NEW ORLEANS — New Orleans Saints and Pelicans owner Tom Benson — and the current power structure he has set up — have cleared a crucial legal hurdle in a struggle for control of the NFL and NBA teams. Orleans Parish Civil District Court Judge Kern Reese ruled Thursday that the 87-year-old Benson remains competent to run his nearly $2 billion business empire as he sees fit. Associated Press reporter Brett Martel reports the ruling means Benson's decision to oust his daughter and her two children from ownership positions with the sports franchises will stand.
Benson posted the following statement on the New Orleans Saints website:
Gayle and I wish to thank the entire community for the overwhelming support that we have received during this trying time. Through it all, our fans and our sponsors showed unwavering support for our Saints and Pelicans.
We just finished minicamp in front of so many of our great fans and I cannot wait for training camp to start in late July.
On Monday, we will introduce our new Pelicans Head Coach Alvin Gentry. Our football and basketball teams are my focus and that is what has me excited.
And finally, I would like to personally and sincerely thank everyone that worked on this case on our behalf – the lawyers and the staff at the Saints and Pelicans. Now I say let's go win another Super Bowl and an NBA Championship.
