Halo

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He also said that the bad economy isn’t helping, nor is an ‘out of date’ Superdome.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

Euphoria

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.

WhoDat

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.

\"Excuses, excuses, excuses. That’s all anyone ever makes for the New Orleans Saints’ organization.\" - Eric Narcisse


\"Being a Saints fan is almost like being addicted to crack,\" he said.[i]\"You know you should stop, but you just can\'t.\"

ScottyRo

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.

Tobias-Reiper

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

saintswhodi

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

jnormand

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.

WhoDat

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!

\"Excuses, excuses, excuses. That’s all anyone ever makes for the New Orleans Saints’ organization.\" - Eric Narcisse


\"Being a Saints fan is almost like being addicted to crack,\" he said.[i]\"You know you should stop, but you just can\'t.\"

Danno

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.

WhoDat

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.

\"Excuses, excuses, excuses. That’s all anyone ever makes for the New Orleans Saints’ organization.\" - Eric Narcisse


\"Being a Saints fan is almost like being addicted to crack,\" he said.[i]\"You know you should stop, but you just can\'t.\"