Benson breaks silence, fires back at State
 

Benson: You can't hang me and our club and expect us to be nice

06:31 PM CDT on Tuesday, May 24, 2005


WWLTV.com



Saints Owner Tom Benson fired back at naysayers in the press and the Legislature as he attended the NFL Owners meeting Tuesday in Washington.




WWL-TV

Tom Benson speaks prior to the start of the NFL Owners' meetings in Washington, D.C.

Benson, who has stayed largely silent in the face of some barbs from legislators and Governor Kathleen Blanco following his decision to cut off negotiations with the state, said the bad press has been hard to take.


“You can’t have people hanging me and our club all the time and saying the things that have been said about us, which are untrue, and expect us to be nice,� he said to a small gathering of newspaper reporters and Eyewitness Sports.


Benson said he has kept to the deal made by the State in 2001 and he expects the State to do the same.


“We’ve got a contract through 2010,� he said. “They’re the ones talking about breaking the contract. At no time did I say that we were going to leave or break a contract and I’m not going to say that now.�


Benson said he blames the bad economy for the fact that the team’s season ticket sales are woefully lagging. Current totals say the team has sold 25,000 for the upcoming season, versus 50,000 season tickets at the same time a year ago.


He also said that the bad economy isn’t helping, nor is an ‘out of date’ Superdome. But despite those issues, he said he has no intentions of moving.


“I don’t want to leave New Orleans and the people don’t want us to leave New Orleans, at least the majority of them. Unfortunately, we’ve got a lot of people that watch TV and maybe can’t afford to buy tickets.�

http://www.wwltv.com/sports/saints/s...2a878de88.html

RE: Benson breaks silence, fires back at State
 

Yeah so to all you f-ers have been saying oh he is selling or he is moving the team... blah blah blah.... fall prey to hype and rumors.

RE: Benson breaks silence, fires back at State
 

This is the kind of stuff that I have a MAJOR problem with. You had a contract in 1994, and 2001, you jackass. You've asked the State to modify the deal 3 times in 20 years. This is the first time they've come to you, they offer you the best subsidy in football by far, and you say that they should just honor the deal?!?!?

At no time did you say that you were going to leave or break a contract?!?! Are you f-ing serious? A month after YOU broke off talks with the State your attorney made public statements claiming that YOU had contacted officials in San Antonio and Albuquerque about relocation. What is that Tom? I guess you didn't "say" you were going to leave, but your supposed actions highly suggested that is your intention. Backing off from that stance now that your ticket sales dropped by half huh? Ever heard the phrase, "actions speak louder than words?"

I need to stop. Bottom line, Tom Benson is a lying piece of sh!t, and he got burned trying to play the fear card and now he's backing off and trying to play the victim role. Screw you Tom. I want the Saints to stay in New Orleans, but I hope the State doesn't offer you a penny more. Give the team to Leblanc and go sail away in your 122-foot boat.

RE: Benson breaks silence, fires back at State
 

This is the kind of stuff that I have a MAJOR problem with. You had a contract in 1994, and 2001, you jackass. You've asked the State to modify the deal 3 times in 20 years. This is the first time they've come to you, they offer you the best subsidy in football by far, and you say that they should just honor the deal?!?!?

At no time did you say that you were going to leave or break a contract?!?! Are you f-ing serious? A month after YOU broke off talks with the State your attorney made public statements claiming that YOU had contacted officials in San Antonio and Albuquerque about relocation. What is that Tom? I guess you didn't "say" you were going to leave, but your supposed actions highly suggested that is your intention. Backing off from that stance now that your ticket sales dropped by half huh? Ever heard the phrase, "actions speak louder than words?"

I need to stop. Bottom line, Tom Benson is a lying piece of sh!t, and he got burned trying to play the fear card and now he's backing off and trying to play the victim role. Screw you Tom. I want the Saints to stay in New Orleans, but I hope the State doesn't offer you a penny more. Give the team to Leblanc and go sail away in your 122-foot boat.

Couldn't say it better myself so I'm leaving out the quotes and pretending I did say it.

RE: Benson breaks silence, fires back at State
 

...almost like hearing a player's agent on why he's hodling out... ironic, isn't it?

WhoDat hit the proverbial nail on it's proverbial head. I am with Scotty, well put.

RE: Benson breaks silence, fires back at State
 

The guy is a snake. I can't believe he is saying that he never said he was going to move. Ticket sales are down, but he acts like it's the economy. 25000 tickets is a lot of economic impact. Give me a break. He made his bed, now he's going to lay in it. What an idiot. Good point Whodat. I hope he files this under a lesson learned....probably not though.

RE: Benson breaks silence, fires back at State
 

When considering what is important to Tom Benson, and the type of person that he is, just look at the people has has chosen to surround himself with.

Loomis
I don't think that anyone has ever doubted that Mickey Loomis is nothing more than a bean counter. He has been called that (those exact words) numerous times by players and analysts. Regardless of what you think about Mueller, at least he knew something about talent evaluation - that's how he made his name in the NFL! So Benson replaces him with the money grubber, and the Saints' cap has been one of the best managed in the league for the last few years.

