Saints' owner attacks TV camera [Archive] - Front Office Football Central

View Full Version : Saints' owner attacks TV camera

albionmoonlight

10-31-2005, 09:41 AM

Tom Benson and the New Orleans Saints, doing their best to make sure that the Minnesota Vikings are not the biggest public embarrassment to the NFL this year . . . .

http://www.wwltv.com/sports/stories/WWL103005benson.11855f9f.html (http://www.wwltv.com/sports/stories/WWL103005benson.11855f9f.html)

Saints owner Tom Benson lunged at an Eyewitness News camera, ripping off a microphone and then got into a shouting match with a fan upon leaving Tiger Stadium Sunday.

According to Eyewitness Sports’ Lee Zurik, he and cameraman Mike Bland were in the press box with about five minutes to go when he saw Mr. Benson leaving the game.

Zurik and Bland went downstairs to get some video of Mr. Benson leaving and were "7 to 10 feet from him" when Benson lunged and then swatted at the camera, ripping off a microphone that was attached.

Zurik said Benson then got into an argument with a fan and tried to lunge at him as well.

Benson has been publicly criticized for his apparent interest in moving the team to San Antonio full time. Though Benson has not said that he is interested in moving and he took out a full-page ad and ran television commercials this week stating his intention to return home, the mayor of San Antonio has been quoted as saying the Saints owner wants to relocate there.

NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue was at the game and Benson was scheduled to meet with Governor Kathleen Blanco.

rkmsuf

10-31-2005, 09:42 AM

good thing he didn't stab someone with his little umbrella

Eaglesfan27

10-31-2005, 11:50 AM

It was on the news quite a bit here last night. Ugliest incident I've ever seen for an owner.

st.cronin

10-31-2005, 12:24 PM

Can the NFL buy him out? What a shithead.

Karlifornia

10-31-2005, 01:49 PM

Money can't buy you class

WrongWay

10-31-2005, 02:22 PM

Hey, laugh all you want, but think about this: If a Player had done this what kind of suspension and fine would the NFL be handing down today?

BTW--- Watch for the race card to be talked up as the NFL looks the other way on this.

rkmsuf

10-31-2005, 02:24 PM

WrongWay

10-31-2005, 02:26 PM

Wasn't Marge Schott suspended for a number of years?

moriarty

10-31-2005, 02:28 PM

Hey, laugh all you want, but think about this: If a Player had done this what kind of suspension and fine would the NFL be handing down today?
.

What, are they going to suspend him from owning the team, or suiting up this weekend?

BTW--- Watch for the race card to be talked up as the NFL looks the other way on this.

:confused: I must have missed something here, but I didnt' see anything racial in this.

rkmsuf

10-31-2005, 02:29 PM

Wasn't Marge Schott suspended for a number of years?

I guess. I say leave the old man alone. Have him issue an apology and move on.

rkmsuf

10-31-2005, 02:30 PM

:confused: I must have missed something here, but I didnt' see anything racial in this.

I guess the hypothesis is if Benson was black then white America would be in an uproar.

An utterly ridiculous hypothesis.

WrongWay

10-31-2005, 02:36 PM

OH come one people, you know if the NFL doesn't do something you know it is comming. Sorry, but with the NBA & MLB suspensions handed down for going after Fans you know someone is going to make a comparison.

st.cronin

10-31-2005, 02:37 PM

WrongWay

10-31-2005, 02:40 PM

you're an odd duck
I just expect the worst out of people.

The same people that blame me for slavery in America will make the connection.

albionmoonlight

10-31-2005, 02:44 PM

When you see someone playing the race card, point me to the link. Otherwise, I find your speculation to be very self serving. "Those people will make a racial issue out of this. [pause] See, that's why I hate those people; they make racial issues out of everything."

A better analogy would be to Kenny Rogers--both are guys who recently attacked innocent cameramen.

st.cronin

10-31-2005, 02:49 PM

I just expect the worst out of people.

The same people that blame me for slavery in America will make the connection.

People blame you for slavery in America?
:confused:

moriarty

10-31-2005, 02:50 PM

People blame you for slavery in America?
:confused:

I'm pretty sure he had something to do with it, I just cant prove it ... yet.

WrongWay

10-31-2005, 02:53 PM

People blame you for slavery in America?
:confused:
You can't be this naive.

Also, it is still to soon to expect a response from the NFL. I am sure they have their ear to the ground and will do whatever their focus groups tell them to do. I would bet on a 2 game suspension.

moriarty

10-31-2005, 02:56 PM

I'd vote for two days confinement to the super dome.

Raiders Army

10-31-2005, 03:05 PM

The same people that blame me for slavery in America will make the connection.
I blame you for slavery in America, but I don't make the connection. As a matter of fact, my co-worker asked me today who was to blame for slavery and I told him you were. Then he clarified and said slavery in Asia. I told him you were responsible for that as well.

