Al Jazeera wants to cover the New Orleans Saints Home Opener

[BOSSHOG]

Mods: I believe this is more News then Sports

More than 1,000 press credentials have been requested for the Monday Night Football game between the Saints and Falcons (both undefeated.) Al Jazeera is one of those organizations requesting credentials. The game is the big news in NOLA this week; it will be the first event in the Super Dome since the Hurricane. A big party is planned before the game and the Southern University Marching Band will provide the halftime entertainment. And the Saints have sold out the Super Dome for the season.

[timber84]

1. Go Saints!

I hear all the home games are sold out!

[Kolesar]

3. ...and this is the *only* way to get tix to the hottest game this weekend!

Hey, I'm Al Jazeera, and so is my wife!

[Leopolds Ghost]

18. He's a liar, I'm Al Jazeera! You can call me Al.

Never mind the fake beard.

[Kolesar]

22. I knew someone would get it

Hey, we got tix to Spamalot at the Cleveland Playhouse Square! :bounce:

[KamaAina]

4. Geaux Saints!

In La.-speak, long O's are colloquially spelled out "-eaux", with a nod to Cajun French, such as the common surname "Boudreaux". You'll see LOTS of signs reading "Geaux Saints!" on Monday!!

When I was roughing out plans for mass transit in greater N.O., years ahead of time as it turned out, I was calling it the "Metreaux" :-)

[Leopolds Ghost]

16. Cool, you still have your plans?

I love that kind of stuff. I did a website on the DC "Metreaux".
Of course, tunneling would be a problem in NOLA. Maybe they could build a watertight subway that floats: it would keep the street grid from subsiding into the mud. (in NYC, the major streets are little more than steel girders laid directly atop the subway.) Streetcars would probably be more reasonable since NOLA was built around the streetcar. I'm going to help out w/ NOLA reconstroction some time in the near future.

[KamaAina]

21. Actually, it turns out the present-day planners "plagiarized" me

without ever having met me, of course. The "Metreaux" would have been/will be what we would now call light rail, above ground along existing railroad rights of way, out to the airport and eastern N.O.

Here's the present-day version, for which outside consultants were paid much, much more than I would have dreamed of asking for:

http://www.bringneworleansback.org/Portals/BringNewOrleansBack/Resources/Public%20Transit.pdf

The map is on page 14 of the PDF.

Going to help out? How exactly? I've been poking around for over a year now and have been unable to find anyone willing to exploit my talents, just like it was when I lived there, which explains why I lhad to leave. :P

Oh yes, this is not off-topic so stop saying that :-) ; the N.O. terminus at Union Station is within walking distance of the Superdome, which was what we were talking about to begin with.

[Kolesar]

23. High-line rail lines that would also serve as dikes

to "compartmentalize" the city in case of a flood. So I heard on public radio.

[lies and propaganda]

24. im from Shreveport and my French last name is

Chabot, pronounced beaux. i always felt robbed that no one pronounced my name right, but if I would have had a crazy ass spelling, no prob. plus its so much prettier.

Geaux Saints!

[Ripley]

2. Here's what kills me.

While watching MNF, they kept showing pics of the Dome and repeatedly pointed out the American flag flying on top of it. OH YEAH! That terrorist Katrina ATTACKED the Super Dome. The death and horror that went on inside there last summer was the result of a foreign enemy hell-bent upon DESTROYING OUR FREEDOMS. Just sickening.

[BuyingThyme]

5. What Ripley said.

[ComerPerro]

6. thousands and thousands are still without homes, lives in ruin

but, hey, at least we got the Superdome open and the Saints are playing again, right?

:puke:

[BOSSHOG]

7. And with those eight home games

will come millions and millions of tax revenue and hundreds and hundreds of jobs. I don't see the logic in not proceeding where the city can. Hotels will be doing a booming business this weekend and the restaurants will be dishing up chow, ergo more money and jobs for the locals. The city thrives on tourism and entertainment and restaurant venues. Its a great place to start.

[ComerPerro]

10. I really hope so. I really do.

But I am afraid that corporate interests are going to get the town to sell off property to the highest bidder (at prices lower than the value of the land) so developers can remake New Orleans into a vapid, cultureless Mecca for rich white people.

Chain restraunts and strip malls.

