Saints’ Benson Will Not Be Disciplined For Postgame Actions

NFL VP/PR Greg Aiello said that Saints Owner Tom Benson “will not be disciplined” by the league after being involved in two separate incidents with a fan and a WWL-CBS cameraman while leaving the game against the Dolphins Sunday at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, according to Mike Triplett of the New Orleans TIMES-PICAYUNE. WWL Assistant News Dir Chris Slaughter said that the station “has no plans to file a complaint with the league at this point.” He added that the station tried to talk to team officials, “but those attempts were unsuccessful.” Neither Benson nor the team issued a statement, deferring to Aiello (TIMES-PICAYUNE, 11/1).

NO SUPERDOME DECISION YET: Saints attorney Phil Wittmann declined comment when asked if Benson “has decided whether to exercise a force majeure clause in the team’s lease for the Superdome.” If the Saints invoke the clause before November 29, they could “get out of their contract with the state of Louisiana without paying an $81[M] exit penalty” (Tom Orsborn, SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS, 11/1).

Hardberger Says San Antonio Will Continue To Pursue Saints

TALKS BEGAN BEFORE HURRICANE: San Antonio Mayor Phil Hardberger said that talks with the Saints about relocating to the city “began long before” Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, and that there is “no reason for them to cease as long as Benson is contemplating moving his franchise.” Hardberger: “We will continue our pursuit of the Saints. I’m not going to let a few harsh words of criticism change that.” San Antonio City Council member Kevin Wolff said, “I certainly have sympathy for the people of New Orleans. But this has nothing to do with that. Benson was looking at his options before the hurricane and we were right there in the mix. Now things are only worse in New Orleans” (SAN ANTONIO BUSINESS JOURNAL, 10/31 issue).

BATON ROUGE TICKETS: The Saints have “declined to release any ticket sales numbers” for Sunday’s game against the Bears in Baton Rouge, saying only that tickets “are available in all price ranges.” The team also clarified the process of ticket sales and exchanges, saying tickets “cannot be exchanged to anyone other than the season-ticket holder” and asking for future exchanges to be “completed in advance in an effort to save our fans from the inconvenience of lines on game day” (New Orleans TIMES-PICAYUNE, 11/1).