Admittedly, it’s a confusing story.
But Saints players were shocked by the news that owner Tom Benson was changing his will, to take control of his assets out of the hands of his daughter and granddaughter and into the hands of his current wife.
“This is the first I’m hearing of it,” quarterback Drew Brees said, via Katherine Terrell of the New Orleans Times-Picayune. “I’ll have to go and read.”
For Drew, the short version is Benson decided that his daughter Renee Benson and grandchildren Rita Benson LeBlanc and Ryan LeBlanc will no longer take over the Saints or the NBA Pelicans when he dies. Instead, control goes to his wife, Gayle Benson.
That has triggered an immediate lawsuit by the daughter and the grandkids, saying the wife is manipulating the owner and he’s incapable of knowing what he’s doing, and a statement from Tom Benson saying he’s fine.
While they didn’t know the details of the news, Brees did say he was fond of Gayle Benson, who frequently accompanies her husband to practice.
“I absolutely love Gayle, I think she’s one of the sweetest people,” Brees said. “I know she’s one of our biggest fans. Her presence at practice with Tom ... and the way she treats the wives and the players, she’s first class. She’s been great.”
Tight end Jimmy Graham echoed those sentiments.
“Gayle Benson is one of the sweetest ladies I’ve ever met in my entire life,” he said. “Every day she comes to practice and gives me a smile and a big hug. She emulates everything that Tom Benson has done with the franchise, and I’m excited for her.”
While the impact of this story goes far beyond the player level, the fact they were caught so off guard by the news indicates how amazing it actually is.
