New Orleans Sats Owner Gayle Benson Is the First Lady of Football and the NFL</tle><meta name="tle" ntent="New Orleans Sats Owner Gayle Benson Is the First Lady of Football and the NFL" /><meta name="scriptn" ntent="How New Orleans Sats' owner Gayle Benson beme one of the NFL’s most fluential women." /><meta name="keywords" ntent /><meta property="og:type" ntent="webse" /><meta name="theme-lor" ntent="#000000" /><lk href="/_assets/sign-tokens/townanduntrymag/static/imag/" rel="in" /><meta property="og:se_name" ntent="Town & Country" /><meta name="fb:app_id" ntent="526594570689062" property="fb:app_id" /><meta name="article:publisher" ntent=" property="article:publisher" /><meta name="fb:pag" ntent="344794953432" property="fb:pag" /><meta name="twter:se" ntent="@TandCmag" /><meta name="google-se-verifitn" ntent="mQPiBADe3f4WpT4JNcg9uUChC3qnOhhPLSR4n1urM" /><meta property="og:tle" ntent="How Gayle Benson Beme the First Lady of Football" /><meta property="og:scriptn" ntent="How New Orleans Sats' owner Gayle Benson beme one of the NFL’s most fluential women." /><meta name="robots" ntent="max-image-preview:large,max-snippet:-1,max-vio-preview:30" /><lk rel="apple-touch-in" href="/_assets/sign-tokens/townanduntrymag/static/imag/" /><meta property="og:image" ntent="" /><meta property="og:image:width" ntent="1200" /><meta property="og:image:height" ntent="600" /><meta name="thumbnail" ntent="" /><meta name="" ntent="" /><meta name="" ntent=" /><meta name="twter:image" ntent="" /><meta ntent=" property="og:url" /><meta name="to-publish" ntent="timely" /><meta property="og:type" ntent="article" /><meta name="twter:rd" ntent="summary_large_image" /><meta name="article:opn" property="article:opn" /><meta ntent="Money & Power" property="article:sectn" /><meta ntent="2021-03-13T00:34:42Z" property="article:modified_time" /><meta ntent="2020-02-01T16:00:00Z" property="article:published_time" /><meta name="sailth.excerpt" ntent="Friday lunch at Galatoire’s are almost as legendary as the rtrant self. 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data-vars-ga-ll-to-actn="How Gayle Benson Beme the First Lady of Football" data-vars-ga-outbound-lk=" class="e9l0kn00 css-10e6ywj e1c1bym14"><span emProp="name">How Gayle Benson Beme the First Lady of Football</span></a><meta emProp="posn" ntent="3" /></li></ol></nav><style data-emotn="css ga81pv">{lor:#030929;font-fay:NewParis,NewParis-fallback,Geia,Tim,serif;font-weight:normal;grid-lumn:1/-1;marg-bottom:0.9375rem;marg-top:0.9375rem;}@media(max-width: 48rem){{font-size:2.5rem;le-height:1.1;}}@media(max-width: 64rem){{font-size:2rem;le-height:1.2;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{font-size:2.8125rem;le-height:1.1;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{font-size:3.25rem;le-height:1.1;}}@media(m-width: 73.75rem){{font-size:3.25rem;le-height:1.1;}}</style><h1 class="css-ga81pv exadjwu10"><span aria-hidn="te" class="css-0 eagam8p0"></span>How Gayle Benson Beme the First Lady of Football<span aria-hidn="te" class="css-0 eagam8p1"></span></h1><style data-emotn="css 107ey2i">{lor:#030929;font-fay:NewParis,NewParis-fallback,Geia,Tim,serif;font-weight:normal;marg-bottom:0.625rem;}@media(max-width: 48rem){{font-size:1.375rem;le-height:1.2;}}@media(max-width: 64rem){{font-size:1.25rem;le-height:1.2;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{font-size:1.3125rem;le-height:1.2;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{font-size:1.75rem;le-height:1.2;}} a{-webk-text-ratn:unrle;text-ratn:unrle;text-ratn-thickns:0.0625rem;text-ratn-lor:her;text-unrle-offset:0.25rem;lor:her;-webk-transn:all 0.3s ease--out;transn:all 0.3s ease--out;} a:hover{lor:#9a0500;text-ratn-lor:borr-lk-body-hover;}</style><div class="css-107ey2i exadjwu8"><p>New Orleans Sats owner Gayle Benson is one of the NFL’s most fluential women, but ’s her mov off the field that make her a power player.</p></div><style data-emotn="css jie748">{lor:#9a0500;font-fay:Terma,Terma-fallback,Helveti,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:0.70003rem;le-height:1.4;marg-bottom:0.625rem;text-transform:upperse;}@media(m-width: 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o9c7xd">{font-fay:Charter,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-size:1.1875rem;le-height:1.6;}{float:left;text-transform:upperse;font-weight:bold;marg-right:0.9375rem;marg-bottom:-0.625rem;marg-top:0;}{lor:#030929;font-fay:NewParis,NewParis-fallback,Geia,Tim,serif;font-size:3.8431rem;font-weight:normal;le-height:1;}@-moz-document url-prefix(){{marg-top:0.625rem;}}@media(max-width: 64rem){{font-size:3.75rem;le-height:1.15;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{font-size:3.75rem;le-height:1.15;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{font-size:6.25rem;le-height:1;}} em{font-fay:Charter,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-style:alic;} strong{font-fay:Charter,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-weight:bold;}</style><p data-no-id="0" class="body-dropp css-o9c7xd et3p2gv0">Friday lunch at Galatoire’s are almost as legendary as the rtrant self. Found 1905, the French Quarter stalwart is a hive for the social and bs be mon of New Orleans, and, while no one is exactly sure why, midday Friday has always been the zenh for seeg and beg seen. This sunny Friday is no different, as the cy’s gentry stabs at leafy salads and chicken Clemence, and giggly butant toast one another wh flut of pétillant pk champagne. Upstairs, amid the mtard curtas and ­hunter-green wallpaper, the cy’s great lady walks toward her regular table the rner, the one overlookg the honky-tonk of Bourbon Street below.</p><style data-emotn="css 18vfmjb">{font-fay:Charter,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-size:1.1875rem;le-height:1.6;} em{font-fay:Charter,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-style:alic;} strong{font-fay:Charter,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-weight:bold;}</style><p data-no-id="1" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">That there is somethg regal about Gayle Benson is obv the moment you meet her. It’s the serene gaze, the breathy Jacquele Kennedy voice, the refed manner. She is the owner of the cy’s two premier sports anchis (the NFL’s Sats and the NBA’s Pelins), and as she walks down the hall to the dg room, waers and bboys step asi. It’s like the scene <em>My Fair Lady</em> when the queen of Transylvania enters the Embassy Ball and everyone bows and curtsi as she pass. </p><div supprsHydratnWarng data-no-id="2" data-embed="pullquote" class="embed css-0 e9hzx6g0"><style data-emotn="css 1eiql25">{text-align:center;marg:0rem;paddg-top:0.9375rem;paddg-bottom:0.9375rem;}</style><blockquote class="css-1eiql25 e1pe3zr91"><style data-emotn="css 118z4a">{background-lor:#9a0500;lor:#fff;ntent:'';display:block;height:0.125rem;marg:0 to 1.875rem;width:60%;}</style><span aria-hidn="te" class="css-118z4a eagam8p0"></span><style data-emotn="css q6i00s">{lor:#030929;font-fay:NewParis,NewParis-fallback,Geia,Tim,serif;font-size:1.625rem;le-height:1.2;marg:0rem;}@media(max-width: 64rem){{font-size:2.25rem;le-height:1.1;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{font-size:2.625rem;le-height:1.1;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{font-size:2.8125rem;le-height:1.1;}} b, strong{font-fay:her;font-weight:bold;} em, i{font-fay:her;font-style:alic;}</style><blockquote class="css-q6i00s e1pe3zr90"> She was a girl om the wrong si of the bayou who fied society’s expectatns.