Tom Benson Speaks Out

For the first time on Tuesday, New Orleans Saints and Pelicans owner Tom Benson talked about the difficult decisions he had to make by ousting his former heirs from the family business.  During the interview in Phoenix,  Benson explained his strong feelings regarding both the franchises. 

Benson said how his wife of ten years, Gayle, has been sitting in on more league meetings than ever before.  Although Benson’s heirs question Gayle’s lack of experience and success in her former interior design business, Tom Benson pointed to that history as a plus.  “We got married about 10 years ago and before that she was in business. So it’s nothing new to her. It’s not like somebody who was never in business. She knows the difference. You’ve got to make a profit against a loss.”  Benson emphasized that the plan with Gayle in charge would keep things running the way they are now, with a mostly hands-off ownership allowing the bulk of decisions to be made by the vice president.

See Mike Triplett, Benson Defends Call to Shut Out Heirs, ABC News, March 24, 2015.