data-mm-id=”_xac157l7g”>Tom Benson's legacy in the NFL and New Orleans is complicated. From repeated rumors of moving the team from New Orleans to the legal issues he faced near the end of his life, Benson was a polarizing figure around the league. But no one can deny that he made a genius move when he bought the Saints on this day in 1985 for $70,204,000. Forbes most recent valuation of the Saints was $2.275 billion. While inflation would increase Benson's purchase of the Saints from $70 million to around $171 million today, it's clear he made a smart investment when he bought the team from John Mecom. After buying the Saints, Benson had an up-and-down career as their owner. The highs started immediately when he hired Jim Mora as coach and they made their first playoff appearance in 1987. The Saints also won their first Super Bowl in 2009 and Benson's celebratory sideline dancing in the waning seconds of wins, replete with an umbrella in true New Orleans fashion, made him a popular man among casual fans. Things weren't always perfect, however. Rumors circulated in 2001 that Benson was considering relocating the team amidst negotiations with Louisiana over renovation funds for the Superdome. In 2005, reports indicated he was considering a permanent move to San Antonio after the team was forced to play there because of Hurricane Katrina. Those rumors put a damper on his reputation around New Orleans, but ultimately didn't come to fruition as the NFL committed to keeping the team there. Benson passed away in 2018 and his third wife Gayle took over as Owner/Chairman of the Board. His adopted daughter from his first marriage, Renee, and grandchildren, Ryan Benson LeBlanc and Rita Benson LeBlanc, were originally expected to take control of the Saints, but Benson changed his will in 2014, which led to a legal dispute. Gayle ultimately retained control of the team. Regardless of the ups and downs, Tom Benson (along with help from Sean Peyton and Drew Brees) transformed the Saints from the laughingstock of the NFL to one of the top teams to play for. On this day 35 years ago, that journey started.
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What the papers say
Mohamed Salah remains a target for clubs in the Saudi Pro League but they will have to wait beyond January, according to the Daily Mirror. Liverpool are not expected to agree to a mid-season sale for the 31-year-old forward with bids expected to come in the summer.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is likely to concentrate on loan deals in January, reports the Daily Mirror. The club needs to offload players before making any signings with reinforcements on the cards after a string of injuries.
Steve Cooper has emerged as a potential option as manager at Crystal Palace after his sacking at Nottingham Forest, according to The Daily Telegraph. Roy Hodgson’s future in charge of the club is uncertain.
Crystal Palace are interested in Paris St Germain…
Napoli squandered a two-goal lead as Lorenzo De Silvestri snatched a 2-2 draw for Bologna against the Serie A champions, who appear set to lose Scudetto-winning coach Luciano Spalletti.
Spalletti said a decision has been made on his Napoli future before kick-off, with many expecting the Partenopei boss to depart, yet his side initially appeared far from distracted at Stadio Renato Dall Ara.
Victor Osimhen seized on an early Lukasz Skorupski mistake to open the scoring before doubling his – and Napoli s – tally after 54 minutes with a powerful finish across goal.
However, Lewis Ferguson halved the arrears just past the hour before De Silvestri headed home with six minutes remaining, and only the offside flag denied Nicola Sansone a late winner as Napoli were …
Robert Lewandowski has stepped up his recovery from a knee injury as Bayern Munich aim to overturn a first-leg deficit against Paris Saint-Germain without their prolific striker.
Lewandowski suffered damage to his right knee while on international duty with Poland in March, ruling him out of both games against PSG in the Champions League quarter-final tie.
However, Bayern were able to provide a positive update on Monday, with the 32-year-old resuming running duties at the club s training facilities.
In his absence, the reigning European champions were wasteful in the first meeting with their French opponents last week, resulting in a 3-2 loss on home soil.
Hansi Flick s side had 31 attempts, the most in a single Champions League fixture since the star…
Erik ten Hag says Lisandro Martinez’s knee injury “doesn’t look good” and the concerned Manchester United boss is praying centre-back has avoided a “personal disaster”.
The 26-year-old looked crestfallen after being forced off on just his fourth appearance since returning from four months out following the reoccurrence of a foot issue.