</blockquote><style data-emotn="css 1fv5ixs">{background-lor:#9a0500;lor:#fff;ntent:'';display:block;height:0.125rem;marg:1.875rem to 0;width:60%;}</style><span aria-hidn="te" class="css-1fv5ixs eagam8p1"></span></blockquote></div><p data-no-id="3" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">Like most royals, Benson is circumspect and impecbly pole. Also like most royals, she has been burned by nuendo, tsive prs fascatn, and heapg dollops of whispered gossip. When you are the third wife of your state’s richt man, and then you have to fend off his scendants for ntrol of his fortune, ’s reasonable to assume that people are gog to pay attentn. But like all great women of style, the Chanel-swathed former terr signer—who today may be the most powerful woman profsnal sports—retas a cloud of mystery she wears as fortably as her pearls.</p><style data-emotn="css 1mtk2uq">{--data-embed-display:flex;-webk-align-ems:center;-webk-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-ems:center;display:-webk-box;display:-webk-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;marg-bottom:0.9375rem;}@media(m-width: 20rem){{clear:both;marg-left:to;marg-right:to;width:100%;}}@media(m-width: 30rem){{clear:both;marg-left:to;marg-right:to;width:100%;}}@media(m-width: 40.625rem){{width:70%;marg-left:1rem;marg-right:0rem;float:right;clear:right;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{width:70%;marg-left:1rem;marg-right:0rem;float:right;clear:right;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{width:60%;marg-left:1rem;marg-right:0rem;float:right;clear:right;}}@media(m-width: 73.75rem){{width:60%;marg-left:1rem;marg-right:lc(-30% - 1rem);float:right;clear:right;}}@media(m-width: 75rem){{width:60%;marg-left:1rem;marg-right:lc(-30% - 1rem);float:right;clear:right;}}@media(m-width: 90rem){{width:60%;marg-left:1rem;marg-right:lc(-30% - 1rem);float:right;clear:right;}} a span{right:1rem;} img{width:to;height:85vh;} a{display:-webk-le-box;display:-webk-le-flex;display:-ms-le-flexbox;display:le-flex;posn:var(--posn, relative);} img:not(.ewcw41w1){display:block;width:100%;height:to;-webk-align-self:flex-start;-ms-flex-em-align:flex-start;align-self:flex-start;}</style><div size="large" data-embed="body-image" data-no-id="4" class="align-right size-large embed css-1mtk2uq e1xqj1sx4"><style data-emotn="css uwraif">{width:100%;display:-webk-le-box;display:-webk-le-flex;display:-ms-le-flexbox;display:le-flex;-webk-flex-directn:lumn;-ms-flex-directn:lumn;flex-directn:lumn;marg-left:to;marg-right:to;-webk-box-pack:center;-ms-flex-pack:center;-webk-jtify-ntent:center;jtify-ntent:center;}</style><div class="css-uwraif e1xqj1sx3"><img alt="NFL Divisnal Playoffs - Arizona Cardals v New Orleans Sats" tle="NFL Divisnal Playoffs - Arizona Cardals v New Orleans Sats" loadg="lazy" width="3888" height="2592" dg="async" data-nimg="1" style="lor: transparent; width: 100%; height: to;" siz="100vw" srcSet=" 640w, 980w, 1120w, 1200w, 1920w" src="" class="css-0 exi4f7p0" /><style data-emotn="css 78jldq">{paddg-left:0rem;}</style><div class="css-78jldq e1xqj1sx2"><style data-emotn="css qtcc4k">{lor:#030929;font-fay:Terma,Terma-fallback,Helveti,Arial,sans-serif;m-width:100%;paddg-top:0.625rem;width:0;}@media(max-width: 64rem){{font-size:0.8125rem;le-height:1.4;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{font-size:0.875rem;le-height:1.4;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{font-size:1rem;le-height:1.6;}} em, i{font-fay:her;font-style:alic;} i, em{font-fay:Terma,Terma-fallback,Helveti,Arial,sans-serif;}</style><div class="css-qtcc4k e1xqj1sx1">Tom and Gayle Benson celebrate after the New Orleans Sats beat the Arizona Cardals durg the NFC Divisnal Playoff Game 2010.</div><figptn class="css-1am3yn9 enfs9c50"><span class="css-16u9763 e6iqd2">Chris Graythen</span><style data-emotn="css 117g3a1">{lor:#595959;font-fay:Terma,Terma-fallback,Helveti,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:0.70003rem;le-height:1.4;paddg:0 0.3rem;text-transform:upperse;}@media(m-width: 40.625rem){{paddg-right:0.3125rem;}}</style><span class="css-117g3a1 e6iqd0">//</span><span class="css-16u9763 e6iqd1">Getty Imag</span></figptn></div></div></div><p data-no-id="5" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">Talkg about her childhood “across the river” Old Algiers, a poor neighborhood, she says that om an early age “I had this eye—this sire—for betiful thgs.” Her sire has been fulfilled. Her holdgs clu a grand mansn, a 600-acre horse farm Lexgton, Kentucky (she has raced two hors the Derby), a home Palm Beach, and a 145-foot yacht. (She also has one of the ft jewelry llectns New Or­leans. “Osr Heyman, Tiffany, Van Cleef—the nice on,” she offers murely.)</p><p data-no-id="6" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">Now, jt for kicks, she’s relnchg Dixie Beer, which was first brewed New Orleans 1907 and which ceased productn 2005. As the widow and prcipal heir of Tom Benson, the r alership and bankg tyon who owned the Sats and the Pelins and who died March 2018, she is now one of the wealthit women the world, wh an timated worth of $3.1 billn—and the only Louisianan on the Forb 400. <br /></p><p data-no-id="7" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">Gayle Benson’s journey to beg the Crcent Cy’s figurative first lady is a distctly Southern tale of termatn, opportuny, and unlikely romance. She was a girl om the wrong si of the bayou who fied society’s expectatns of what a young lady uld and should aspire to. She charmed the most obstate mogul New Orleans and then endured tabloid stori implyg that she was a gold digger who had welshed on her own past bts. Today she is a 72-year-old sociale who is makg her prence known the ­ttosterone-fueled world of profsnal sports. <br /></p><p data-no-id="8" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">“Durg the last year of his life, Mr. Benson would say, ‘I’m not gog to live much longer. Promise me you’re gog to take re of Mrs. Benson,’ ” Sats print Dennis Lscha rells. “But she’s her own woman. We take strength om her.”