But Loomis isn't serving Benson well. He is clearly far from a war time consiglieri - as evidenced by the fact that Benson has to go to his attorney to represent him in his underhanded schemes. And Loomis is clearly a punk also. What kind of GM throws his coach under the bus as blatantly as he did last season, and then tries to claim that he has always supported the coach weeks later when the team is winning? His as sleezy as Benson.

Rosenberg
Benson's attorney might be the biggest sleez of all of them. Here's a guy who in the last 10 years or so (maybe more like 15) has been removed as a share-holder and even practicing lawyer for a firm that he helped build. Then two of his other business ventures filed bankruptcy, and three of his partners went to jail for savings-and-loan and tax schemes. Tom Benson is his meal ticket. Apparently, his involvement with the Saints is about the only way he can make money, so he seems to have no problem playing Tom's games.



You're right jnormand, it's pretty ridiculous that Benson is blaming the economy. The economy has expanded in the last year - things are better than they were a year ago at this time. Benson did something to piss off the fans and now he's using the fact that fans are pissed as evidence of a poor economy. That, my friends, is what most people call BS!

RE: Benson breaks silence, fires back at State
 

I'd believe Tom Benson on his worst day before I'd believe a politician. especially a ...
to avoid calling either side names and getting into a political debate I'll just say...
a sleazy party known for higher taxes, constant corruption, and enormously wasteful spending programs.

RE: Benson breaks silence, fires back at State
 

Danno - I've worked for and with local and state governments. I current contract to the federal government. While I cannot possibly agree more that the average high-ranking State official is usually a sleazy and/or incompetent politician, that fact does not, in this case, outweigh Benson's actions. I guess you'll have to just trust me, but I couldn't possibly have a lower opinion of government.

That said, how can you trust Benson in the case? You believe that he really isn't making money? That he really is towards the bottom of the league in income? One study suggested that he was consistently in the top 12. Forbes said 6th and 8th in '02 and '03. How can you believe anything this guy says?

Moreover, the issue to me on the State's side isn't whether the Governor is a good one or a bad one... trustworthy or corrupt. My assumption is that they are all untrustworthy, corrupt, and incompetent.

In this case, I looked at the offer made by the State (via the Governor) and the Saints' response (via their owner). IMO, the offer is more than fair. Tom Benson claims its not, though it would increase his already league-leading subsidy even more, guarantying him more money than he is making under the current deal, and allowing for additional incentives. Why would he do that? So then you have to start listening to what the sides are citing as reasons for their positions, sift through the BS, and figure out what is what. In this case, how can you say Tom Benson has operated in good faith? He has lied blatantly, whereas at most, Blanco has sought to skew public opinion in her favor. She has offered a good deal, and Tom Benson has escalated the situation by acting so disrespected by the best subsidy offered in football that he cut of negotiations. He's being unreasonable, underhanded, and deceitful. $737 million isn't enough? How much is? $800 million? $900 million? $1 billion? The State could buy a new franchise and build it a new stadium for that much money. Why should it just give that to Benson? That's totally ridiculous.

RE: Benson breaks silence, fires back at State
 

Did anyone forget that Benson raised the ticket prices about 15%? Coming off of a stellar year and a playoff victory, 15% is about what any greedy bastard would grab. What does that make the NFL's finance committee chairman that he raises ticket prices on an underachieving team in the middle of a statewide recession? Thank god this man's on the side of the common people of Louisiana who only want to see their Saints play.

RE: Benson breaks silence, fires back at State
 

Yeah - here's another interesting fact that Tom Benson won't tell you.

In 2004, the Saints season ticket prices were, on average, $42.36 - third LOWEST in the NFL.
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articl...1/ai_n10176386

Hhmm - maybe Tom Benson is looking out for the little guy after all, right? The average ticket price in the NFL was $54.75 last year, so Tom's nearly 20% lower. Even with the $10 per seat increase in 2005, the team will still sell seats at below the league average for last season. Tom's not such a bad guy after all.

Until you do a little more thinking...

Average ticket price doesn't factor in measures like cost of living. This year, a $53 ticket for a Saints game adjusted for cost of living in Chicago, where I currently live, would cost me roughly $85. The cheapest seat in the brand new Soldier Field is $50 - which is roughly $30 in New Orleans money. The cheapest seat in the Super Dome is $35. Moreover, the Bears offer tickets at a wide and incremental price range. The cheapest seat is $50, but then you have these other options: 3 different seating areas for $55, 1 for $65, 1 for $70, $75, 2 for $80, $83, 2 for $85... The Saints offer seats at $35, $60, $72, $74, $80, $83, $89... etc.

So technically, adjusted for cost of living, for what it would cost a New Orleans resident to see a Saints game from the Terrace (upper) level sideline, I could see a Bears game from the lower level sideline of Soldier field - again that's the relative cost, not the actual.

