Column on Saints’ move to Jacksonville for season opener sparks Twitter war

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A New Orleans paper columnist is nether occurrence from Jacksonville metropolis officials and Jaguars fans implicit an nonfiction astir the New Orleans Saints moving their play opener to TIAA Bank Field.

The Saints chose Jacksonville to play their archetypal regular-season game against the Green Bay Packers due to the fact that of the extended harm successful New Orleans from Hurricane Ida.

New Orleans Times-Picayune columnist Jeff Duncan wrote an article entitled “The wrong communicative of however the Saints picked Jacksonville for their ‘home’ opener.” In the article, Duncan starts disconnected by writing:

“‘What a anserine spot to play!’

“‘Who wants to spell determination to ticker a game?’

“‘Of each the Florida cities, this is the 1 we pick?!’

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“Well, actually, yes.

“Jacksonville’s comparative inaccessibility and unattractiveness arsenic a destination determination were the exact reasons the Saints elected to play there.”

The column, which Duncan tweeted retired connected Wednesday, was instantly met with a effect from metropolis of Jacksonville spokesperson Nikki Kimbleton, who tweeted:

“Wow. What a classless and hateful article. Never successful my 25 twelvemonth vocation successful quality would I imagination of insulting a metropolis and each of its residents. Especially erstwhile they are being hospitable. I could stoop to your level but instead; Enjoy your travel to Jax covering the crippled and beryllium well.”

In the article, Duncan goes connected to explicate each of the reasons wherefore TIAA Bank Field was chosen by the Saints for the crippled connected Sept. 12, including hurricane harm successful New Orleans from Ida, NFL requirements, and the assertion that Green Bay fans won’t privation to sojourn Jacksonville, giving New Orleans the advantage.

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“If you were a Packers fan, wherever would you alternatively travel? South Beach? Ybor City? Or Jacksonville?” Duncan says.

Duncan goes connected to write: “Anyone that’s been to Jacksonville knows it’s a gem, with its world-class golf, adjacent beaches and fan-friendly stadium. But the world is it pales successful examination to Miami and Tampa arsenic destination location.”

Curry’s first tweet astir the article reads: “We invited your squad and your fans with unfastened arms. And you speech nasty astir our city. The radical of our metropolis are kind, charitable and welcoming. The arms stay unfastened successful look of inexpensive shots.”

About an hr later, the politician responded to different tweet astir the article, saying: “I work it. The file opened with 💩 connected our city. I get the discourse astir strategy. But 💩 stinks anyplace it’s dropped. Jax is simply a bully metropolis with bully people.”

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But it seems each is good betwixt the columnist and the mayor.

Duncan responded to the mayor’s archetypal tweet, saying: “All successful bully fun, Mayor Curry. Saints officials person raved implicit the hospitality of the Jaguars unit and Jacksonville people.”

To which the politician said: “Appreciate it, Have amusive if you marque the trip.”

A metropolis spokesperson told News4Jax the Saints reached retired to Curry, saying the proprietor of the Saints wants to personally apologize to the mayor.

News4Jax besides reached retired to writer Jeff Duncan to spot if helium wanted to remark further but we’ve been incapable to scope him.

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