New Orleans lost an iconic and polarizing figure when Saints and Pelicans owner Tom Benson died Thurday (March 15) at 90.
Benson opened his sports portfolio when he bought the Saints in 1985. His time as the city’s premier sports figure came with numerous twists and turns, most positive and some negative.
Here’s a timeline of Benson’s sporting endeavors ranging from football to basketball to horse racing:
Benson purchased the Saints from John Mecom.
“To tell you a fact, I was not a big fan,” Benson said in a July 2016 interview.