The Saints will never be the same again.
The team announced moments ago that owner Tom Benson passed away today at 90.
Benson was hospitalized with the flu on Feb. 16. The team said his wife Gayle Marie Benson was by his side.
Benson bought the Saints in 1985, and was largely responsible for keeping the team in New Orleans, and was a jovial presence on the sidelines among his fans when things were good.
They posted their first winning season two years later, and went onto win a Super Bowl after the 2009 season. But they also survived Hurricane Katrina, a year away from their home, and became a beacon for their city in the years afterward.
Benson also owned the NBA’s New Orleans Pelicans.
Our thoughts are with the Benson family and the Saints at this time.
