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Saints Owner Worried About His Own Safety
Personal safety concerns might keep team owner Tom Benson from returning to Baton Rouge for New Orleans Saints games.
He sent an e-mail Sunday night to NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue, saying he definitely would not go back to Tiger Stadium. Copies of the e-mail were obtained by The Times-Picayune and WWL-TV in New Orleans.
Benson was taunted by fans and had an altercation with a TV camera crew after the hurricane-displaced Saints' loss Sunday to the Miami Dolphins. The anger toward Benson stems from talks he apparently had about relocating the team to San Antonio, where the Saints practice and play some of their home games.
In the e-mail, Benson called security at LSU's stadium "inadequate to nonexistent," and claimed he and his family "could have all been severely injured or killed."
"I will not return to Baton Rouge for any reason, including any games scheduled for the end of this season or a contemplated next season," Benson said in the e-mail. "No person, much less the owner of NFL team, should have either he, his family or his friends subjected to this form of danger, intimidation and abuse."
But in a subsequent statement to The Times-Picayune, Saints spokesman Greg Bensel said Benson sent the e-mail out of frustration and has not decided whether he will attend this weekend's game against the Chicago Bears in Baton Rouge.
"It was an emotional and distressing situation and very unfortunate for him and his family," Bensel said.
NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said Tuesday he is not aware of any security concerns of the Saints in Baton Rouge and said league officials "are not going to discuss communication between owners and our office."
As he and his party were leaving, Benson lunged at a WWL-TV camera, knocking it down and causing a microphone to fall off. Then, he had a shouting match with a nearby fan.
WWL-TV said the cameraman was about seven to 10 feet from Benson and was not in the way of the owner and his family. The station said the Saints did not respond to its request for comment.
The Saints are under contract to play at the Louisiana Superdome through 2010, but certain provisions allow them to opt out before Nov. 29. The facility was damaged in August by Hurricane Katrina.
On Sunday, Tagliabue met with Benson, Gov. Kathleen Blanco and other officials. Tagliabue wants to keep the team in New Orleans.
The NFL said it plans no action against Benson.
Source: AP
He sent an e-mail Sunday night to NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue, saying he definitely would not go back to Tiger Stadium. Copies of the e-mail were obtained by The Times-Picayune and WWL-TV in New Orleans.
Benson was taunted by fans and had an altercation with a TV camera crew after the hurricane-displaced Saints' loss Sunday to the Miami Dolphins. The anger toward Benson stems from talks he apparently had about relocating the team to San Antonio, where the Saints practice and play some of their home games.
In the e-mail, Benson called security at LSU's stadium "inadequate to nonexistent," and claimed he and his family "could have all been severely injured or killed."
"I will not return to Baton Rouge for any reason, including any games scheduled for the end of this season or a contemplated next season," Benson said in the e-mail. "No person, much less the owner of NFL team, should have either he, his family or his friends subjected to this form of danger, intimidation and abuse."
But in a subsequent statement to The Times-Picayune, Saints spokesman Greg Bensel said Benson sent the e-mail out of frustration and has not decided whether he will attend this weekend's game against the Chicago Bears in Baton Rouge.
"It was an emotional and distressing situation and very unfortunate for him and his family," Bensel said.
NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said Tuesday he is not aware of any security concerns of the Saints in Baton Rouge and said league officials "are not going to discuss communication between owners and our office."
As he and his party were leaving, Benson lunged at a WWL-TV camera, knocking it down and causing a microphone to fall off. Then, he had a shouting match with a nearby fan.
WWL-TV said the cameraman was about seven to 10 feet from Benson and was not in the way of the owner and his family. The station said the Saints did not respond to its request for comment.
The Saints are under contract to play at the Louisiana Superdome through 2010, but certain provisions allow them to opt out before Nov. 29. The facility was damaged in August by Hurricane Katrina.
On Sunday, Tagliabue met with Benson, Gov. Kathleen Blanco and other officials. Tagliabue wants to keep the team in New Orleans.
The NFL said it plans no action against Benson.
Source: AP
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