, gymnastics, Rolling Stones, World Tennis, SEC Football and Basketball Championships, WNBA, La High School Athletic Assn (High School) Baseball, Basketball, Football championships, Frank Sinatra and on and on..............

A truly remarkable "multi-use" facility.

http://www.superdome...up...e records"

[TSmith]

No money was pulled away from other needs. Of the money invested, here is the breakdown of the sources...

1)FEMA... the money used from FEMA had to be used for the dome only.
2)Insurance... money recieved from insurance proceeds on the policy.
3)NFL... obviously, this money is intended for the dome only.
4)Refinancing of dome debt
5)An attempt to recover more money is underway via a lawsuit against the company that installed the old roof only 4 years ago. Roof failed under forces below design specs and guarantees

So, as you can see, all money that went into the dome repair came directly from dome activities and policies. I wish the media would make that clear, but they don't.

EDIT: Forgot to mention, the game was incredible. I really can't put into words what this meant to this city and its people, or to even begin to descibe the atmosphere. It was truly incredible, and something I'll remember for the rest of my life. And it appears the Saints are for real.

Edited by TSmith, 26 September 2006 - 09:28 PM.

[richyb83]

Thanks Nate and TSmith, where else? but UP can you get all this good information.  What a great history the SuperDome has! Hopefully a SuperBowl before 2012?? And thanks for the$ financial break-down too.

[moonshield]

NCB, on Sep 26 2006, 10:36 PM, said:

breaux said that because the amount of zero's Moonshield put behind the number made it 180 billion, rather than 180 million.  

haha. $180 billion would provide quite the stadium. Three zeros too many. My mistake.

Quote

No money was pulled away from other needs. Of the money invested, here is the breakdown of the sources...

That sounds good. Thanks.

The game was interesting. The divsion isn't going to be as strong as I thought it was going to be: Tampa Bay is bottom of the barrel; the Panthers are anemic; the Saints are building for the future, but this year won't be their year; and the Falcons are on dimensional and can be stopped.

I wanted New Orleans to win, but I thought the Falcons were going to stomp them.

Edited by moonshield, 26 September 2006 - 10:02 PM.

[NCB]

moonshield, on Sep 26 2006, 10:58 PM, said:

I wanted New Orleans to win, but I thought the Falcons were going to stomp them.

As did many, it seems. However, you have no idea how happy everyone is down here to see that that was not the case!  

[NCB]

OK guys, here are the official amounts of money put up by different organizations to rebuild and improve the Superdome:

FEMA- $115 million
Louisiana- $13 million
Louisiana Stadium & Expedition District- $41 million
NFL- $15 million
___________________
Total: approx. $184 million