Hundreds of internal emails show executives of the New Orleans Saints were far more involved than previously known in providing public relations help to Catholic church leaders as they confronted a clergy sex abuse crisis.

The New Orleans Saints clergy abuse scandal has once again taken a large place in headlines, this time right before the Super Bowl is hosted in their own city. This scandal has been one of the dark blemishes on the Saints over the past few seasons,

The Saints, whose owner is friends with New Orleans’s archbishop, fought for years to keep the emails secret.