New Orleans lost a friend Sunday.

Former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue died at his home in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, at the age of 84. His health had been in decline for months as he battled Parkinson’s disease. The apparent cause of death was heart failure.

New Orleanians will forever owe a debt of gratitude to Tagliabue for his service to the city and Gulf Coast region in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. In the final year of his 17-year tenure as commissioner, he deftly managed the crisis and spearheaded the New Orleans Saints’ return to the city.

It's too simple to say the Saints wouldn't have returned to New Orleans if it weren't for Tagliabue. But it's fair to say they wouldn't have returned as successfully as they did without his shrewd leadership.

One of Tagliabue's favorite sayi

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