New Orleans Saints Superdome (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
The New Orleans Saints have done the sensible thing, and canceled the final preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals due to weather.
The New Orleans area is expected to be hit by Hurricane Ida, making a rather meaningless football game all the more…well, meaningless. The Saints released a statement:
“The New Orleans Saints announced Friday, Aug. 27 that due to the impending impact of Hurricane Ida on the Gulf Coast region that the team’s preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals has been canceled. The game, which was originally scheduled for 7 pm on Saturday, Aug 28 was moved to noon at the Caesars Superdome.”
Preseason football as a whole is a money-grab outside of a select few players who make it count, nabbing a roster spot at the last possible moment. For the Saints, who named their starting quarterback on Friday in Jameis Winston, there isn’t much value in a final tune-up against the Cardinals.
New Orleans Saints cancel final preseason game
The Saints prioritized the safety of their fans over ticket sales.
“Due to the intensification of the hurricane throughout the day and after the most recent tropical update, the team’s leadership has made the decision in the best interests of all personnel that may have been directly and indirectly affected by the storm. This announcement comes after constant communications with City of New Orleans officials, the National Weather Service, Homeland Security, Governor Edwards and leading state officials and the National Football League. The team encourages all residents of the region to take precautionary measures to remain safe throughout the impending hurricane.”
Saints fans will have to wait until the season-opener on Sept. 12 against the Green Bay Packers to root on their team in person.