<br /></p><style data-emotn="css 1736von">{--data-embed-display:flex;-webk-align-ems:center;-webk-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-ems:center;clear:both;display:-webk-box;display:-webk-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;marg-bottom:0.9375rem;marg-left:to;marg-right:to;width:100%;}@media(m-width: 20rem){{width:100%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}}@media(m-width: 30rem){{width:100%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}}@media(m-width: 40.625rem){{width:100%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{width:100%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{width:100%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}}@media(m-width: 73.75rem){{width:100%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}}@media(m-width: 75rem){{width:100%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}}@media(m-width: 90rem){{width:100%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}} a span{right:1rem;} img{width:to;height:85vh;} a{display:-webk-le-box;display:-webk-le-flex;display:-ms-le-flexbox;display:le-flex;posn:var(--posn, relative);} img:not(.ewcw41w1){display:block;width:100%;height:to;-webk-align-self:flex-start;-ms-flex-em-align:flex-start;align-self:flex-start;}</style><div size="medium" data-embed="body-image" data-no-id="9" class="align-center size-medium embed css-1736von e1xqj1sx4"><div class="css-uwraif e1xqj1sx3"><img alt="Automotive sign, Vehicle, Automotive exterr, Footwear, Photography, Tire, Car, Room, Automotive wheel system, Bumper, " tle="Automotive sign, Vehicle, Automotive exterr, Footwear, Photography, Tire, Car, Room, Automotive wheel system, Bumper, " loadg="lazy" width="1883" height="1256" dg="async" data-nimg="1" style="lor: transparent; width: 100%; height: to;" siz="100vw" srcSet=" 640w, 980w, 1120w, 1200w, 1920w" src="" class="css-0 exi4f7p0" /><style data-emotn="css swqnqv">@media(m-width: 20rem){{paddg-left:0rem;}}@media(m-width: 30rem){{paddg-left:0rem;}}@media(m-width: 40.625rem){{paddg-left:0rem;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{paddg-left:0rem;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{paddg-left:0rem;}}@media(m-width: 73.75rem){{paddg-left:0rem;}}@media(m-width: 75rem){{paddg-left:0rem;}}@media(m-width: 90rem){{paddg-left:0rem;}}</style><div class="css-swqnqv e1xqj1sx2"><div class="css-qtcc4k e1xqj1sx1">Benson, seen here wh place kicker Wil Lutz, has been the owner of the New Orleans Sats sce March 2018.</div><figptn class="css-1am3yn9 enfs9c50"><span class="css-16u9763 e6iqd2">Andrew Hethergton</span></figptn></div></div></div><style data-emotn="css 18pb4rg">{borr:0;borr-bottom:th solid black;marg:1.875rem 0;clear:both;}</style><hr data-no-id="10" class="css-18pb4rg et3p2gv0" /><p data-no-id="11" class="body-dropp css-o9c7xd et3p2gv0">Gayle Benson’s mansn ss on a private road Audubon Place, the tonit neighborhood New Orleans, where her neighbors clu Avram Glazer, the -owner of both the Tampa Bay Bucneers and England’s Manchter Uned soccer club, and John Ge, the owner of the <em>Tim-­Piyune</em>. The street is a picturque table of stately ho wh wi porch and whe lumns, manicured lawns, and wdow box overflowg wh hydrangeas and ros.<br /></p><p data-no-id="12" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">Perched on a French provcial chair her stg room, Benson wears a black crepe top and flowg pants om Chanel paired wh a fted whe blazer om Alexanr McQueen and…post-­surgery sho. She has had trouble wh both feet, and she had them operated on simultaneoly, bee Gayle Benson always wants anythg unpleasant dispatched wh as quickly as possible, down to her to.<br /></p><div data-embed="embed-gallery" data-no-id="13" class="embed css-0 ebzsujn10"><style data-emotn="css d4q6s5">{font-fay:NewParis,NewParis-fallback,Geia,Tim,serif;font-weight:normal;marg-bottom:0.625rem;marg-top:0.625rem;text-align:center;}@media(max-width: 64rem){{marg:1.25rem 0 0.9375rem;font-size:1.9375rem;le-height:1.2;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{marg:1.875rem 0 1.25rem;font-size:2.625rem;le-height:1.1;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{font-size:2.625rem;le-height:1.1;}}</style><h5 class="css-d4q6s5 ebzsujn6"><span aria-hidn="te" class="css-0 eagam8p0"></span>The NFL's Female Boss<span aria-hidn="te" class="css-0 eagam8p1"></span></h5><style data-emotn="css 1en1mge">{display:-webk-box;display:-webk-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webk-flex-directn:row;-ms-flex-directn:row;flex-directn:row;-webk-box-flex-wrap:wrap;-webk-flex-wrap:wrap;-ms-flex-wrap:wrap;flex-wrap:wrap;grid-gap:1rem;-webk-box-pack:start;-ms-flex-pack:start;-webk-jtify-ntent:flex-start;jtify-ntent:flex-start;marg-bottom:0.875rem;}@media(max-width: 48rem){ .ebzsujn9{width:100%;}}@media(m-width: 40.625rem) and (max-width: 61.25rem){ .ebzsujn9{m-width:m(20.625rem, lc((100% - 1rem)/2));max-width:m(20.625rem, lc((100% - 1rem)/2));}}@media(m-width: 61.25rem) and (max-width: 73.75rem){ .ebzsujn9{width:lc((100% - 1rem * 2)/3);max-width:lc((100% - 1rem * 2)/3);}}@media(m-width: 73.75rem){{marg-left:max(lc((100vw - lc(20.625rem * 2 - 1rem)) / -2 + 1rem), lc((1rem + 20.625rem) / -1));marg-right:max(lc((100vw - lc(20.625rem * 2 - 1rem)) / -2 + 1rem), lc((1rem + 20.625rem) / -1));-webk-box-pack:start;-ms-flex-pack:start;-webk-jtify-ntent:flex-start;jtify-ntent:flex-start;} .ebzsujn9{width:lc((100% - 1rem * 4) / 5);}}</style><div class="css-1en1mge ebzsujn8"><style data-emotn="css dkcszz">@media(max-width: 64rem){{marg-bottom:1.875rem;}}</style><div class="css-dkcszz ebzsujn9"><style data-emotn="css 1i7xyfd">{marg:0 0 0.3125rem 0;m-width:5rem;} img:not(.ektooqb1):not(.ektooqb0){width:100%;height:to;} img{marg-bottom:0;}</style><div class="css-1i7xyfd ebzsujn5"><style data-emotn="css njwezd">{display:block;paddg-bottom:0rem;text-align:center;vertil-align:top;} figptn{le-height:1.1;}</style><div class="css-njwezd ebzsujn4"><img src="" alt="Helmet, Sports gear, Personal protective equipment, Headgear, Football helmet, Cap, " tle="Helmet, Sports gear, Personal protective equipment, Headgear, Football helmet, Cap, " width="700" height="700" dg="async" loadg="lazy" /><style data-emotn="css id9gvh">{lor:#030929;font-fay:Terma,Terma-fallback,Helveti,Arial,sans-serif;font-weight:normal;marg-bottom:0.625rem;marg-top:0.625rem;}@media(max-width: 64rem){{font-size:0.875rem;le-height:1.4;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{font-size:1rem;le-height:1.4;}}</style><h6 class="css-id9gvh ebzsujn1">Kim Pegula</h6><style data-emotn="css qepz18"> p{marg-top:0.3125rem;marg-bottom:0.3125rem;font-fay:Charter,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-size:1rem;le-height:1.4;} {background-lor:#030929;lor:#fff;display:le-block;} {background-lor:#323232;lor:#ffffff;}</style><div class="css-qepz18 ebzsujn0"><p class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">Buffalo Bills</p></div></div></div></div><div class="css-dkcszz ebzsujn9"><div class="css-1i7xyfd ebzsujn5"><div class="css-njwezd ebzsujn4"><img src="" alt="Helmet, Football tographed paraphernalia, Sports gear, Football helmet, Personal protective equipment, Football gear, Football equipment, Sports llectible, Football fan accsory, Sports fan accsory, " tle="Helmet, Football tographed paraphernalia, Sports gear, Football helmet, Personal protective equipment, Football gear, Football equipment, Sports llectible, Football fan accsory, Sports fan accsory, " width="700" height="700" dg="async" loadg="lazy" /><h6 class="css-id9gvh ebzsujn1">Denise Debartolo York</h6><div class="css-qepz18 ebzsujn0"><p class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">San Francis 