Paul Tagliabue Orleans Quotations

To make it 1,000 percent clear, the New Orleans Saints are committed to New Orleans, La., and their fans.

We appreciate the leadership of ABC and ESPN in helping us turn this particular Monday night into far more than a primetime football doubleheader, making it part of the overall Gulf Coast relief effort. The New Orleans Saints know the importance of rising to help meet the Gulf Coast's extraordinary challenges, and we salute them, too.

The NFL would like to congratulate both the New Orleans Saints and the greater San Antonio community for a job well done under very difficult circumstances, ... To sell more than 140,000 tickets under such extraordinary adversity is a testament to everyone involved.

At this point you have to proceed on the assumption . . . that they may be unable to play in New Orleans at all for the entire sea- son,

At this point you have to proceed on the assumption ... that they may be unable to play in New Orleans at all for the entire season,

The Gulf Coast and our entire nation face extraordinary challenges. We will continue to do our part to contribute to the recovery and rebuilding process. The weekend of what should have been the Saints' first home game in New Orleans this year is an appropriate time for a special leaguewide effort to focus on the restoration of the Gulf Coast.

I told our owners (while planning the event) that this would be a true celebration of the New Orleans Saints, and, before you know it, they'll be America's team.

The Saints are Louisiana's team and have been since the late '60s when my predecessor Pete Rozelle welcomed them to the league as New Orleans' team and Louisiana's team. Our focus continues to be on having the Saints in Louisiana.