Saints unhappy with "home" game

[ROC]

Loss leaves Saints even more upset with ``home'' game in NYC

September 20, 2005

SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- Now that he's been through the experience of playing a ``home'' game on the road, and came away a loser, New Orleans Saints coach Jim Haslett is furious about it all.

Back at the team's temporary home in San Antonio, Haslett said Tuesday the Saints were at a competitive disadvantage in their 27-10 loss to the New York Giants at Giants Stadium on Monday night -- even if they were wearing their home jerseys and saw their nickname painted in one of the end zones.

``They could have done that anywhere,'' Haslett said. ``They could have played that game in Baton Rouge. They could have played it in San Antonio and could have done the same thing.

``To play it in Giants Stadium, to give them another home game and to put us in a situation where we couldn't hear. ... It wasn't why we lost that game, but ...''

When the league told the Saints they had to play in New Jersey, Haslett would only say it put his team behind the eight-ball. Yet after seeing his team commit six turnovers and 13 penalties, he let loose.

``It wasn't a home game,'' he said. ``I look up at the scoreboard and there are signs, 'Let's Go Giants'. The referees, when they flipped the coin, they asked us if we wanted heads or tails. They had no idea who the home team was and who was away. The crowd noise we had to deal with, we never had to do a silent count at home.''

Saints quarterback Aaron Brooks had some strong comments about all the hoopla surrounding the game.

``They made this seem like the Super Bowl,'' Brooks said after the loss. ``We played a team that outplayed us today, but it was way overdone. Setting up a stage, traveling out here, was uncalled for.

``Try not to patronize us next time, traveling us to New York, saying we're playing a home game.''

Haslett tempered his remarks with appreciation for the in-game telethon that featured current and former NFL star answering telephones in the effort to support those affected by Hurricane Katrina. The league said Tuesday that $5 million was raised for the Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund in about 6 1/2 hours.

``The whole thing was a great cause and the NFL did a great job of raising money for the Gulf Coast,'' Haslett said.

The Saints won't have any more home games in an opponents' stadium. The remaining seven games initially scheduled for the Superdome will be played at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La., and the Alamodome in San Antonio, where the team has its practice site and headquarters.

``I don't think (an NFL team) has done that many games traveling,'' he said. ``I think that's something that will be answered in January or February because I really don't know. Hopefully we handle it better than what we did yesterday.''

The Saints were attempting to maintain the league's second-longest winning streak dating to last season. New Orleans won four straight to end last season and defeated the Carolina Panthers in their season opener.

During their roll, the Saints had eight more turnovers than their opponents. On Monday night, it was the Giants that came away with six.

The edge began eroding when Fred McAfee fumbled on the opening kickoff on an attempted reverse. New York scored three plays later.

Many of the penalties came on special teams. One possession started on the 14-yard line instead of the 28 because of Mike McKenzie's roughness penalty on a kickoff return. Another was backed up to the 5 when Fred Thomas was called for blocking above the waist on a punt return. And another drive started on the 15 when Terrence Melton was called for holding on a kickoff return.

``The penalties were our fault and the turnovers were bad decisions,'' Haslett said. ``You've got to hold onto the ball. We had poor field position all day because of our own doing. Special teams were ragged all day on our return units.''

Even if McAfee would have held on to the ball, the Saints would have started their first drive of the night from their 16 on the failed reverse.

``That's not the great way to start the game -- a turnover and seven quick ones,'' Haslett said.

Now the Saints (1-1) are getting ready for another road game, this time in Minnesota. It will be the fourth straight week they fly to a game, counting the preseason.

``We lost one game and this team's overcome a lot in the last month, so that one game is nothing compared to what we've had to overcome,'' Haslett said. ``It's just the way it was played out -- a Monday night and all the things that were going on. We didn't deal with the situation very well.

``We'll forget it and we'll move on and try to play better this week.''

Notes

Multi-game tickets for games played in Baton Rouge, La., will be sold on the Internet starting Friday and walk-up sales start Monday at Tiger Stadium. Capacity at Tiger Stadium will be 79,000 -- down from 91,600 for LSU games -- because of staffing concerns on the part of LSU officials. ... Kickoff and punt returner Michael Lewis suffered what Haslett called a serious knee injury and could miss extensive action.

Edited September 22, 2005 by ROC

[Lowerdeck]

New York is the center of the universe. They can have 9 home games, the opponent can have 7. They're just better than everyone else, that's why we can let them get away with this.

A friend of mine, huge Giants fan, was at that game. Figure I share that. One of the 60k Giants fans not making this a real home game.

[EddieRuckus]

Not a real home game? I'm pretty sure I heard some boos when the Saints were coming out, but that just might be me. I expect any competitive sport to be fair, not allowing one place to have an extra home game because they make more revenue. A ton of Giants fans were still there to make noise, so just because you and a few others didn't go doesn't mean there weren't enough of you to make noise that would distract the Saints. I wouldn't mind if the Saints were an away team, but like ROC said you at least need to have a neutral site.