49ers</p></div></div></div></div><div class="css-dkcszz ebzsujn9"><div class="css-1i7xyfd ebzsujn5"><div class="css-njwezd ebzsujn4"><img src="" alt="Sports gear, Helmet, Football helmet, Football gear, Football equipment, Football tographed paraphernalia, Personal protective equipment, Face mask, Sports llectible, Sports equipment, " tle="Sports gear, Helmet, Football helmet, Football gear, Football equipment, Football tographed paraphernalia, Personal protective equipment, Face mask, Sports llectible, Sports equipment, " width="700" height="700" dg="async" loadg="lazy" /><h6 class="css-id9gvh ebzsujn1">Virgia Halas McCaskey</h6><div class="css-qepz18 ebzsujn0"><p class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">Chigo Bears</p></div></div></div></div><div class="css-dkcszz ebzsujn9"><div class="css-1i7xyfd ebzsujn5"><div class="css-njwezd ebzsujn4"><img src="" alt="Helmet, Sports gear, Football helmet, Football gear, Personal protective equipment, Football tographed paraphernalia, Football equipment, Face mask, Sports equipment, Headgear, " tle="Helmet, Sports gear, Football helmet, Football gear, Personal protective equipment, Football tographed paraphernalia, Football equipment, Face mask, Sports equipment, Headgear, " width="700" height="700" dg="async" loadg="lazy" /><h6 class="css-id9gvh ebzsujn1">Carol Davis</h6><div class="css-qepz18 ebzsujn0"><p class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">Oakland Rairs</p></div></div></div></div><div class="css-dkcszz ebzsujn9"><div class="css-1i7xyfd ebzsujn5"><div class="css-njwezd ebzsujn4"><img src="" alt="Sports gear, Helmet, Football helmet, Football gear, Football equipment, Football tographed paraphernalia, Personal protective equipment, Headgear, Sports llectible, Football fan accsory, " tle="Sports gear, Helmet, Football helmet, Football gear, Football equipment, Football tographed paraphernalia, Personal protective equipment, Headgear, Sports llectible, Football fan accsory, " width="700" height="700" dg="async" loadg="lazy" /><h6 class="css-id9gvh ebzsujn1">Martha Firtone Ford</h6><div class="css-qepz18 ebzsujn0"><p class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">Detro Lns</p></div></div></div></div><div class="css-dkcszz ebzsujn9"><div class="css-1i7xyfd ebzsujn5"><div class="css-njwezd ebzsujn4"><img src="" alt="Sports gear, Helmet, Football helmet, Personal protective equipment, Football gear, Face mask, Football equipment, Headgear, Football fan accsory, Goggl, " tle="Sports gear, Helmet, Football helmet, Personal protective equipment, Football gear, Face mask, Football equipment, Headgear, Football fan accsory, Goggl, " width="700" height="700" dg="async" loadg="lazy" /><h6 class="css-id9gvh ebzsujn1">Amy Adams Stnk</h6><div class="css-qepz18 ebzsujn0"><p class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">Tennse Tans</p></div></div></div></div><div class="css-dkcszz ebzsujn9"><div class="css-1i7xyfd ebzsujn5"><div class="css-njwezd ebzsujn4"><img src="" alt="Sports gear, Helmet, Football helmet, Football gear, Football equipment, Personal protective equipment, Football tographed paraphernalia, Face mask, Headgear, Sports llectible, " tle="Sports gear, Helmet, Football helmet, Football gear, Football equipment, Personal protective equipment, Football tographed paraphernalia, Face mask, Headgear, Sports llectible, " width="700" height="700" dg="async" loadg="lazy" /><h6 class="css-id9gvh ebzsujn1">Jody Allen</h6><div class="css-qepz18 ebzsujn0"><p class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">Seattle Seahawks</p></div></div></div></div><div class="css-dkcszz ebzsujn9"><div class="css-1i7xyfd ebzsujn5"><div class="css-njwezd ebzsujn4"><img src="" alt="Helmet, Sports gear, Football helmet, Personal protective equipment, Orange, Football gear, Football equipment, Headgear, Sports equipment, Face mask, " tle="Helmet, Sports gear, Football helmet, Personal protective equipment, Orange, Football gear, Football equipment, Headgear, Sports equipment, Face mask, " width="700" height="700" dg="async" loadg="lazy" /><h6 class="css-id9gvh ebzsujn1">Dee Haslam</h6><div class="css-qepz18 ebzsujn0"><p class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">Cleveland Browns</p></div></div></div></div></div></div><p data-no-id="14" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">She grew up on the wt bank of the Mississippi River, one of three children of a supervisor at a pipe-ftg pany and a homemaker. She worked as a secretary, and at the age of 27 began buyg and flippg ho, long before many people were dog . From there she moved on to openg a sign bs. “I was always entreprenrial,” she says, “even gra school.”</p><p data-no-id="15" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0"> It’s not an exaggeratn to say that God brought her to Tom Benson. In 2004, the notorly gmpy 77-year-old tyon was at home, puffg and blowg on an exercise bicycle and ­watchg the morng Catholic Mass on televisn; she was servg as a lector at the service, and he saw her on TV. The next day the widower cid to travel to the church himself for a closer look. He liked what he saw. She didn’t. “He looks at me and go, ‘Who’s this young lady?’ He puts his hand out and I put my hand out,” Gayle rells. “I looked to his big blue ey and I said to myself, ‘Buddy, I’m not terted you.’ He looked like trouble to me.”</p><p data-no-id="16" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">He was. Wh a foul temper and ntrollg meanor, Tom Benson was notor for beg a sore loser and “a gdge holr. If you did somethg wrong, he remembered forever,” Gayle says. Already twice divorced, she was not terted romance. She also found his boastg—about his wealth, his posssns, his bs acumen—off-puttg. “The more he talked, the ls imprsed I was,” she says. “I’m thkg, This guy is too shallow for me.”<br /></p><div supprsHydratnWarng data-no-id="17" data-embed="pullquote" class="embed css-0 e9hzx6g0"><blockquote class="css-1eiql25 e1pe3zr91"><span aria-hidn="te" class="css-118z4a eagam8p0"></span><blockquote class="css-q6i00s e1pe3zr90">She mak her players feel special, whether ’s leavg signed mail clippgs on our lockers or teractg wh our fai at practice.</blockquote><span aria-hidn="te" class="css-1fv5ixs eagam8p1"></span></blockquote></div><p data-no-id="18" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">But she had dner wh him, which led to another, and then another. Dpe herself, Gayle found herself disarmed and fallg for his sense of humor and urtly manners. “Gayle was able to brg out the bt him,” says New Orleans archbishop Gregory Michael Aymond, who watched the uple’s romance blossom om the begng, “and help him velop that more gentle si.”<br /></p><p data-no-id="19" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">Tom Benson hardly unrwent a Scrooge-style transformatn (once, durg a dner party, he got so bored he abptly end the eveng by standg up and clarg that was time for everyone to leave), but there was, those who knew him say, a softeng to his prickly meanor. “He was high for the ws and low durg the loss,” says Mickey Loomis, the Sats’ general manager for almost 20 years. “She’s ls emotnal, more even-keeled. He admired that.”