New Orleans Saints tickets are now on sale here at Front Row USA. Get your New Orleans Saints tickets today and see if Coach Sean Payton and QB Drew Brees can turn this team around and take them not only back into the playoffs, but to the Super Bowl as well!

A Brief History of the New Orleans Saints

   The New Orleans Saints were founded by David Dixon in 1966 as a result of a backroom deal between then NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle and Louisiana Congressman Hale Boggs. Rozelle needed the approval of the US Congress for the upcoming NFL/AFL merger. So he promised Boggs that New Orleans would get the next NFL expansion team in return for the approval of the merger by his congressional committee. Boggs agreed and Rozelle announced on November 1, 1966 (All Saints Day) that an NFL expansion team would start playing in New Orleans in 1967. John W. Mecom, Jr. became the team's first owner. He chose the name Saints from the announcement made on All Saints Day of the franchise award. Tom Fears was the first head coach and the team played their home games in Tulane Stadium until 1975. The Saints share the distinction with 5 other NFL teams of never appearing in the Super Bowl.

   The Saints struggled their first three seasons under Fears, improving each season. However, after 7 games in the 1970 season, Fears was fired and replaced by J. D. Roberts. The Saints won their next game after that with a record braking 63 yard field goal by Tom Dempsey (who has no toes on his kicking foot), however they ended the season with a 2-11-1 record. In 1971 the Saints drafted Archie Manning, a very talented QB (he won his starting game with the Saints). However, even with Manning at the helm, the Saints had losing seasons from 1971 to 1977; going through 3 more coaches, including famed coach Hank Stram. The Saints moved to the Louisiana Superdome in 1975. The 1978 season was Manning's best year under head coach Dick Nolan and in 1979 the Saints had their first .500 season. In 1980, the Saints became the first NFL team to go 1-15 since the change to a 16 game season. Nolan was fired after their 12th loss.

   Bum Phillips was brought in as head coach in 1981. His first season, rookie George Rogers rushed for a record 1,674 yards, but the Saints ended with a 4-12 record in 1981. In 1983 they had their second .500 season. In 1985, Tom Benson bought the team, and Phillips resigned after 12 games that year. In 1986, Jim Mora became head coach and he led the Saints to their first playoff game in 1987. They had a 12-3 season; however, they lost the wild card game to the Vikings. Mora led the Saints back into the playoffs in 1990, to their first division title in 1991, and to the playoffs again in 1992, losing each time. After 3 losing seasons from 1994 to 1996, Mora resigned during the 1996 season.

   In 1997, Mike Ditka, who gained fame with the Bears, became head coach. However, his years with the Saints were turbulent. In 1999, Ditka traded for Heisman trophy winner Ricky Williams, a star running back, and boasted the Saints would make it to the Super Bowl that year. Instead, Williams got injured and the Saints ended the season with a 3-13 record. Ditka was fired. In 2000, Benson hired Jim Haslett as head coach, defensive coordinator of the Pittsburgh Steelers. He led the Saints to their first division title since 1991 and a season record of 10-5, with the team overcoming injuries to Williams and QB Jeff Blake. The Saints won their first ever playoff game; beating the Rams 31-28. For the next 5 seasons, the Saints struggled, even with star running back Deuce McAllister, who had a career high of 1,641 yards rushing in 2003. The 2005 hurricane, Katrina, not only destroyed New Orleans, but the Saints sunk even lower with a 3-13 record as they shifted home games between Baton Rouge and San Antonio. Haslett was fired.

   Sean Payton became the Saints new head coach in 2006 and he turned the Saints around by drafting running back Reggie Bush and signing QB Drew Brees. The Saints went on to win their division with a 10-6 record; winning their second playoff game in franchise history. However, they lost the NFC Championship game to the Bears, 39-14. In 2007, the Saints lost McAllister due to injuries and finished with a 7-9 record. So, get your New Orleans Saints tickets today and see if Payton and Brees can make another comeback and finally put the Saints in the Super Bowl!