Raiders Army

10-31-2005, 03:05 PM

Dola, now he's looking to kick your ass.

WrongWay

10-31-2005, 03:08 PM

I was there when the African Kings sold everyone into slavery. :D

Antmeister

10-31-2005, 06:56 PM

I was there when the African Kings sold everyone into slavery. :D

I hate time travellers. I knew there was one sole person responsible for this outrage and it is nice that I can now pin it on you. So why did you do it, you bastard? And how did you build that damn time machine that messed up everything?

panerd

10-31-2005, 07:18 PM

I hate time travellers. I knew there was one sole person responsible for this outrage and it is nice that I can now pin it on you. So why did you do it, you bastard? And how did you build that damn time machine that messed up everything?

This has nothing to do with the discussion, but your post just gave me the urge to add Primer to my netflix queue and try and finally figure that fucker out.

10-31-2005, 10:16 PM

I thought Al Gore invented slavery.

Pumpy Tudors

10-31-2005, 10:54 PM

BTW--- Watch for the race card to be talked up as the NFL looks the other way on this.
You are the worst gimmick this forum has ever seen, and I remember Groundcat.

WrongWay

11-01-2005, 07:24 AM

You are the worst gimmick this forum has ever seen, and I remember Groundcat.
Gimmick???

You have been playing to much TEW2005. Rip Chord is my hero.

We love you Rippster; take that Dr. Johnny Fever. :D

Rizon

11-01-2005, 09:13 AM

He lunged at the camera for no reason? It doesn't say if the guys said something to him, or he just went nuts. He probably thought the guy was carrying an RPG launcher.

PilotMan

11-01-2005, 09:43 AM

When I read the title I got the visual image of an old man jumping onto the camera and gowling and chewing on it like a wild animal.

albionmoonlight

11-03-2005, 08:22 AM

Another update:

http://www.wwltv.com/sports/stories/WWL110305zurik.21541f13.html

(Editor's note: The following is a letter that NFL sources say Saints Owner Tom Benson sent to the league. It was dictated to Eyewitness Sports' Lee Zurik)

Paul, Roger, Jeff,

My trip to Baton Rouge was a total disaster. As my wife and the rest of my party left the suite, well before the end of the game, we were attacked by a number of hecklers who shouted obscentities at me and my party and put my wife and family in danger. Security was inadequate and nonexistent and we were led out through a hostile crowd on a very long route. If it had not been for my grandson and his friend, we could have all been severely injured or killed. In addition, the media was forcing cameras in our faces and slowing down our escape from a very dangerous situation and experience. We finally escaped without serious injury, but only due to luck and the intervention of my grandson and his friend. Secruity had completely abandoned us.

After this traumatic experience, 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. No person, much less the owner of an NFL team, should have either he, his family, or his friends subjected to this form of danger, intimidation, and abuse. We will not be back in Baton Rouge for any reason. I was advised not to go, but wanted to support the league. It was my mistake. I wanted each of you to know of this miserable experience and disappointment to me after i had tried to cooperate in every way.

Sincerely,

Tom Benson

Bill Bidwell has to be pissed that his title of most hated NFL owner is going to be challenged for the first time in years . . . .

On a more speculative note--one wonders who leaked the email--which the Saints confirm was sent. If it was Benson himself, then he really wants to be hated in Louisiana. If it was someone in his office, then he has a mutiny on his hands. If it was someone in the NFL office, then they seem willing to take the PR hit of one of their owners being hung out to dry in order to . . . hang him out to dry.

Either way, its interesting to see the NFL, the most PR savy business that I have ever seen, try to deal with Benson's issues, the "don't loot the Saints" mentality, the fact that no one knows if New Orleans can actually support an NFL team anymore, and the fact that Los Angeles is the 500 pound pink elephant hovering over the whole situation. They are going to have to tread very carefully with this whole thing. The only thing they have going for them is the fact that it's the Saints--one of the lowest profile teams in the league. If something similar were going on with the Cowboys and Jerry Jones, it would be all anyone was discussing.

Raiders Army

11-03-2005, 08:32 AM

While I don't necessarily agree with his interpretation of the events, he has some good points.

WrongWay

11-03-2005, 08:36 AM

Interesting; reads like the NFL's message to Model saying that they could not guarantee his safety when the Ravens played the Browns in Cleveland.

My money would be that Benson's team released the memo to aid in their case for relocation. And, last time I checked Al Davis still claims he owns the rights to the LA area.

I still have not figured out how the NFL would try to add another team to their members? I think everyone has learned something for MLB's expansion problems. Trying to add another 8 teams to the NFL, 1 to each division, would be a dissaster.