NFL side New Orleans Saints and NBA team Pelicans have been rocked by the death of their owner Tom Benson.
The 90-year-old passed at the Ochsner Medical Centre in the city peacefully alongside his wife Gayle Marie on Thursday.
He died a month after being hospitalised by flu.
After going from a car salesman to the king of an auto dealership empire, he bought the Saints in 1985 for $70m and his financial backing helped them reach the play-offs two years later.
Benson’s dreams finally came true in 2010 as the Saints won their only NFL championship at Super Bowl XLIV.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said: “Tom Benson’s contributions to New Orleans and the National Football League were legendary.
“He purchased a team that had never had a winning season; by the third year of his ownership, the Saints were in the playoffs.
“Tom kept the Saints together through the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina, and his decision to bring the team back to New Orleans gave the entire region hope and confidence that they would recover.
NOT SO FAB WWE forced into U-turn after claims legend pimped out young females
“The Saints rewarded their fans with tremendous football and a Super Bowl championship.
“Tom loved New Orleans, where he was a generous and caring philanthropist. Within the NFL, he was a true leader among NFL owners.”
LATEST NFL NEWS
The Saints made two NFL title appearances and achieved 11 play-off berths during the billionaire’s time in charge.
In 2012 he spread his wings and entered the basketball world, purchasing the New Orleans Hornets from NBA before changing the team name to the Pelicans.
Benson disowned three heirs in a bitter legal fight back in 2014 over who would inherit the Saints and Pelicans.
He filed a a lawsuit in 2015 to cut his daughter Renee, along with grandchildren Ryan and Rita LeBlanc, out of any ownership stake with the franchises.
Speaking in March 2016, Benson said: “Well, they tried to kill me for one thing.
“I found out they didn’t love me very much, trying to stab me in the back, wanted to take over everything, brought me to court saying I was crazy. You don’t need any more than that.”
He reached a settlement with his estranged family in June 2016 prior to a federal trial getting underway.
Leave a comment