</p><div size="large" data-embed="body-image" data-no-id="20" class="align-right size-large embed css-1mtk2uq e1xqj1sx4"><div class="css-uwraif e1xqj1sx3"><img alt="Wild Card Round - Mnota Vikgs v New Orleans Sats" tle="Wild Card Round - Mnota Vikgs v New Orleans Sats" loadg="lazy" width="1024" height="683" dg="async" data-nimg="1" style="lor: transparent; width: 100%; height: to;" siz="100vw" srcSet=" 640w, 980w, 1120w, 1200w, 1920w" src="" class="css-0 exi4f7p0" /><div class="css-78jldq e1xqj1sx2"><div class="css-qtcc4k e1xqj1sx1">The Sats’ Vonn Bell durg the NFC Wild Card Playoff game agast the Mnota Vikgs.</div><figptn class="css-1am3yn9 enfs9c50"><span class="css-16u9763 e6iqd2">Sean Gardner</span><span class="css-117g3a1 e6iqd0">//</span><span class="css-16u9763 e6iqd1">Getty Imag</span></figptn></div></div></div><p data-no-id="21" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">When the uple got engaged 2004, Gayle’s iends worried that Tom’s dghter and grandchildren om his first marriage might not accept his new wife. Angela Hill, a lol televisn anchor who beiend Gayle the mid-1970s, ma a pot of publicly toastg not what Tom was brgg to the unn but what Gayle was: tst, loyalty, iendship, unndnal love. “When I said that at the rehearsal dner, was really targeted toward—certaly to Tom, but to his fay, too,” Hill says. “I hoped that they would embrace her. It didn’t work out, and ankly ’s their loss.”</p><p data-no-id="22" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">Tom’s dghter Renee Benson LeBlanc, granddghter Ra, and grandson Ryan had all been eply volved the fay bs, but was Gayle who helped Tom get through the aftermath of Hurrine Katra and “Bountygate,” a 2012 sndal on the Sats that volved secret bon beg paid by ach for juri flicted on opposg players. (Tom was not implited.) </p><p data-no-id="23" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">LeBlanc and her children acced Gayle of turng him agast them, so when Tom announced January 2015, at the age of 87, that he was disherg them and leavg his entire tate to Gayle, they filed su to have him clared petent. In the procs they dug up embarrassg tails om Gayle’s past, cludg an alleged arrt and lawsus stemmg om accatns that she hadn’t paid var wag or tax durg her time as an terr signer. Among other transgrsns, the su alleged that Gayle had “systemilly isolated Tom Benson to prevent him om his ual teractns wh fay, iends, and advisers, thereby allowg her to unduly fluence his cisns to her benef.” The tabloids feasted. Tom died March 2018, at age 90, om fluenza. </p><style data-emotn="css gv3b6u">{--data-embed-display:flex;-webk-align-ems:center;-webk-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-ems:center;display:-webk-box;display:-webk-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;marg-bottom:0.9375rem;}@media(m-width: 20rem){{clear:both;marg-left:to;marg-right:to;width:100%;}}@media(m-width: 30rem){{clear:both;marg-left:to;marg-right:to;width:100%;}}@media(m-width: 40.625rem){{width:70%;marg-right:1rem;marg-left:0rem;float:left;clear:left;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{width:70%;marg-right:1rem;marg-left:0rem;float:left;clear:left;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{width:60%;marg-right:1rem;marg-left:0rem;float:left;clear:left;}}@media(m-width: 73.75rem){{width:60%;marg-right:1rem;marg-left:lc(-30% - 1rem);float:left;clear:left;}}@media(m-width: 75rem){{width:60%;marg-right:1rem;marg-left:lc(-30% - 1rem);float:left;clear:left;}}@media(m-width: 90rem){{width:60%;marg-right:1rem;marg-left:lc(-30% - 1rem);float:left;clear:left;}} a span{right:1rem;} img{width:to;height:85vh;} a{display:-webk-le-box;display:-webk-le-flex;display:-ms-le-flexbox;display:le-flex;posn:var(--posn, relative);} img:not(.ewcw41w1){display:block;width:100%;height:to;-webk-align-self:flex-start;-ms-flex-em-align:flex-start;align-self:flex-start;}</style><div size="large" data-embed="body-image" data-no-id="24" class="align-left size-large embed css-gv3b6u e1xqj1sx4"><div class="css-uwraif e1xqj1sx3"><img alt="New Orleans Sats v Carola Panthers" tle="New Orleans Sats v Carola Panthers" loadg="lazy" width="4291" height="2860" dg="async" data-nimg="1" style="lor: transparent; width: 100%; height: to;" siz="100vw" srcSet=" 640w, 980w, 1120w, 1200w, 1920w" src="" class="css-0 exi4f7p0" /><div class="css-78jldq e1xqj1sx2"><div class="css-qtcc4k e1xqj1sx1">Sats wi receiver Michael Thomas set a NFL rerd for most receptns a sgle season. </div><figptn class="css-1am3yn9 enfs9c50"><span class="css-16u9763 e6iqd2">Jab Kupferman</span><span class="css-117g3a1 e6iqd0">//</span><span class="css-16u9763 e6iqd1">Getty Imag</span></figptn></div></div></div><p data-no-id="25" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">“It’s hurtful, but you need to move on,” Gayle says today. “I try not to get angry, or stay angry.” (Attorneys for the LeBlanc fay did not rpond to requts for ment for this story.) </p><p data-no-id="26" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">The lawsu wasn’t the first time the fay had ma wav. Observers say that while New Orleans society eventually warmed to Gayle, the fay’s fightg was never a secret. Tom’s dghter and grandchildren acced Gayle of cuttg off accs to the patriarch to ga power; a posn Tom ttified that they had physilly asslted Gayle a luxury sue at a Sats game and had “tried to kill me.”</p><p data-no-id="27" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">If Renee Benson and her children thought they uld turn the ti of public opn by playg the wicked stepmother rd, they misjudged the mood of the cy, which rallied behd Gayle. “She had so much support publicly,” says Mike Triplett, a journalist who has vered the Sats sce 2005. “The team was so vol sidg wh her, and how she was the one they wanted to be the owner and how Tom was groomg her to be the owner. I thk the fan base had gaed nfince her.” </p><p data-no-id="28" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">So had the players. “She is one of the kst people I’ve known,” says Sats quarterback Drew Bre. Gayle is godmother to one of his children. “She mak her players feel special, whether ’s leavg signed mail clippgs on our lockers or teractg wh our fai at practice. My wife and kids adore her.” </p><p data-no-id="29" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">Chatter on the cy’s social circu is more mixed. “Gayle has rema herself to Lady Bountiful, and she sure as sh has a lot of power,” says one society fixture. “But no one the whole scenar looks good.”