The renovated Fawcett Stadium, "one of the cornerstone pieces" to the Pro Football HOF's new village concept, "will be named Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium" after the Saints owner donated $11M to the expansion efforts, according to a front-page piece by Todd Porter of the Canton REPOSITORY. HOF President & Exec Dir David Baker "talked with Benson about the idea of a significant gift toward the sports and entertainment complex." Within a week, Benson agreed to not only donate $10M, but "another million" on top of that. Although Benson "didn't purchase the naming rights to the stadium," the HOF is honoring "the largest gift in the Hall's history" by renaming the stadium. The HOF's decision is similar to what it did when its research center was built and late Bills Owner Ralph Wilson Jr. "made a significant gift to make that happen." The stadium is currently "named after John A. Fawcett, a former Canton City Schools Board of Education member and standout athlete." The HOF has agreed with Canton City Schools to "commemorate the memory of Fawcett in special exhibits" at both Benson Stadium and the HOF. Benson's gift, along with $10M from the state of Ohio, "just about pays for" the $24.3M stadium renovation (Canton REPOSITORY, 11/24). ESPN.com's Mike Triplett noted $10M of Benson's donation "will go toward renovating Fawcett Stadium," with $1M going to the HOF's Legends Landing Program, "a new, mixed-use residence that includes room for retired players" and HOFers (ESPN.com, 11/23).
TOM TERRIFIC: Benson in a letter to fellow NFL owners wrote that his donation "was partly motivated by the bad publicity the NFL has received for abuse scandals involving high-profile players Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson and its perceived disregard for player safety." In New Orleans, Jeff Duncan notes Benson "also challenged his peers to match his contributions." His donation is "the first by an NFL owner toward the project." Benson's relationship with Baker "spans almost two decades," as Baker served as AFL Commissioner "when Benson launched the New Orleans VooDoo." Baker said, "I have a great affection for Tom Benson. This was not about naming rights or his legacy but about what he could do for youth football, the legends of the game and perpetuating the game for others. This is an act of generosity and an interest not in the buildings, but what those programs can do for people" (
NOLA.com, 11/24). Baker said Benson "wasn't just generous -- he was beyond generous" (
Baton Rouge Advocate, 11/24).
LIVING LEGENDS: THE MMQB's Peter King notes the idea behind the Legends Landing is to create a "central place for medical and physical help for needy players, and housing for former players who need a hand." With the HOF "running more and more educational programs for local schools ... imagine the benefit of having scores of former players on campus as resource people." The proposed facility would cost around $75M and "serve up to 500 players a year." King: "With brain trauma and other long-term health issues so prevalent, it's past time the league's owners follow Benson's lead and help fund a facility where, as Benson says, the legends can land" (MMQB.SI.com, 11/24).
