Saints being granted international marketing rights to France makes perfect sense

The New Orleans Saints have entered the NFL's Global Markets Program, and it's no surprise which country the Saints now have access to.

It's no secret that the NFL is basically a worldwide entity at this point. It makes one wonder if the NFL will change its name when they inevitably have teams all over the globe, despite the brand recognition the "National Football League" currently possesses. Their Global Markets Program is an example of their reach, which is a program that gives franchises access to foreign country's markets to grow the brand of the shield. The New Orleans Saints haven't been a part of the program, but now the Saints (among others) join the handful of teams involved.

To the surprise of most likely no one, the Saints will be the lone franchise to stop, drop, shut fem down and open up shop in France. They are the first and only team granted international marketing rights there, and what a way for the franchise to make their debut in the program.

It's easy to see why the Saints of New Orleans will be taking over in France. The French connection in the Big Easy, and the state of Louisiana in general, goes back centuries, and the influence is still felt to this very day.

We honestly don't have time to get into all of the specifics, but you can find examples everywhere. The French Quarter in New Orleans, the logo of the Saints being a fleur-de-lis (which of course is French for "flower" and "lily" respectively) are two of the more obvious ones. Basically, this all makes perfect sense and should be applauded.

Despite having fans worldwide, with the clear effort for more, it's amazing how many decisions the league makes is met with a lot of scorn. The New Orleans Saints setting up their foreign base in France should not be one of them, and it's something that all fans of the franchise should be able to get behind.

Vive la Saints!