New Orleans vs Dallas game at Independence Stadium

[bigboyz05]

I bet this will bring a lot of money to Shreveport. Especially with all the out of towners coming and spending money on food, lodging and possibly local attractions.

[richyb83]

YEESSS!!! I was just about to mention this. Thanks bigboyz05.

Very much looking forward to the Saints vs. Cowboys Monday Aug 21 on National TV ! Shreveport will be a perfect location for the game. I forgot what Independence Stadium seating capacity is ? I expect a great crowd. Definitely a nice economic boost.

[dimebag1980]

YEESSS!!! I was just about to mention this. Thanks bigboyz05.

Very much looking forward to the Saints vs. Cowboys Monday Aug 21 on National TV ! Shreveport will be a perfect location for the game. I forgot what Independence Stadium seating capacity is ? I expect a great crowd. Definitely a nice economic boost.

The seating capacity was recently increased from 43,000 to 53,000 with the addition of the south end zone seating area.

[richyb83]

Thanks Brian. I figured it was around 50,000. Will you be meeting Nate for the game ?

[dimebag1980]

Thanks Brian. I figured it was around 50,000. Will you be meeting Nate for the game ?

I won't be spending $100/ticket on a preseason game. I've got ESPN so I'll be watching it from my recliner with a Bud Light in my hand.

[richyb83]

I can't blame you. That's a bit pricy. Thank goodness for ESPN.

[dimebag1980]

I can't blame you. That's a bit pricy. Thank goodness for ESPN.

I can't remember the exact price, but the section that I normally sit in during the Independence Bowl is going for either $100 or $150 for this game, according to the Saints website.

Yep, thank goodness for ESPN. Hey, one thing to be proud of here is that Shreveport is home to ESPN's first EVER Monday Night Football game, even if it is preseason!!

[NCB]

Yep, thank goodness for ESPN. Hey, one thing to be proud of here is that Shreveport is home to ESPN's first EVER Monday Night Football game, even if it is preseason!!

Ahem..second, actually. The first ESPN Monday Night Football game is this monday with the Raiders vs the Vikings. But hey, second ever broadcast is great too!

[NCB]

Thanks Brian. I figured it was around 50,000. Will you be meeting Nate for the game ?

Pshh, I'm with Brian here, I'm not paying about $1000 on gas to drive 300 miles, and then buying a $100 ticket for a preseason game, and then driving back again.

[dimebag1980]

Ahem..second, actually. The first ESPN Monday Night Football game is this monday with the Raiders vs the Vikings. But hey, second ever broadcast is great too!

What the... ? When did that get scheduled? A few months back they were saying this was going to be the first one. That's a bit of a buzzkill, but I guess second isn't bad.

[NCB]

Here are the first three ESPN MNF preseason games:

Aug. 14 {sodEmoji.{sodEmoji.|}} Oakland at Minnesota

Aug. 21 {sodEmoji.{sodEmoji.|}} Dallas at New Orleans, Shreveport, La.

Aug. 28 {sodEmoji.{sodEmoji.|}} Green Bay at Cincinnati

[bigboyz05]

YEESSS!!! I was just about to mention this. Thanks bigboyz05.

Very much looking forward to the Saints vs. Cowboys Monday Aug 21 on National TV ! Shreveport will be a perfect location for the game. I forgot what Independence Stadium seating capacity is ? I expect a great crowd. Definitely a nice economic boost.

Your very welcome.

[UptownNewOrleans]

Pshh, I'm with Brian here, I'm not paying about $1000 on gas to drive 300 miles, and then buying a $100 ticket for a preseason game, and then driving back again.

Already I'll wait until the REAL games begin, when all the home games take place in New Orleans.

[ctiger69]

I won't be spending $100/ticket on a preseason game. I've got ESPN so I'll be watching it from my recliner with a Bud Light in my hand.

They have a ton of tickets for sale for only $15. One hundred dollars are the most expensive tickets they have available. I sure do hope Shreveport can sell out this game. It would be embarassing for the city if they can't even sell out a 50,000 stadium for a Saints vs Cowboys game, even though it's still preseason. Baton Rouge sells out their 92,600 stadium for small games such as LSU vs ULL.

