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Evidence of a monumental PR blunder (1 Viewer)

Ozymandias

Footballguy
Two thoughts. Maybe Reggie will turn out to be a flop. In which case, Houston will be justified. But the second is that, regardless of Deuce McAllister, NO Saints are going to give Reggie every chance to succeed. That means he'll probably get the lion's share of the carries.

"NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- For a moment, Reggie Bush wasn't sure what to make of the rock-star ovation he got when he walked through the restaurant door.

"As soon as I got in there, there was a bunch of fans screaming and yelling. I thought it was staged," Bush said Sunday during a television interview at the PGA Tour's Zurich Classic, recalling his visit a night earlier to one of celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse's restaurants. "It's been great. Everyone I've run into has welcomed me. People here are so nice."

A few blocks away, Saints spokesman Greg Bensel was eating with a friend at the four-star Windsor Court hotel when he overheard chatter about Bush at a table behind him. He turned to see about a dozen people making a toast to the new Saints running back.

"And this is the Windsor Court. This isn't a sports bar. There was no TV on, no reference to Reggie anywhere," Bensel said.

Bush couldn't go anywhere without hearing chants of "Reggie! Reggie!" It even happened when he stepped out at the golf tournament in full view of fans surrounding the 18th green, who quickly recognized him and began the chant as a couple golfers were preparing to put out.

"There's always excitement about a No. 1 pick, but this is a little different," said Saints general manager Mickey Loomis, who dined out with Bush Saturday night. "People chanting spontaneously ... it was a little overwhelming how excited people were."

Recall the images of those discarded refrigerators on the sidewalk after Hurricane Katrina -- the ones emanating that throat-stinging stench of maggot-ridden rot, the outside spray-painted with the warning, "Tom Benson inside."

Remember when fans here feared Benson, the longtime Saints owner, was about to abandon them for San Antonio in this historic city's worst moment?

Call it a misunderstanding. All has been forgiven, now that Bush mania is taking hold.

Benson got the reception of a conquering hero -- high-fives aplenty -- when he ventured into a crowd of die-hard fans attending festivities outside the team's suburban New Orleans headquarters during NFL draft weekend.

And the closest thing to Saints-related graffiti to be seen was a handwritten "Bush" on the back of a Saints shirt worn by someone milling around at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival on Saturday, only hours after the Saints made their first pick.

"The Superdome will sell out," predicted fan Art Sigur, a former St. Bernard Parish resident whose home was ruined during the storm. "It takes a lot to kill our spirit. Tom Benson almost did it right after the hurricane."

"We love him now, though," interjected fellow fan Claude Maher.

New Orleans was a small NFL market before the storm -- even smaller now -- but predictions of sellouts don't appear far-fetched.

The Saints ticket office was open during draft weekend. It was fully staffed and everyone was busy all day taking orders, said Mike Stanfield, Saints vice president of ticket and suite sales.

"It was big -- really big," Stanfield said of weekend season ticket sales, although he didn't provide specifics. Single game tickets won't go on sale until later this year, "if there are any single game tickets left," he said.

Even before the draft, Saints executive Rita Benson LeBlanc, the owner's granddaughter, said sales were on pace with 2003, when the Saints set a franchise record for season tickets sold with about 54,000.

The team's commitment to return to New Orleans and play a full regular-season schedule in a repaired Superdome, combined with the free-agent signing of quarterback Drew Brees, already had generated excitement.

If everyone is healthy, the Saints will also line up running back Deuce McAllister and receivers Joe Horn and Donte Stallworth on offense. The addition of Bush, the 2005 Heisman Trophy winner, gives New Orleans an explosive and dynamic player who can run, receive and return kicks with such scintillating speed and agility that many believe could make him the best player in a generation.

The last time the Saints drafted second overall, they took quarterback Archie Manning, whose family now has the status of de facto royalty in New Orleans.

"Obviously, he's a legend out here," said Bush, who said he has met the elder Manning. "Hopefully, I can do the same."

 
Just a little math. The Superdome seats about 70,000. They are saying the season ticket sales were on line for 54,000 before Bush was drafted. If they put 10,000 more butts in seats each game for the season, that's like $10 million more in revenue.

 
Just a little math.  The Superdome seats about 70,000.  They are saying the season ticket sales were on line for 54,000 before Bush was drafted.  If they put 10,000 more butts in seats each game for the season, that's like $10 million more in revenue.

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The Superdome regularly sells out. Through their last season in NO they had a 36 game sell out streak.
 
Just a little math.  The Superdome seats about 70,000.  They are saying the season ticket sales were on line for 54,000 before Bush was drafted.  If they put 10,000 more butts in seats each game for the season, that's like $10 million more in revenue.

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The Superdome regularly sells out. Through their last season in NO they had a 36 game sell out streak.
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The big question is if NO will give Benson the stadium he wants. Los Angeles fans will finally be behind a new stadium if it means brings Bush here.
 
Bush couldn't go anywhere without hearing chants of "Reggie! Reggie!" It even happened when he stepped out at the golf tournament in full view of fans surrounding the 18th green, who quickly recognized him and began the chant as a couple golfers were preparing to put out.
That's hot.
 
Just a little math.  The Superdome seats about 70,000.  They are saying the season ticket sales were on line for 54,000 before Bush was drafted.  If they put 10,000 more butts in seats each game for the season, that's like $10 million more in revenue.

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The Superdome regularly sells out. Through their last season in NO they had a 36 game sell out streak.
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The big question is if NO will give Benson the stadium he wants. Los Angeles fans will finally be behind a new stadium if it means brings Bush here.
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You're obsessed with stealing the Saints aren't you? You bring this up in every thread about NO.
 
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They should have traded the pick to either the 9ers or Pack. Bad football move on Aints part IMO. But hey, Saints suck evry other year anyways might as well have the most hyped college player in years.

 
They should have traded the pick to either the 9ers or Pack.  Bad football move on Aints part IMO. But hey, Saints suck evry other year anyways might as well have the most hyped college player in years.

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1. No one offered the Saints fair value for the #2 pick (according to the popular charts)--let alone fair value considering that Bush is far more valuable than the vast majority of #2 picks. 2. If you exclude last year due to the displacement of Katrina, they haven't finished with fewer than 7 wins since 1999 and their record for the 5 years before the Katrina year was 42-38. Not great, but I'd hardly consider that "sucking every other year". The Packers won 4 games last year and are going to soon take a big step toward entering the re-building phase when Favre leaves and the 9ers record over the past 3 years is 13-35--not sure how that qualifies either option as being much better.

 
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