[BOSSHOG]

12. Such plans existed

before the Hurricane. You may find this a bit of good news. A couple of years ago a Starbucks opened on Decatur Street a block south of Cafe Dumonde. It didn't last a year (although there is one in the big shopping conglomeration down on Canal.)

The strip malls and chain restaurants are all on the northshore (along with the vast majority of white folks.) So far the quarter is maintaining its integrity.

[KamaAina]

19. It should not have to be either/or

we are, after all, the wealthiest society in human history. Therefore, we ought to be able to fix the Dome AND the neighborhoods.

It certainly does say something about our national priorities that the Dome was fixed at breakneck speed while the Lower Ninth Ward looks just about like it did the day after, but it's hardly LBN that BushAmerika(TM) cares only for its corporate partners and not a whit for us ordinary folks. Remember, this is the same bunch that spends $80-90 billion a year on war while cutting funds for the injured vets the war produces in staggering quantities. What else would you expect?

[pacalo]

8. I learned this from my Democratic 22-year old son. :)

I think Al Jazeera's coverage will have more reality to it than MNF, as explained by Ripley's comments. They will report that America values games over the welfare of its people. While thousands of homes are still unrepaired, the NFL wasted no time in getting the Dome ready for Monday Night Football.

[BOSSHOG]

9. What should the NFL have done?

I fail to see the logic in not making progress in one part of town because it isn't being made in another part of town. The Saints will pump millions into the city coffers, provide hundreds and hundreds of jobs for locals, the games will be good for hotels and restaurants. Would you rather not occur?

[pacalo]

11. I agree that the Saints will bring a lot of money into New Orleans.

But, sadly, the reality is that Al Jazeera is going to hold a mirror up to our faces. Their interest in this game obviously has to do with Katrina, & I'm just predicting what their coverage is going to be. It would be nice if someone explained to them during their stay here how the Saints can financially impact the city for the good, & how much Reggie Bush (wish he had a diff. name!) has given to the city already.

[BOSSHOG]

13. Reggie has really opened up the checkbook to the city

and in the right places, schools etc. I heard that Al Jazeera had requested credentials but I don't know if they have been granted or not. I believe their coverage would be refreshing. If there is up to a thousand organizations reporting from NOLA on Monday, everybody's point of view should be covered.

[pacalo]

14. My son told me all that Reggie has done for N.O. & he thinks Reggie

can walk on water!

[countryjake]

15. And The Saints will rise again!

I've heard that the press box was already filled to overflowing, so many of the "extra" news agencies will be stuck watching the game on tv like the rest of us, tho over in the New Orleans Arena. Fantastic that the season is sold out.

To the rest who are saying it's typical that money would be spent on games and entertainment rather than those who are drowned out in NOLA, I think many don't realize how close this team came to losing the city as its home and it was actually much work by the players, themselves, protesting to the NFL and city/state bosses, which swayed sentiments over to saving both the Dome and the Saints of NOLA. Many on the roster have dedicated themselves to bringing aid to the displaced survivors of Katrina, as natives of that stricken city, and suffered losses right along with the rest; they recognize the horror of abandonment that happened, and spent the past year trying to make a difference, on top of their football committments, so this return to the Dome is a triumph in many ways, for both the team and the residents, (former and current) and may just be what is needed to get the flow moving back rather than away from their beloved city.

[BOSSHOG]

17. Thanks Jake

What you said. Ya gotta fire up any economic engine in the city you can and the Saints have been great the past several months in helping out with rebuilding, cleaning up, helping out schools, etc.

I've always contended that if the Saints are gonna rise again they have to move their stadium off that VooDoo graveyard. I don't go to too many games but I love hanging out in the Quarter at my favorite bar (Tropical Isle - six TV's on the first deck) and enjoying the revelry after the games (daygames.)

[lies and propaganda]

25. i think the storm washed away the bad karma.

or the bad luck, anyway. We can only go up from here.

[RB TexLa]

20. Players have no influence at all in where franchises of the NFL

are located. There are still contractual terms with the state that keep the Saints in Louisiana. Any move to San Antonino or Los Angeles has to be approved by the NFL, for PR reasons they are not going to allow any public discussion of such for awhile. We'll have to see how long. But they have the 2ed largest TV market in the country without a team and when the right stadium package can be put together in the LA area the Saints are at the top of the list to be in the city of angels.