[dimebag1980]

They have a ton of tickets for sale for only $15. One hundred dollars are the most expensive tickets they have available. I sure do hope Shreveport can sell out this game. It would be embarassing for the city if they can't even sell out a 50,000 stadium for a Saints vs Cowboys game, even though it's still preseason. Baton Rouge sells out their 92,600 stadium for small games such as LSU vs ULL.

$150 are the most expensive tickets they have, and no one wants the $15 tickets. You can get a better view watching it on ESPN than with those.

[ctiger69]

$150 are the most expensive tickets they have, and no one wants the $15 tickets. You can get a better view watching it on ESPN than with those.

You can get a better view from ESPN for every football game. That's not the point. The point is supporting the home state team while they play on national TV on Monday night football. If the turnout is low Shreveport will never again host another NFL game, you can book that. That would mean lost of money and recognition for Shreveport to the entire country. Hosting a event can only have positives for the city. A big turnout could mean a possible return next pre-season for the Saints.

[richyb83]

I hope there will be 40-45,000 people at the game Monday nite.

Last year BR's first Saints game vs. the Dolphins with ex. LSU coach Nick Saban was a big sucess with 62,000, BUT also a big confusion ticket disaster with many fans waiting in long lines til the 3rd Qtr. before entering the game. Frustration and an owner who promised never to come to BR again. The other 3 games were an embarassment with only 32,000 at the Bears game last Nov. After 4 games the Saints average attendance in Tiger Stadium was only 40,000. So Baton Rouge proved it's a LSU town + many bandwagon fans like other NFL teams.

[dimebag1980]

You can get a better view from ESPN for every football game. That's not the point. The point is supporting the home state team while they play on national TV on Monday night football. If the turnout is low Shreveport will never again host another NFL game, you can book that. That would mean lost of money and recognition for Shreveport to the entire country. Hosting a event can only have positives for the city. A big turnout could mean a possible return next pre-season for the Saints.

I realize what it means for Shreveport and all the hype revolving around it, but it doesn't affect me enough to attend the game. It's only hype. At last count only about 8,000 tickets remain. Since Indy Stadium only holds 50,000 people, 42,000 isn't exactly a bad turnout. That's actually a better turnout than some Independence Bowl games. It'll be fine.

FYI: there aren't "a ton" of $15 tickets available, there are none. Zero. They're all sold. I think it's a good sign when all the cruddy seats that no one wants are sold out. In Indy Stadium, those are typically the last to go.

[Metlife]

This just in... all of you arm-chair qbs... the NFL is threatening to black-out the game if it doesn't sell out. This includes sports bars and all...(source: ktbs)

[ctiger69]

I hope there will be 40-45,000 people at the game Monday nite.

Last year BR's first Saints game vs. the Dolphins with ex. LSU coach Nick Saban was a big sucess with 62,000, BUT also a big confusion ticket disaster with many fans waiting in long lines til the 3rd Qtr. before entering the game. Frustration and an owner who promised never to come to BR again. The other 3 games were an embarassment with only 32,000 at the Bears game last Nov. After 4 games the Saints average attendance in Tiger Stadium was only 40,000. So Baton Rouge proved it's a LSU town + many bandwagon fans like other NFL teams.

Baton Rouge situation is completley different from the Shreveport situation. They should not even be compared when it comes to hosting the Saints. When the Saints were playing in Baton Rouge was just after Hurricane Katrina. We all know how Baton Rouge was affected by the hurricane. Baton Rouge (in a different situation) might be a good place to host another game but I don't think they will be given another shot. I do agree Baton Rouge is a college town. The entire city revolves around the school. Shreveport has no excuses though. I think there will be a good turnout and can't wait for the game to start monday.

[Mudbugger]

I, personally, won't be going to the Saints/Cowboys game for a couple of reasons.

1. I don't have any spare cash to throw away.

2. I refuse to buy a ticket to the only state-funded team in all of professional sports and a pitiful one at that.

My belief is this, the second they started to accept state money the ceased to be the New Orleans Saints and became the Louisiana Saints.