</p><p data-no-id="30" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">After years of ugly ligatn—which reportedly clud a secret rerdg ma by Ra to prove that her grandfather was losg his md and an explosive posn which Tom Benson shouted, “Lyg bastard!” at Ted Bloch, a psychiatrist the LeBlancs hired to affirm his senily—the urt award Gayle ownership of the fay’s sports anchis. Today she is one of a small group of women who oversee an NFL anchise, a sorory that clus 94-year-old Martha Firtone Ford of the Detro Lns; Kim Pegula, 50, who -owns the Buffalo Bills wh her hband; and 60-year-old Jody Allen, who is chair of the Seattle Seahawks, which is owned by a tst the name of her late brother, Micro­soft -founr Pl Allen. </p><hr data-no-id="31" class="css-18pb4rg et3p2gv0" /><p data-no-id="32" class="body-dropp css-o9c7xd et3p2gv0">There are fewer gathergs more myster than the seasonal meetgs of the NFL owners, but if you image an old girls’ work huddled a rner, you’ll be disappoted. For her part Benson keeps unsel wh, and tsts, the same men her hband did: the on who still n the Sats. </p><p data-no-id="33" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">By her own admissn she don’t often hold urt at the meetgs (“I will wre letters if I feel I need to”), but she mak sure that she is heard. When San Francis 49ers quarter­back Col Kaepernick set off a firtorm by kneelg durg the natnal anthem durg gam, and other players followed su, Gayle—­reprentg an ailg Tom 2016—rnered NFL missner Roger Gooll. “We were gettg ready to start the meetg,” she rells. “I said, ‘Roger, you need to tell the owners that their players will not kneel. That’s all you have to do.’ ” </p><div size="medium" data-embed="body-image" data-no-id="34" class="align-center size-medium embed css-1736von e1xqj1sx4"><div class="css-uwraif e1xqj1sx3"><img alt="NFL: AUG 24 Preason - Sats at Jets" tle="NFL: AUG 24 Preason - Sats at Jets" loadg="lazy" width="3656" height="2437" dg="async" data-nimg="1" style="lor: transparent; width: 100%; height: to;" siz="100vw" srcSet=" 640w, 980w, 1120w, 1200w, 1920w" src="" class="css-0 exi4f7p0" /><div class="css-swqnqv e1xqj1sx2"><div class="css-qtcc4k e1xqj1sx1">Benson at a preason game agast the Giants last Augt. </div><figptn class="css-1am3yn9 enfs9c50"><span class="css-16u9763 e6iqd2">In Sportswire</span><span class="css-117g3a1 e6iqd0">//</span><span class="css-16u9763 e6iqd1">Getty Imag</span></figptn></div></div></div><p data-no-id="35" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">He didn’t. The kneelg ntroversy has quieted down; Kaepernick beme somethg of a social jtice folk hero, though he remas unsigned by any NFL team. But makg her voice heard, then and sce, Gayle Benson has tablished a prence ( the NBA as well) that is far more steel magnolia than shrkg vlet. And she is buildg her teams for champnships. “We n’t always w,” she says mischievoly, “but I kd of hope we do.”</p><p data-no-id="36" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0"><strong><em>This story appears the Febary 2020 issue of </em>Town & Country. <style data-emotn="css 188hsmf">{-webk-text-ratn:none;text-ratn:none;text-ratn-thickns:0.0625rem;text-ratn-lor:her;text-unrle-offset:0.25rem;lor:#fff;-webk-transn:all 0.3s ease--out;transn:all 0.3s ease--out;display:le-block;background-lor:#9a0500;font-fay:Terma,Terma-bold-fallback,Helveti,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:0.75rem;le-height:1;font-weight:bold;letter-spacg:0.02rem;paddg:0.6rem 0.7rem;text-transform:upperse;width:to;}{lor:#fff;text-ratn-lor:borr-lk-body-hover;background-lor:#030929;}{outle-lor:body-cta-btn-lk-foc;}</style><a data-href=" data-vars-ga-ll-to-actn="SUBSCRIBE NOW" data-vars-ga-outbound-lk=" href=" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" data-vars-ga-ux-element="Hyperlk" class="body-btn-lk css-188hsmf et3p2gv0">SUBSCRIBE NOW</a></strong></p><style data-emotn="css 2ok9l4">{marg-top:1.875rem;borr-top:th solid #595959;}</style><div data-jam-id="thor-b" class="css-2ok9l4 e13rjwo40"></div><style data-emotn="css ciejky">{clear:both;marg-top:1.25rem;}</style><div id="journey-le" class="css-ciejky e1cslvxz0"></div></div></div><div></div><div data-teractive="WatchNext-1" class="css-0 e10xr3vp6"><style data-emotn="css 1pqv15d">{marg-bottom:1.875rem;marg-top:1.875rem;paddg:0 0.938rem;}@media(m-width: 40.625rem){{paddg:0 2.5rem;}}</style><div data-embed="watch-next" class="css-1pqv15d e10xr3vp5"><style data-emotn="css jkklfs">{borr:th solid #030929;marg:0 to;max-width:60rem;text-align:center;}@media(max-width: 64rem){{paddg:0.9375rem;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{paddg:1.25rem;}}</style><div class="css-jkklfs e10xr3vp4"><style data-emotn="css 1sowyjy">{marg-bottom:1.25rem;}</style><div class="css-1sowyjy e10xr3vp3"><style data-emotn="css 1ixs76q">{font-fay:NewParis,NewParis-fallback,Geia,Tim,serif;font-weight:normal;marg:0rem;}@media(max-width: 48rem){{font-size:2.5rem;le-height:1.1;}}@media(max-width: 64rem){{font-size:2rem;le-height:1.2;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{font-size:2.8125rem;le-height:1.1;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{font-size:3.25rem;le-height:1.1;}}@media(m-width: 73.75rem){{font-size:3.25rem;le-height:1.1;}}</style><h6 class="css-1ixs76q e10xr3vp2"><span aria-hidn="te" class="css-0 eagam8p0"></span><span class="css-0 e10xr3vp1">Watch Next</span><span aria-hidn="te" class="css-0 eagam8p1"></span></h6><style data-emotn="css il0ojs">{-webk-align-ems:center;-webk-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-ems:center;lor:#030929;display:-webk-box;display:-webk-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;font-fay:NewParis,NewParis-fallback,Geia,Tim,serif;font-weight:normal;-webk-box-pack:center;-ms-flex-pack:center;-webk-jtify-ntent:center;jtify-ntent:center;marg:0.625rem 0 0.3125rem;m-height:to;}@media(max-width: 48rem){{font-size:1.0625rem;le-height:1.2;}}@media(m-width: 40.625rem){{font-size:1.0625rem;le-height:1.2;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{font-size:1.3125rem;le-height:1.2;}}</style><h6 class="css-il0ojs e10xr3vp0"> </h6></div><style data-emotn="css 1ui7hop">{marg-bottom:0.9375rem;--aspect-rat:56.25%;}</style><div class="__rp-ntaer css-1ui7hop e6l0f0"><style data-emotn="css 1yu8e3d">{marg-bottom:0.9375rem;width:100%;height:100%;} .__rp-ntaer{height:to;}</style><div data-embed="embed-vio" class="vio-player css-1yu8e3d e1ou1fny0"><style data-emotn="css 1uds6oo">{height:100%;width:100%;posn:relative;}</style><div class="css-1uds6oo e1f7ylgd6"><style data-emotn="css 1iiivv4">{background-lor:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.4);borr:.1875rem solid whe;borr-radi:50%;lor:#fff;cursor:poter;height:3.75rem;left:50%;posn:absolute;top:50%;-webk-transform:translate(-50%,-50%);-moz-transform:translate(-50%,-50%);-ms-transform:translate(-50%,-50%);transform:translate(-50%,-50%);-webk-transn:all 0.4s;transn:all 0.4s;width:3.75rem;z-x:1;}.e1f7ylgd6:hover {background-lor:rgba(33, 150, 245, 0.8);lor:#ffffff;}@media(m-width: 48rem){{height:5.625rem;width:5.625rem;borr:.28125rem solid whe;}}</style><button aria-label="Play Vio" class="css-1iiivv4 e1f7ylgd1"><style data-emotn="css 1lhf7lq">{fill:#ffffff;height:1.4rem;vertil-align:middle;width:1.45rem;}@media(m-width: 48rem){{width:2.3125rem;height:3rem;}}</style><svg xmlns=" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" style="fill: var(--primary, #000);" role="img" tle="Play" class="css-1lhf7lq e1f7ylgd2"><tle>play in