Edited September 22, 2005 by Tevye

[Liam]

Not a real home game? I'm pretty sure I heard some boos when the Saints were coming out, but that just might be me. I expect any competitive sport to be fair, not allowing one place to have an extra home game because they make more revenue. A ton of Giants fans were still there to make noise, so just because you and a few others didn't go doesn't mean there weren't enough of you to make noise that would distract the Saints. I wouldn't mind if the Saints were an away team, but like ROC said you at least need to have a neutral site.

Unless Lowerdeck wants to correct me, the word is "sarcasm".

[sahyder1]

Some people wanted the game in Washington, Philly or Dallas so it'd be a road game for the Giants but do you guys honestly think that enough tickets would've been sold if the game was held in one of those places? Ofcourse not. Sports is a business. The NFL is great at protecting their image.

[EddieRuckus]

Unless Lowerdeck wants to correct me, the word is "sarcasm".

[Guest JoeyMadDogg]

I feel that they should've played it in Baton Rouge or San Antonio since those are the Saints' home fields for this year, I mean it would've been a home game for the Saints. I was pissed when I heard they were to be playing a "home" game in New York and then when I watched it, I got even more pissed off because not only did they have to call the flip unlike a home team, they had to use the visitors locker room. Now don't anyone say, "Well, it was at New York's stadium, thats why the Saints had to use the visitors locker room." I say, if its a home game for the Saints make it like a true home game. Let them use the home locker room and let them wear their home jerseys, which they did and I was happy, and also let the visitor team call the flip not the home. The refs should've known who was home and visitor, I mean damn all they had to do was look at the jerseys. How dumb do you have to be to not realize whos who when they are in the jerseys?

[sahyder1]

Yeah, I can tell your broadcasting career is gonna be just great. Did you miss the apart about how San Antonio makes the league no money? Letting them use to the home locker room is gonna make them feel at home? Man, quit repeating stuff you hear from a couple of people on ESPN. You think giving them the home locker room was gonna make them think they were at home? Use common sense. Sure it'd be a little bigger.....but it still would be a road locker room for them....not to mention that it makes no sense for either the Giants or the Jets to have had to completely empty out their lockers and stuff for a whole week to accomodate another team.

[Colly]

All in all, isn't this just a really crap excuse for playing shit?

[sahyder1]

All in all, isn't this just a really crap excuse for playing shit?

[Mick]

How many Saints fans are in San Antonio?

Yes, it was in New York, but the leauge counts it as a home game. So the Saints lost to a team with a strong away-presence in the stands. That's football. What if the Saints have to play the Cowboys, or the Texans, next year in San Antonio? It could happen next year. Will the Saints cry if God forbid, a lot of fans from the other team show up?

I just think that it's a weak excuse. Disasters happen, it's unfortunate, but come on. In 1997, the Bucs played the Packers in Tampa. 2/3 of the stadium was wearing green. The Bucs lost, and if they won, it would've potentially given them the division. Was the strong Packer fan presence at that home game for the Bucs a factor? Absolutley. But the Buccaneer's didn't complain to the league about it. Hence, the Saints shouldn't complain.

...Still, good thing New York won. Gave the Bucs more leeway in the division.

[Lowerdeck]

Eh. Fan presence isn't that much of an issue. I'm a Red Sox fan. This weekend, we in the Sox Nation took over Baltimore for the three game series against the Orioles. There was more red than orange around Camden Yards. And we do this in other cities too.

My major issue with this particular game was. They put it in New York. Why not Baton Rouge or San Antonio like the other seven games? What does the Giants do to deserve technically a 9th home game ... other than being <sarcasm> the greatest city on God's green earth </sarcasm>

[Typical Phenom]

The refs should've known who was home and visitor, I mean damn all they had to do was look at the jerseys. How dumb do you have to be to not realize whos who when they are in the jerseys?

[TheSqauredCircleMessiah]

This was all about making things easier for the league. There is a reason why they moved the game to Monday Night, so they could put on their little telethon and test out how a Monday Night double header would play. The NFL pretty much used the Saints.

[sahyder1]

This was all about making things easier for the league. There is a reason why they moved the game to Monday Night, so they could put on their little telethon and test out how a Monday Night double header would play. The NFL pretty much used the Saints.

[Lowerdeck]

Yeah? And why have it in New York? Why not in San Antonio or Baton Rouge like the other games?

[sahyder1]

Yeah? And why have it in New York? Why not in San Antonio or Baton Rouge like the other games?

[Lowerdeck]

They did for San Diego and Miami when they played in Arizona a year or two ago due to the fires in southern California.

They gave out tickets, more people shown up than for regular Cardinals games.

[sahyder1]

They did for San Diego and Miami when they played in Arizona a year or two ago due to the fires in southern California.

They gave out tickets, more people shown up than for regular Cardinals games.