To fully appreciate Tom Benson's legacy, think about the state of the New Orleans Saints when he bought them in 1985. The team had never had a winning season. Not one since 1967.
Mr. Benson brought in Jim Finks as general manager and Jim Mora as coach, and within two years the turnaround had begun. In 1987, the Saints went 12-3 and made the playoffs for the first time.
A playoff victory would elude the Saints until the 2000 season, but the quality of the team he built over the past three decades is undeniable.