North Louisiana has continually been shut out when it comes to having the players do charity work and public appearances up here.

They may be the New Orleans Saints but being state sponsored they should go from city to city thanking the poor suckers who help line Tom Benson's pockets with state tax funds.

When they negotiated the state sponsoring with tax money I personally would have arranged a pay versus performance scale. The better they did than the more money they would get up to a maximum point.

For one i would be glad to see them leave and never return.

They are the worst franchise in the NFL history and possibly in all of sports.

Most people don't know that Benson has been in negotiations with the San Antonio city council and is trying to get them to build a stadium for him. If he has his way, the Saints will be gone.

When that day comes i will be happy that we have removed a money sucking leech off the state once and for all.

Mudbugger

[NCB]

Most people don't know that Benson has been in negotiations with the San Antonio city council and is trying to get them to build a stadium for him. If he has his way, the Saints will be gone.

That's the thing though, he won't get his way. The Saints will not be going to San Antonio, you can count on that. If the Saints go anywhere it will be because they are in a small market, and the NFL is definately not going to move a team in a small metro of about 1.4 million to another small metro of about 1.7 million, when the Los Angeles area, home to over 18 million people, is still home to 0 teams. Benson can talk to San Antonio as much as he wants, but at the end of the day, the other owners and the guys at the top of the NFL have the final decision, and moving the Saints to San Antonio would be an extremely stupid move, for a number of reasons.

[Mudbugger]

I agree, NCB, San Antonio is too small and that Los Angeles should get a team.

But look at their track record.

They had the Raiders and the Rams and look how that turned out.

In the end one day the Saints will leave this state in one form or another and Louisiana will be better for it.

Mudbugger

[NCB]

And in terms of supporting the Saints financially, that's just something we all have to deal with. I know that doesn't seem fair at all, but we have to deal with it. People in north Louisiana have to help pay for the Saints, just like people in south Louisiana had to help pay for things like new state and federally funded "state-of-the-art horse barn's" in north Louisiana after Katrina, which cut down on regulated FEMA money here. The fact is, whether you live in Shreveport or New Orleans, we're all living in a poor state, and I think that if one area has to help support something in another area, we just have to deal with it. I know that the majority of people in north Louisiana could care less if the Saints left, but the people in New Orleans do care, very much so. Think if this situation was completely reversed, and the "Shreveport Saints" were facing the possibility of leaving....wouldn't you guys want to keep your team too?

Though to be somewhat fair, by far the largest chunk of the tax money supporting the Saints, whether it be the Hotel/Motel Tax or any other taxes, comes from the New Orleans area and SE Louisiana, where the majority of the population, state economic product, and Saints fans are located.

For one i would be glad to see them leave and never return.

They are the worst franchise in the NFL history and possibly in all of sports.

Mudbugger

Just to add something...

My personal opinion is this, as a New Orleanian and a diehard Saints fan, I say who cares about the record? The Saints have sucked for 40 years, yet through that time, they have averaged one of the highest average attendance's per game in the NFL. Before Katrina, the average attendance for a Saints game in New Orleans since around 2000 was about 68,000, and every game since the 2002 season had been sold out. And during this time, the Saints were about as bad as ever! The true Saints fans could care less about their record, because in the grand scheme of things, it really doesn't affect anything for us. No matter how bad the Saints were, the fans have always come to the games. To New Orleanians, the Saints are much, much more than just a football team, the Saints have created a very long and storied history here, and have become as much a part of this city as the French Quarter. To the average football fan, the Saints are just a crappy football team, but that is far from the case in New Orleans, that team means much more to the city than most people really know. That's why we fought so hard to get the Saints back after Katrina, because losing them at a time like that/this would be a much bigger deal than most people realize.

[dimebag1980]

My only thought on this is this: if the NFL blacks out the game because it doesn't sell out, that shows how petty that league is. Eight thousand people is not a huge deal, and if they'd charged less for a preseason game the turn-out would be better anyway.

Either way, as the only true professional football team in this state, the Saints represent all of Louisiana.