Saints and Pelicans Owner TOM BENSON in several meetings at Saints HQ last week "talked at length about his work, joked amiably with colleagues and guests and recalled friends and events from years ago," according to Ken Belson of the N.Y. TIMES, who profiles Benson under the header, "A Messy Family Battle For New Orleans Teams." Benson said of the lawsuit filed by his daughter and grandchildren seeking control of the teams, "Was I surprised? I think so, because when your family attacks you, it’s kind of hard to take, hard to understand. At first, I couldn’t believe it, you know. But I finally accepted it, and hopefully it will work out all right. The only bad thing is, you just go your way and leave us alone, you know?" Belson writes, "By outward appearances, at least, Mr. Benson remains engaged." Benson "sipped Coke from a glass" that his wife, GAYLE, kept refreshed, as he "asked about budgets and timetables and playfully needled an underling." When he "heard that the Saints’ media guide was being prepared for the coming season, though, he issued a command." He said, "Now that Gayle is going to be more involved, I want her to have a separate page." Benson said of continuing to run the team despite being 87, "Some people like to play golf; I like to come to work. Nobody makes me come here. It’s what I like to do." Gayle Benson said that the she and her husband "are apart only three days a year." She said, "I’m with him 24 hours a day. We have a very close relationship. He tells and talks to me a lot about what’s going on" (N.Y. TIMES, 3/9).
