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...the economics of the issues involved and the ability to put a competitive product on the field, are pretty serious. This part of the article lays it out in detail:
"The Saints had to refund tickets from the 2005 season. That's anticipated to be a $20 million loss. With much more pressing issues following the hurricane, the state of Louisiana was unable to make its $15 million payment to the team as part of a 10-year agreement between the two parties. Insurance may cover a good portion of those losses, but the high cost of temporarily relocating to San Antonio still hasn't been tabulated.
Remember, insurance won't cover losses for next season, and the Saints have no chance of being a profitable team in 2006. The NFL is right in giving New Orleans every chance to keep the Saints, but this could be a two- or three-year process before anyone knows whether the city could realistically keep the franchise.
Initially, I thought the idea of giving cap breaks and financial incentives to the team and players was a competitive disadvantage. After about 20 minutes of thinking through the situation, I realized the Saints are worse than an expansion franchise. An expansion franchise can build. They could build through the draft. They could build through free agency. They would have a fan base. The Saints won't have any of the above.
The Saints can only deflate. Free agents will leave unless something is done. The roster can only get thinner."
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