SAINTS STAYING, still suck

A week after having his lawyer tell San Antonio media that he was pursuing other options, Tom Benson said Tuesday that he is not planning to move the Saints.
“My plan right now is to stay in New Orleans and let my grand-daughter take the club over,” he said.
Benson also said he didn’t even want to consider other and possibly more lucrative offers from other cities.
“We’ve got a contract through 2010,” he said. “They’re the ones talking about breaking the contract. At no time did I say that we were going to leave or break a contract and I’m not going to say that now.”
Gov. Kathleen Blanco has been attempting to get Benson to renegotiate a deal giving the team $186 million over 10 years, saying the state cannot afford it. The contract was negotiated by then-Gov. Mike Foster and approved by the Legislature.
Benson recently canceled additional negotiations until after the 2005 season when the Saints have their first opportunity to negate the current deal and move by repaying the $81 million the team received during the first five years of the contract. The state can opt out of the deal after the 2007 season.
Here’s an idea: Agree to use some of the money to refurbish the Dome, then repay the Saints with the extra cash generated from the nicer and more fan-friendly stadium.