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Tom Benson Continues Heavy Involvement With Saints, Pelicans Despite Lawsuit From Family

Team officials and attorneys said that Tom Benson "remains as active and passionate about owning the ... Saints and Pelicans as the days he bought the Crescent City's two major pro sports clubs," according to a front-page piece by Jeff Duncan of the New Orleans TIMES-PICAYUNE. Benson's daily involvement is such that he "was apprised of the various coaching changes the Saints executed after their disappointing 7-9 season." Saints Exec VP & GM Mickey Loomis and President Dennis Lauscha indicated that they "continue to discuss affairs with Benson ... multiple times daily." Benson's "mental acuity was called into question" last week by daughter Renee Benson, granddaughter Rita and grandson Ryan, who filed a lawsuit seeking to have the 87-year-old "declared mentally unfit to run the teams and incompetent to control the trust funds that hold the bulk of his fortune." Tom Benson's attorneys yesterday filed a response "asking that the lawsuit be dismissed and a request for a medical evaluation of the billionaire be denied." Lauscha said, "There is no difference in the way he treats us today than the way he treated us three years ago, five years ago or 10 years ago." He added that Benson "called him multiple times" during the Pelicans' win against the 76ers on Monday night at Smoothie King Center "to question him about, among other things, empty seats in the arena's lower bowl and a marketing campaign he saw during the game's television broadcast." Lauscha: "There are no large business dealings that I'm not talking to Tom Benson on -- on a regular basis." Duncan notes Benson has "assumed a lower profile" in the past year after "undergoing two arthroscopic surgeries on his knee and dealing with post-procedure complications." Loomis said, "You haven't seen much of him in the last year because he's been dealing with the knee issue more than anything else" (New Orleans TIMES-PICAYUNE, 1/28).

FILE IT AWAY: Benson's response yesterday to his family's lawsuit stated that Rita Benson LeBlanc and other relatives he was "grooming to run his empire 'never rose to the task.'" Without "stating why, specifically," it said that he "had good reasons when he recently decided that he will turn over controlling interests in his sports franchises to his wife of 10 years" (New Orleans TIMES-PICAYUNE, 1/28). The response -- filed in New Orleans Civil District Court -- stated, "After years of concern and misgivings about (Renee’s, Rita’s and Ryan’s) abilities to completely participate in and ... take over the management of his businesses, Mr. Benson made the deliberate, reasoned and difficult decision to change course and to name as his successor his loving wife, Gayle Benson, who has stood by his side and assisted him in his personal and business dealings for over a decade." The filing said Renee, Rita and Ryan "are still beneficiaries of various trust interests that Mr. Benson has established for them, and they will continue to enjoy the hundreds of millions of dollars they have been given" (Baton Rouge ADVOCATE, 1/28). Meanwhile, Benson's lawyers yesterday said that he "has kept '100 percent control' over the Saints and Pelicans teams, and his heirs' recent move to overthrow him lacks any proof that the billionaire can't handle his own affairs." Attorney Phil Wittmann said, "These people are trying to take away Tom's right to control his own property, and that's just wrong. ... He's managing his teams well. He's got good people assisting him in doing it." Wittmann added that the suit filed by Benson's relatives "fails to provide any first-hand evidence of a specific ailment 'that would prevent him from making consistent reasoned business decisions or decisions with respect to his personal property'" (New Orleans TIMES-PICAYUNE, 1/28).

GAYLE-FORCE WINDS: New Orleans Times-Picayune columnist Larry Holder said the people running the Saints and Pelicans are "on the side" of Gayle and asked, "What happens if Rita becomes the figurehead of the organization? Are bridges burned?" Holder: "I trust the stability of the organization as it is right now. If I’m a fan and I’m looking in, I’m not sure what Rita is going to do. I know how it’s going to be if Gayle is the figurehead owner. Continuity, I think that brings the most valuable as of right now.” Holder added Rita “was on the outs with a lot of people in the organization,” and he is not surprised “the players are in favor of the current owner’s wife who is signing the checks” (“Black and Gold Today,” NOLA.com, 1/26).

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