pmedic920":3870pcz5 said:
I didn’t realize that he also owned the NBA Pelicans
I’m confused though, I was under the impression that one guy couldn’t own a NFL & a NBA franchise in the same city.
Anybody have the details?
We had this discussion some time ago on SaintsReport during the trust lawsuit/competency hearings between Benson and his estranged heirs in 2015. If I'm remembering correctly, I think it has to do with the order in which the teams are acquired. The NFL allegedly is content with their current owners purchasing a franchise in one of the other Big 4 sports leagues (NBA, MLB, MLS), but aren't too keen on allowing one of the owners from one of the aforementioned leagues to buy a NFL franchise.
Whether it's the NFL wanting their owners' primary focus being on their franchise (
their as in the NFL's) instead of just being a new "plaything" for that new NFL owner or the NFL and its owners skeptical of an
outsider coming into their inner circle.
IndyHawk":3870pcz5 said:
I remember when he got the team..
You would see footage of him dancing..It was funny but he cared about making the Saints winners
and lived a nice long life..RIP
He was a godsend for our franchise. For the first 18 years of our existence before Benson we never even sniffed a record above .500, much less the postseason. But then he bought the team in 1985, hired Finks and Mora, and had us in the playoffs in 1987 after only 3 years of his ownership. Took us awhile longer to actually win a playoff game, but he started turning us into contenders the minute he bought the team.
pmedic920":3870pcz5 said:
It seems that there was a question as to what would happen to the ownership status of the “Saints” & the “Pelicans”.
NFLN is reporting that there is no “question”, ownership of both teams will transfer to Tom Benson’s widow.
Yeah, Benson's ownership of the teams will transfer to his widow, Gayle. People that haven't completely followed the happenings weren't sure because he
was grooming his granddaughter, Rita, very publicly to takeover in an ownership capacity until the huge public fallout in late-2014 between Benson and the Leblancs: Renee (his daughter from his 2nd marriage) and her two children, Ryan and Rita. Also known among Saints fans as "the 3 R's".
Before the fallout, Benson had established a trust with control of the teams to go to the 3 R's after his passing. However, after all the **** went down, Benson cut all ties with the 3 R's and even though he couldn't remove their names from the trust, he wanted to remove the teams from the it. The 3 R's, livid they were losing their inheritance, claimed he was mentally incompetent when he filed for the teams' removal and they went to court over it. Judge ultimately rules Benson was competent and allowed the removal of the teams from the trust, although he had to replace their value with other assets. So while they're still filthy rich of much more than they deserve, they have no control or ownership of our teams. It was a very wacky affair that still has many Saints fans on the fence of Gayle owning the teams, many on one side still adamant that she is only a gold digger that will ultimately try to sell or move the teams while the other side have enough faith in her that she'll respect Benson's wishes of keeping them here in New Orleans.