tom and gayle benson

Gayle Benson sat down for an extend terview wh The Athletic last week, spanng more than an hour.

Contents:

GAYLE BENSON

Gayle Benson on the 2023 The Richt Person In Every State - Gayle Benson is the widow of Tom Benson (d. March 2018), former owner of the NFL New Orleans * tom and gayle benson *

Gayle Benson hered ntrol of New Orleans’s NFL and NBA teams when her hband and the multibilln-dollar anizatns’ owner, Tom Benson, died five years ago.

Until Thursday they had the optn of filg a lawsu challengg the validy of the will that cut them out of his succsn plans and stalled Gayle as the heror of the sports adle passed whout Tom Benson’s dghter Renee or her children Ra and Ryan LeBlanc apparently havg takg any such actn, however. The time lim’s lapse would mean Gayle Benson has officially nsolidated her ownership of the teams, which she has promised will be sold only after her ath on the ndn that they rema New Orleans.

GAYLE AND TOM BENSON CHARABLE FOUNDATN

How New Orleans Sats' owner Gayle Benson beme one of the NFL’s most fluential women. * tom and gayle benson *

Meanwhile, a Sats and Pelins spokperson, Greg Bensel, didn’t immediately rpond to a requt for ment, though the teams have prevly said that they believed the plan which left Gayle Benson ntrol of the teams was her part, reports published 2021 by the New Orleans news outlets and WVUE-TV, the 76-year-old Benson had outled her tent to lnch a foundatn that would donate the proceeds of the teams’ eventual sale to charable south-east Louisiana and the surroundg regn. A heated, plex legal battle that pted the twice-widowed Tom Benson and Gayle – his wife of nearly 14 years – agast the relativ llectively nicknamed the 3Rs epted 2015 and generated years of Tom Benson rmed them that he was abandong a prr plan to stead leave ntrol of his teams and other lucrative bs properti to Gayle rather than the 3Rs, the latter party filed a lawsu allegg the fay patriarch was mentally unf to make such a was nearg the end of his 90-year life, and they argued that he was creasgly enfeebled and had been manipulated by terlopers to cuttg them ’s mp untered that he had good reason to cut out the 3Rs – who had worked for him – om his succsn. After firg them, he publicly alleged that his dghter and grandchildren mistreated Gayle after she married to the fay proceedgs that played out almost entirely secret, New Orleans state urt judge Kern Ree led that Tom Benson had some gnive illns mon for those of his age but was petent to make cisns about his succsn plans.

SATLY SUCCSN: GAYLE BENSON’S PLAN TO GIVE BACK TO THE MUNY, KEEP SATS NEW ORLEANS

New Orleans Sats and Pelins owner Gayle Benson, along wh team officials, revealed succsn plans tail for the first time on Wednday, explag that the teams would be sold wh the goal of keepg the teams New Orleans while proceeds would go directly to lol chari. * tom and gayle benson *

Two higher urts left the lg immediately after Ree’s lg, Benson drafted a will and ttament that appoted Gayle as his sole succsor. They argued that he would not have done so if his legal team were nfint he would have e off as lucid his Sats – who recently beat out other teams to sign the ee-agent quarterback Derek Carr – ma trips to the playoffs their first three seasons wh Gayle Benson as owner but have missed out on the postseason the two mpaigns sce the longtime signal-ller Drew Bre January 2019, refere’ failure to ll an obv pass terference late the NFL nference champnship game almost certaly st the Sats a trip to the Super Pelins, meanwhile, drafted superstar Zn Williamson ls than a year after Gayle Benson beme their owner, but he has stggled to stay healthy and the team has only been to the playoffs once. About Gayle BensonGayle Benson is the widow of Tom Benson (d.

Gayle and Tom Benson Charable Foundatn. Established 2007 TX - Found by Gayle and Tom Benson.

GAYLE BENSON’S TATE PLAN LLS FOR SATS TO BE SOLD, WH PROCEEDS GIVEN TO CHARY

Sats and Pelins owner Gayle Benson and team officials revealed the teams' long-term succsn plans tail for the first time on Wednday. * tom and gayle benson *

The Gayle and Tom Benson Cancer Center, loted New Orleans, expand 2020 addg 115,000 square-feet creasg Ochsner's pacy to offer high-qualy ncer servic and advanced clil rearch. Key featur of The Gayle and Tom Benson Cancer Center. The Gayle and Tom Benson Cancer Center addrs an important foc of the Ochsner multidisciplary team approach: the social, physil and emotnal impacts of ncer treatment.

HOW GAYLE BENSON BEME THE FIRST LADY OF FOOTBALL

26 July 2023... Gayle Benson and Tom Benson photos, news and gossip. Fd out more about... * tom and gayle benson *

The Lielotte Tansey Breast Center is loted si The Gayle and Tom Benson Cancer Center to further tegrate the multidisciplary treatment approach.

The Gayle and Tom Benson Cancer Center also has a hematology onlogy clic, a chemotherapy fn clic, an area for radiatn onlogy and a prostate center. 2023: The Gayle and Tom Benson Cancer Center at Ochsner Medil Center – New Orleans earned reaccredatn om the Amerin Society of Clil Onlogy's Qualy Onlogy Practice Iniative (QOPI). This ASCO reaccredatn illtrat the livery of the bt, most prehensive re to patients.2023: The Gayle and Tom Benson Cancer Center at Ochsner Medil Center – New Orleans earned reaccredatn om the Amerin College of Radlogy's (ACR) Radiatn Onlogy Practice Accredatn.

Gayle Benson, owner of both the New Orleans Sats and Pelins, said an exclive terview the teams are not gog has owned the teams sce 2018 when her hband and longtime Sats owner, Tom, died. So my wish, and Dennis is the executor of my tate, my wish is to stter all the goods and gifts that God has given me, and that Tom has given me to this cy and muny, ” Benson Sats and Pelins owner said that while she hop she has many years left, her succsn plan clus sellg both teams, wh Lscha charge of the sale of the team and givg back to the muny through the Gayle and Tom Benson Foundatn.

BREAKG DOWN GAYLE BENSON’S PLAN TO KEEP NEW ORLEANS SATS, PELINS LOL

Apply for the Job Pharmacist at The Gayle and Tom Benson Cancer Center, . View the job scriptn, rponsibili and qualifitns for this posn. Rearch salary, pany , reer paths, and top skills for Pharmacist * tom and gayle benson *

”The Natnal Football League has endorsed the succsn plan that will likely make the Gayle and Tom Benson Charable Foundatn the largt philanthropic anizatn Louisiana. “I n’t take wh me, ” Gayle Benson told the Tim-Piyune.

GAYLE BENSON OUTL FUTURE SUCCSN PLAN TO KEEP SATS, PELINS NEW ORLEANS

* tom and gayle benson *

”Gayle Benson hered the team after Tom Benson died executiv are reportedly workg to ensure that the buyer, whoever may be, will keep the team New Orleans.

Upstairs, amid the mtard curtas and hunter-green wallpaper, the cy’s great lady walks toward her regular table the rner, the one overlookg the honky-tonk of Bourbon Street there is somethg regal about Gayle Benson is obv the moment you meet her. But like all great women of style, the Chanel-swathed former terr signer—who today may be the most powerful woman profsnal sports—retas a cloud of mystery she wears as fortably as her and Gayle Benson celebrate after the New Orleans Sats beat the Arizona Cardals durg the NFC Divisnal Playoff Game Graythen//Getty ImagTalkg about her childhood “across the river” Old Algiers, a poor neighborhood, she says that om an early age “I had this eye—this sire—for betiful thgs.

