Tom Benson loved the New Orleans Saints, but even more he loved the city of New Orleans.
Benson, who died Thursday after a month-long battle with the flu at 90 years old, was a cheerleader for his battered and beloved city. When I think of Benson, in fact, I don’t think of his 33-year reign as Saints owner. I think of his impact on the city of New Orleans. You could quibble with some of his football decisions over the years—the time he gave all power over football decision-making to head coach Mike Ditka in 1997, who then traded every draft pick to select Ricky Williams in 1999, comes to mind—but you cannot question his his affection for where he was born and schooled.