New commish viewed as favorable to New Orleans

With the passing of the NFL commissioner's torch from Paul Tagliabue to Roger Goodell, my personal thoughts were whether Tags would also be passing along his desire to keep the Saints in New Orleans.

It is apparent that many involved directly with the situation feel that he has.

Today's Times-Picayune features an article by Brian Allee-Walsh entitled, "For Saints, new boss is heaven-sent." In it, various persons are quoted with a completely positive perspective of the new man in charge.

Arnold Fielkow, previous Saints executive and current New Orleans Councilman-at-large who wants to keep the team in New Orleans, had this to say:

"I think Roger's selection is a tremendous one both for the NFL and for the city of New Orleans. He's a tremendous leader who is very intelligent, very compassionate and he understands the challenges that New Orleans faced before Katrina and will face in the future. He has always been a great friend of the Saints and of our city. Commissioner Tagliabue has been fantastic in every way. His successor brings those same qualities to the table in terms of wanting to be of help to New Orleans in its rebuilding efforts."

Also, Doug Thornton, regional vice president of SMG, the company that runs the Superdome for the state, was quoted as telling the Times-Picayune:

"I think the NFL made a great selection. Roger has a full grasp on what we're doing with the Superdome and has been instrumental in helping us put the Dome back together. I am very pleased. We've got a great relationship with him. I don't see that changing. I think he'll continue to be supportive."

And, to quote the article, "Tim Coulon, chairman of the Louisiana Superdome and Exposition District, echoed Thornton's sentiments, saying Goodell has 'a soft spot for the city and the Saints and our recovery.'"

So, it seems, another step up the ladder has been taken in keeping the Saints in New Orleans, where they belong.

As always, we'll continue to keep our eyes open on developments...

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