Where Will Reggie Bush Thrill The Masses?
The NFL draft is history, but Reggie Bush still has people talking.

In New Orleans. In his Los Angeles stomping grounds. And, yes, even in San Antonio.

The New Orleans Saints' selection of the Heisman Trophy-winning back with the No. 2 overall pick last month is fueling speculation — even fantasies — in all three cities.

With the Saints regarded by many NFL owners as a prime candidate for relocation — especially if rebuilding efforts in hurricane-ravaged New Orleans fail to revive that city's corporate base — fans in Los Angeles and San Antonio Spurs have a bit more to plug into their football pipe dreams.

Landing the Saints now means landing Reggie Bush, projected by many to be one of the league's premier players for perhaps a decade or longer.

Reggie Bush rushed for 3,169 yards and 25 touchdowns and caught 95 passes for 1,301 yards and 13 touchdowns in three seasons at Southern California. 
 
Local officials acknowledge they have kept a close watch on developments in New Orleans since January, when the team returned to Louisiana after working out of the Alamodome last season. Discussion about a second major-league franchise for the city continues to focus on the Saints and Major League Baseball's Florida Marlins.

Now the bulk of speculation about a possible Saints' move centers on where Reggie Bush might make his mark. While many city officials are reluctant to discuss the Saints' relocation prospects because of the sensitive nature of the topic, State Sen. Jeff Wentworth (R-San Antonio) says talk of landing the team can't be separated from talk of landing a potential sports superstar.

Asked if the addition of Reggie Bush makes the Saints a more attractive team, Wentworth said, "Clearly, it does."

With the stakes raised, Wentworth said, the prospects become even more intriguing.

"As the situation in Louisiana comes clearer, either for good or for ill for the Saints, if it becomes clearer or clearer that they don't have a fan base or businesses to support a team (long term), I'm sure San Antonio and its leadership will be ready to pursue the Saints if (owner) Tom Benson makes it clear he needs to move," Wentworth said.

Benson was in San Antonio on Wednesday for business. At the Plaza Club, he had a brief conversation with Joe Krier of the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce.

"I told him we enjoyed talking with him about opportunities (for relocation) last year while the Saints were in San Antonio and stand ready to talk about opportunities again," Krier said. "He looked me in the eye and said, 'We enjoyed talking to you and you never know.'"

The Saints played three games at the Alamodome last year. During the stay, city officials held behind-the-scenes talks with the Saints about the team's possible relocation to San Antonio.

"Tom is a good guy and a good friend of San Antonio," Krier said. "He knows where we are (regarding the city's pursuit of an NFL team) and we know where is with the Saints. He has made a commitment to New Orleans and I think he wants to honor that commitment. But from our end, we are interested to see if (New Orleans) can honor their commitment to the Saints on an ongoing basis. We'll see."

California calling

As talk continues about putting an NFL team in Los Angeles, the West Coast is buzzing about the possibility that Reggie Bush could move with the Saints back to his home turf — perhaps even to the L.A. Coliseum, where he starred for three seasons at Southern California.
"It's definitely on the radar (in Los Angeles)," said former NFL defensive back James Washington, co-host of a Fox Sports Radio Los Angeles-based talk show. "It would be a dream come true, and amazing marketing-wise, if he would up here. It would be wonderful for Reggie Bush."

The NFL is a front-burner topic in the Los Angeles area, which has been without a team for nearly a dozen years but appears to be on the verge of regaining one.

An 11-member NFL owners committee recently heard presentations from backers of the Coliseum and two other California cities, Anaheim and Pasadena. The league is expected to choose a site at the May 23 owners meeting in Denver and later identify a team, either through relocation or expansion.

Of course, Reggie Bush's greatest value could be in New Orleans, devastated eight months ago by Hurricane Katrina. After finishing an NFC-worst 3-13, the Saints have retooled around a new head coach, former Dallas Cowboys assistant Sean Payton, and a new quarterback, former San Diego Chargers standout Drew Brees.

Lifting a city's hopes

With the New Orleans Saints, ' long-term fan and corporate support in doubt, Reggie Bush could be a major boost. Although the Saints haven't released numbers, team officials characterized ticket sales as brisk since the draft.
Sports marketing experts say Reggie Bush has a chance to become an icon in the Big Easy.

"We all know culturally that sports can be a real rallying point for a community," said Adam Zimmerman, a senior vice president for Atlanta-based Career Sports & Entertainment. "Reggie Bush can have a galvanizing effect on New Orleans and the franchise. He's in a football-crazed market, and people will be rooting for him and rooting for the city. If he chooses, he can become a symbol of the rebuilding of that city."

That is, if the Saints — and Benson — can sign him.

Reggie Bush could demand as much as a $21.5 million in guaranteed money after the Houston Texans gave No. 1 overall pick Mario Williams a five-year deal worth $54 million, with about $26.5million guaranteed.

Even without a contract, Reggie Bush has said all the right things and embraced the opportunity to be part of the rebuilding process — both of the team and the city.

"He's Reggie Bush, the Heisman Trophy winner," ESPN's Joe Theismann said. "He'll never be able to live up the expectations people have for him. But he understands that moniker that's been put on him. He understands the scrutiny, the expectations. He's a very grounded professional. He's acted like a professional even before he became one."

To Read More of This Article, Click Here

More Top Stories for ReggieBushOnline.com

06/14/06 - Reggie Bush Planning Refurbishment for Gormley

06/07/06 - For Saints and Fans, the Reggie Bush Era Is a Sign Of Hope

06/03/06 - Even At Full Speed, Reggie Bush Can't Elude Reggie-Mania

06/02/06 - Saint Reginald - Reggie Bush

March
•Reggie Bush Vows to Focus on Football

February
•Bush teams with Shaq to host All-Star charity event
•Dog thinks 2 $900 Super Bowl tickets tasty treat
•Boonton man scores big with Super Bowl tickets
•Dog thinks 2 $900 Super Bowl tickets tasty treat

Super Bowl Weekend
•OK!'s Guide to the Super Bowl Parties
•"Hannah" primed to claim Super Bowl weekend
•Paris Hilton, Ludacris party alongside 50 Cent at pre-game Super Bowl concert

January
•Reggie Bush Engaged to Kim Kardashian?

December
•Eagles vs. Saints Preview 12/23/07
•Bush Hoping to Play Against Eagles 12/18/07
•Cardinals 24, Saints 31
•Bush Out For the Year 12/12/07
•Falcons 14, Saints 34 12/10/07
•Falcons vs. Saints Preview 12/10/07
•Buccaneers 27, Saints 23 12/02/07
•Buccaneers vs. Saints Preview 12/02/07


•2007 News
•2006 News
•2005 News