The New Orleans Saints have been part of the NFL since 1967. It was a slow start for the New Orleans Saints. In fact, the team played for almost 2 decades before they were really a force to be reckoned with. Still, there are some old timer fans that are very proud to be a part of that early struggle. There are also plenty of new fans, who like the success that the team has had.
Since 1974, their home games have been played at the Louisiana Superdome. The stadium holds just over 73,000 people. It can be expanded for playoff games to a capacity of 76,500. They have sold out all of their home games for at least the past 10 years. This team has one of the highest percentages of fans with season tickets.
This was the emergency location for many people to take safe shelter in 2005 during Hurricane Katrina. The superdome suffered damage to the roof and they had severe flooding. As a result, many of their home games for the 2005 season were rescheduled to other fields that could accommodate them.
During this time, it was rumored that the owner was trying to relocate the team to San Antonio, Texas. The fans weren't happy about that at all, and they decided to make their voice heard. They sent letters and petitions to the city, paid for billboards, and even contacted the NFL. It worked and the decision was made to stay and to renovate the Louisiana Superdome.
Even though there is plenty of good things about New Orleans Saints fans, there are also behaviors that are frowned upon. Some of them include fans tossing items onto the field during play time. There is also the fact that many fans cheer when there is an injury involving someone from the other team.
The entire team and the fans got a terrible image when the bounty scandal was investigated and the final report given by the NFL. It is believed that from 2009 to 2011 players were given monetary incentives injure players on opposing teams. Their head coach, several players, and some administrative staff were given suspensions and fines.
When it comes to fans, those of the Saints seem to be the most vocal. They seem to get very excited about the positive and very let down by the negative. When the team has a season with plenty of highs and lows, the fans feel like it takes a toll on them. Frequently you will find posts all over social media from fans of this team. If they like something, they will share it. If they don't, they will share that as well! They have been in one Super Bowl and won it. Winning the Super Bowl after Katrina was credited with lifted city both literally and figuratively.
It is one big party when it comes to tailgating for a New Orleans Saints game! Many fans show up early just to get to pick which of the parking lots they would like to be in. This is because there can be different events going on in the various areas. Many of them are fan planned on social media sites so there is plenty of information circulating about what will be offered.
The New Orleans Saints have several rivalries against other NFL teams. The oldest one is with the Atlanta Falcons. There is no love lost between these two teams or their fans. The records of these teams are often close, making it an intense game any time these two teams play. There are many Saints fans that travel to Atlanta for this match up just to make sure their team is well represented. Likewise, it isn't unusual for buses full of Falcon's fans to travel in New Orleans when the matchup is at home.
Other rivals include the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This is often referred to as the Battle of the Gulf Coast. These are the only two gulf teams in the NFL and both of them are part of the NFC South conference. Another regional rivalry that exists is with the Dallas Cowboys. There is a huge fan base for both that overlaps the Northern part of Louisiana. This includes the Shreveport area as it borders the state of Texas.
The entire country was familiar with where New Orleans is located after Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005. This also led to an increase in fans for this NFL team. Many saw them as an underdog and wanted to support them. There were also those that saw hope and a brighter future for New Orleans by showing support to this team.