New Orleans Saints History

New Orleans Saints tickets give NFL fans some once-in-a-lifetime choices in 2005. Watch the Saints in the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas? Or opt for the “home games” in “Death Valley,” home of the LSU Tigers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana? With Hurricane Katrina having sent Saints ticket holders to the four corners of the country, the Saints are operating out of San Antonio, but their hearts are still in the Crescent City. The Saints are still packing the same offensive punch they’ve had for the last few years. With talent like Dante Stallworth, Joe Horn and Aaron Brooks, the boys in Black and Gold are intent on casting off the underachiever tag that’s been pinned on them. Jim Haslett’s bunch is looking to come out on top in one of the toughest divisions in football, the NFC South. The combination of hardship and potential makes New Orleans Saints tickets hard to resist.

The New Orleans Saints became a part of the NFL in 1967. As an expansion team, the Saints saw very limited success, struggling to find the right combination of coaches and players. Over the first 12 years of the franchise, the Saints never saw a winning season. Although blessed with the talents of one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks, Archie Manning, the Saints never finished better than 8-8. The highlight of the team’s history hung on a single kick. Playing against the Detroit Lions in Tulane Stadium, kicker Tom Dempsey set an NFL record with a 63-yard field goal that gave the Saints a 19-17 win.

The opening of the New Orleans Superdome gave the Saints a new home in 1975 but the team’s troubles on the field continued. It wasn’t until 1987, under head coach Jim Mora that the Saints finally broke through. Mora, who came to the Saints after time as a New England Patriots assistant and head coach in the USFL, guided the Saints to a 9-7 record and their first winning season. Mora’s team that year featured running back Reuben Mayes, who won NFL Rookie of the Year honors, and Eric Martin as the featured wide receiver. Mora’s team continued their winning ways, securing NFL playoff berths in 1990, 1991 and 1992. Along the way, the Saints boasted one of the NFL’s best defenses, sending four linebackers to the Pro Bowl in Pat Swilling, Rickey Jackson, Sam Mills, and Vaughn Johnson.

After the Saints failed to advance past the first round of the playoffs though, team owner Tom Benson hired former Bears coach Mike Ditka. The Ditka reign lasted only three years though, as the Saints fell back into the cellar of the NFC.

Since taking over the Saints, head coach Jim Haslett has given the New Orleans Saints ticket holders their first ever playoff win and an offensive unit that can score from anywhere on the field. An improving defense is the Saints’ ticket back to the playoffs in 2005. Haslett added former Buccaneers safety Dwight Smith to the roster and is depending on the younger players to improve on last year’s performance. With an improved defense, a solid offense, and the motivation of playing for a fan base devastated by Hurricane Katrina, no NFL ticket has more potential for the NFL feel good story of the year than New Orleans Saints tickets.    

New Orleans Saints Tickets | Football Tickets