RE: Benson breaks silence, fires back at State
 

What is the motive of any business in this country? Answer: To make as much money as humanly possible and what the market will bear.
What is the motive of any politician? Answer: To get re-elected, i.e. job security.
Both parties in this issue are acting on greedy self serving motives. The fans and specifically their money are caught in the middle.

I personally don't blame Tom Benson for trying to get as much money as he can. Why stop doing something that has made him extremely wealthy for the past 20 years?

I also don't blame the state for saying enough is enough. In a financially poor state it is impossible to keep meeting financial demands like this.

I feel the onus falls on the league in this case. They are willing to put up $700 - $800MM to get a team back in L.A. but won't do a thing to keep the Saints in New Orleans by helping with the costs of a new stadium that will keep us competitive. Everyone knows that the three premere locations to host a Superbowl are New Orleans, Miami, and Las Vegas. Las Vegas can't host one due the fact that the NFL will never put a team there. If the NFL loses the Saints in New Orleans it just lost one of it's two best options for SuperBowl locations.
Somebody needs to explain to me why a league that makes billions of dollars would risk losing a prime Superbowl city like New Orleans for a few hundred million dollar investment in a new stadium.

Very good question stockman.

Re: RE: Benson breaks silence, fires back at State
 

... you already answered your own question whit your first statement..

... Orleans Parish has about 500,000 people...
...L.A. County has 10,000,000

...not only that, the purchasing power of people in L.A. County is much higher than that of the people in Orleans Parish..

..how much more money do you think the NFL can get from TV deals (networks, cable, DirecTV, etc) if they present the possibility of 10,000,000 viewers vs the possibility of 500,000 viewers?

... obviously not everyone in those counties is a football fan...

.. How many fans do you think the Saints have who actively spend money on Saints related purchases? 100,000? 200,000? 300,000? Even if you include Alabama and Mississippi.. 400,000? 500,000? 500,000 is but 5% of 10,000,000...

RE: Re: RE: Benson breaks silence, fires back at State
 

Regardless of the numbers difference, there is something wrong in LA. Why else would two NFL teams leave, if it were as profitable as claimed? Davis returned to Oakland from LA and Fontiere moved to St. Louis in search of more money. What is St. Louis compared to LA? Apparently it is a place where a team can make money because of an interested fan base which in my opinion will always make LA a loser for the NFL because it lacks the interested fan base.

I certainly don't have all the answers and can't explain the anomolly, but it is there. A the beginning of the '90s there were two teams there. By the end of the '90s the were none. There must be some reason to account for this.

RE: Re: RE: Benson breaks silence, fires back at State
 

How many times has L.A. had a team and lost it? I can think of 2 occasions off the top of my head.
Those fruit cakes could care less about football out there. Those 10 million people can't even sell out an 80,000 seat stadium.
Our base may be small in New Orleans, but everyone is passionate about our team as shown by our attendace with a very bad team for 30 years.

The NFL cannot afford to lose New Orleans as a SuperBowl site and thus should be throwing some cash our way to keep us competitive. If they want a team in L.A. let them move the Cardinals or Chargers whose fans don't attend their games anyway.

Re: RE: Re: RE: Benson breaks silence, fires back at State
 

I totally agree. I will say this over and over again... they don't support football in L.A., they don't support football in L.A., they don't support football in L.A.

Football is not the major past time in California. The Bay area is the only place football is big with San Fran and Oakland. And that's pro football mind you, when did you ever see a packed college game in California... and please don't talk about USC, until they started winning they averaged like 20 to 30 thousand per game.

And another thing, I just don't think Benson will leave.

And another thing, I think you guys are a bunch of negative hardballers. You sound like a bunch of grumpy old men. Go poop on yourself.

I QUIT!

Having spent a regrettable year in LA during the 2000 season, I can relate that the football fans there (and you have to understand that soccer is the football of choice by the majority of the population) were happy to have as many as 6 options for watching NFL on Sunday. Most were happy with that scenario as opposed to being blacked out entirely on one channel because neither the Rams nor the Raiders sold out, cutting their options in half. Despite having good teams, playoff teams, no one went, no one watched, no one bought merchandise. Sometimes the marketplace is right. Maybe the NFL should quit trying to market a product line that just won't sell.

I hope Benson relocates so that the value of his franchise crashes.

Re: RE: Benson breaks silence, fires back at State
 

I tend to disagree with this statement. Businessmen are out to make money, but not at all costs. There is such a thing as business ethics and responsible business practices. If you had a business, would you be willing to lie to millions of people simply to make more money? Being in business does not erase moral and ethical requirements - but it sure does seem those who set the ethical bar lower tend to get a lot further in business, doesn't it?

lets see, i will say we aren't movin so i can sell some tickets, then after we go 8-8 and i have a 90 day period after the season when I can opt out and leave or threaten.......that is what i will do.

if ur reading between the lines he is full of $h!T

Re: RE: Re: RE: Benson breaks silence, fires back at State
 

..as I posted on another thread:

do the names Al Davis and Georgia Frontiere ring a bell?

..don't get me wrong.. I dn't want the Saints going anywhere... I'm just looking at it from the perspective of the TV deal..