Martinez was surrounded by concerned United team-mates in the second half after going down clutching his right knee having been landed on awkwardly by West Ham full-back Vladimir Coufal.
The Argentina international was able to continue for a short period, only to pull up again and eventually trudge down the touchline to supportive chants from the Old Trafford faithful.
Ten Hag is fearing the worst and says “we…
Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou has acknowledged Liverpool’s trophy-laden era during the 1970s’ and 1980s’ planted the seeds for him to become a manager.
Postecoglou has made no secret of his childhood love for Liverpool and recalled on several occasions how he used to watch matches in the early hours of the morning in Australia with his dad Jim.
Kenny Dalglish was an early hero for the 58-year-old and he believes watching the teams of Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley win European Cups helped shape his pathway to a coaching career that has seen him manage across the globe.
“I was just consumed by football,” Postecoglou reflected ahead of Saturday’s visit of Liverpool.
“I’ve said before, it wasn’t just playing the game. My infatuation was wit…
Argentina know they will advance to the knockout stage of the Copa America if they end a four-game winless run in their rivalry with Paraguay on Monday.
La Albiceleste have not beaten Paraguay in six years, although three of the four games in the meantime have ended all square.
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni has been frustrated by the frequency with which his side have been held.
The team are unbeaten in 15 games going back to the 2019 Copa America, but they have won only eight of those matches alongside seven draws – including a home World Cup qualifier against Paraguay.
A sequence of three stalemates in a row was broken last time out, though, when Argentina defeated Uruguay 1-0 to move level with Chile at the top of Group A.
I think that the …
Everton are interested in signing Raphael Onyedika from Club Brugge in the summer transfer window, according to . The report has claimed that Everton are among a number of clubs who are keen on Onyedika, and that Belgian side Brugge could sell him.
Onyedika has been on the books of Club Brugge since the summer of 2022 when he joined from Midtjylland. The Nigeria international midfielder has been superb for the Belgian side and has established himself as one of the best and most important players in the team. The 22-year-old has made 17 starts and two substitute appearances in the Jupiler Pro League this season.
Club Brugge are third in the Belgian Jupiler Pro League table at the moment with 45 points from 27 matches, as many as 20 points behind leaders Royale Union Sain…
Stephen Kenny has admitted he does not expect to continue as Republic of Ireland manager when his future is decided next week.
The 52-year-old’s current contract effectively ended with Tuesday night’s 1-1 friendly draw against New Zealand in Dublin and the Football Association of Ireland’s board will meet next week to decide whether to stick or twist.
Public support for Kenny’s tenure waned as the Euro 2024 qualification campaign he had built towards came and went without the success he craved, and he acknowledges that the writing is on the wall.
He said: “Obviously the board are meeting next week. They’ve a decision to make and I respect whatever that decision is.
“Of course, it would be a dream to carry on and manage the team, of course it…
Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick is hopeful his side can take the “positive experiences” from their FA Cup third-round loss into their Carabao Cup semi-final against Chelsea.
Boro were knocked out of the FA Cup by Matty Cash’s late strike in the 87th minute, which took a deflection into the bottom corner.
However, Boro’s attention quickly turns to the Carabao Cup, where they come up against Premier League Chelsea at the Riverside on Tuesday and Carrick hopes his players can take inspiration from their performance against Aston Villa.
He said post-match: “The boys are disappointed, which is good that they’re disappointed.
“It’s not an acceptance of ‘we’ve got beat’, it shows to me, more importantly, how much they felt they were righ…
According to , Barcelona are interested in signing Erling Haaland from Manchester City in the summer of 2025. Agent Rafaela Pimenta, who represents the Norway international, has already met with Barca s sporting director Deco last month to discuss the possibility of his transfer to the Catalan giants.
Only a day before, claimed Haaland had his eye on moving to Barcelona s arch-rivals Real Madrid, and saw the upcoming Champions League duel between the La Liga leaders and the Premier League champions as the perfect opportunity to show his class to his desired destination club.
Meanwhile, the 23-year-old striker is under contract with City until 2027, and his services are likely to cost well in excess of €100 million, for any club intending to prize him away from the Et…