New Orleans Saints: Perpetual Struggle
The beginnings of the New Orleans Saints evoke images of whispering shadows in a darkened room. In 1967, the NFL was laying the groundwork for their merger with the American Football League (AFL). Approval from Congress was necessary to make the deal happen. The NFL approached Hale Boggs, a Congressman from Louisiana with news that New Orleans had been awarded the coveted rights to an NFL franchise. Boggs responded by signing off on the proposed merger, providing the NFL with the congressional approval they needed. Thus, the New Orleans Saints were born and the stage was set for the impending historic AFL-NFL merger.
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To say the Saints had difficulty gaining momentum would be a severe understatement. In fact, 20 years would pass before they would post a winning season. That being said, there were a number of highlights during that period including consistent performances from quarterback Archie Manning, a 1971 draft pick. Manning was forced to sit the 1976 season on the sidelines due to an elbow injury. But, he returned the following year and helped the franchise post its best record in 1978 (though they missed the chance to attend the playoffs). In 1979, the Saints managed to maintain their momentum and delivered their best season since the club was founded.
It wasn't until 1987 that the team finally made the playoffs as a wild card. They were quickly beaten by the Minnesota Vikings and would be forced to wait another 3 years before returning to the playoffs. The 1990's were a period of optimism and disappointment. The Saints managed to make the playoffs during the first 3 seasons of the decade, but were eliminated from each of them. Though the well-respected Mike Ditka was hired in 1997 to turn the team around and lead them to the Super Bowl, the Saints have yet to make that dream come true.
Seats Sell Quickly
The New Orleans Saints play their home games at the Louisiana Superdome, a 72,968-seat stadium that was constructed in 1971 (and opened in 1975). Despite the team's inability to win a Super Bowl title or even a Conference championship, ticket sales have been strong for the past few seasons. The 2006 home games were completely sold out, the first time that has happened in the club's history. In 2007, it happened again (possibly on the strength of their Division title victory). To watch the Saints play live in their Louisiana Superdome, plan to buy tickets as early as possible.