Gayle Benson’s journey to beg the Crcent Cy’s figurative first lady is a distctly Southern tale of termatn, opportuny, and unlikely romance. ”Benson, seen here wh place kicker Wil Lutz, has been the owner of the New Orleans Sats sce March HethergtonGayle Benson’s mansn ss on a private road Audubon Place, the tonit neighborhood New Orleans, where her neighbors clu Avram Glazer, the -owner of both the Tampa Bay Bucneers and England’s Manchter Uned soccer club, and John Ge, the owner of the Tim-Piyune. She has had trouble wh both feet, and she had them operated on simultaneoly, bee Gayle Benson always wants anythg unpleasant dispatched wh as quickly as possible, down to her NFL's Female BossKim PegulaBuffalo BillsDenise Debartolo YorkSan Francis 49ersVirgia Halas McCaskeyChigo BearsCarol DavisOakland RairsMartha Firtone FordDetro LnsAmy Adams StnkTennse TansJody AllenSeattle SeahawksDee HaslamCleveland BrownsShe grew up on the wt bank of the Mississippi River, one of three children of a supervisor at a pipe-ftg pany and a homemaker.

GAYLE BENSON HER WORDS: FROM HUMBLE BEGNGS TO THE URTSHIP BY FORMER SATS, PELINS OWNER TOM BENSON

’ He puts his hand out and I put my hand out, ” Gayle rells.

If you did somethg wrong, he remembered forever, ” Gayle says. Dpe herself, Gayle found herself disarmed and fallg for his sense of humor and urtly manners. “Gayle was able to brg out the bt him, ” says New Orleans archbishop Gregory Michael Aymond, who watched the uple’s romance blossom om the begng, “and help him velop that more gentle si.

”The Sats’ Vonn Bell durg the NFC Wild Card Playoff game agast the Mnota Gardner//Getty ImagWhen the uple got engaged 2004, Gayle’s iends worried that Tom’s dghter and grandchildren om his first marriage might not accept his new wife. Angela Hill, a lol televisn anchor who beiend Gayle the mid-1970s, ma a pot of publicly toastg not what Tom was brgg to the unn but what Gayle was: tst, loyalty, iendship, unndnal love. ”Tom’s dghter Renee Benson LeBlanc, granddghter Ra, and grandson Ryan had all been eply volved the fay bs, but was Gayle who helped Tom get through the aftermath of Hurrine Katra and “Bountygate, ” a 2012 sndal on the Sats that volved secret bon beg paid by ach for juri flicted on opposg players.

THE GAYLE AND TOM BENSON CANCER CENTER CELEBRAT EXPANSN WH GRAND RE-OPENG

) LeBlanc and her children acced Gayle of turng him agast them, so when Tom announced January 2015, at the age of 87, that he was disherg them and leavg his entire tate to Gayle, they filed su to have him clared petent. In the procs they dug up embarrassg tails om Gayle’s past, cludg an alleged arrt and lawsus stemmg om accatns that she hadn’t paid var wag or tax durg her time as an terr signer.

Among other transgrsns, the su alleged that Gayle had “systemilly isolated Tom Benson to prevent him om his ual teractns wh fay, iends, and advisers, thereby allowg her to unduly fluence his cisns to her benef.

WHO IS TOM BENSON? GAYLE BENSON'S HBAND, FAY AND CHILDREN

Jab Kupferman//Getty Imag“It’s hurtful, but you need to move on, ” Gayle says today.

HERE'S ANOTHER TOUR OF TOM AND GAYLE BENSON'S HOME

Observers say that while New Orleans society eventually warmed to Gayle, the fay’s fightg was never a secret. Tom’s dghter and grandchildren acced Gayle of cuttg off accs to the patriarch to ga power; a posn Tom ttified that they had physilly asslted Gayle a luxury sue at a Sats game and had “tried to kill me.

*BEAR-MAGAZINE.COM* TOM AND GAYLE BENSON

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data-vars-ga-ll-to-actn="How Gayle Benson Beme the First Lady of Football" data-vars-ga-outbound-lk=" class="e9l0kn00 css-10e6ywj e1c1bym14"><span emProp="name">How Gayle Benson Beme the First Lady of Football</span></a><meta emProp="posn" ntent="3" /></li></ol></nav><style data-emotn="css ga81pv">{lor:#030929;font-fay:NewParis,NewParis-fallback,Geia,Tim,serif;font-weight:normal;grid-lumn:1/-1;marg-bottom:0.9375rem;marg-top:0.9375rem;}@media(max-width: 48rem){{font-size:2.5rem;le-height:1.1;}}@media(max-width: 64rem){{font-size:2rem;le-height:1.2;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{font-size:2.8125rem;le-height:1.1;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{font-size:3.25rem;le-height:1.1;}}@media(m-width: 73.75rem){{font-size:3.25rem;le-height:1.1;}}</style><h1 class="css-ga81pv exadjwu10"><span aria-hidn="te" class="css-0 eagam8p0"></span>How Gayle Benson Beme the First Lady of Football<span aria-hidn="te" class="css-0 eagam8p1"></span></h1><style data-emotn="css 107ey2i">{lor:#030929;font-fay:NewParis,NewParis-fallback,Geia,Tim,serif;font-weight:normal;marg-bottom:0.625rem;}@media(max-width: 48rem){{font-size:1.375rem;le-height:1.2;}}@media(max-width: 64rem){{font-size:1.25rem;le-height:1.2;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{font-size:1.3125rem;le-height:1.2;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{font-size:1.75rem;le-height:1.2;}} a{-webk-text-ratn:unrle;text-ratn:unrle;text-ratn-thickns:0.0625rem;text-ratn-lor:her;text-unrle-offset:0.25rem;lor:her;-webk-transn:all 0.3s ease--out;transn:all 0.3s ease--out;} a:hover{lor:#9a0500;text-ratn-lor:borr-lk-body-hover;}</style><div class="css-107ey2i exadjwu8"><p>New Orleans Sats owner Gayle Benson is one of the NFL’s most fluential women, but ’s her mov off the field that make her a power player.</p></div><style data-emotn="css jie748">{lor:#9a0500;font-fay:Terma,Terma-fallback,Helveti,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:0.70003rem;le-height:1.4;marg-bottom:0.625rem;text-transform:upperse;}@media(m-width: 40.625rem){{paddg-right:0.3125rem;}} span{lor:#6F6F6F;le-height:1.6;} span a{lor:#9a0500;}</style><div class="css-jie748 exadjwu7"><style data-emotn="css 9ld967">{lor:#9a0500;font-fay:Terma,Terma-fallback,Helveti,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:0.70003rem;font-style:normal;le-height:1.4;text-transform:upperse;-webk-text-stroke:0.01rem;}@media(m-width: 40.625rem){{paddg-right:0.3125rem;}}</style><addrs class="css-9ld967 ehvvd9m2"><style data-emotn="css 1cf0sa4">{lor:#9a0500;font-fay:Terma,Terma-fallback,Helveti,Arial,sans-serif;text-transform:upperse;-webk-text-stroke:0.01rem;}@media(max-width: 64rem){{font-size:0.70003rem;le-height:1.4;}}@media(m-width: 40.625rem){{paddg-right:0.3125rem;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{font-size:0.70003rem;le-height:1.4;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{font-size:0.8125rem;le-height:1.4;}}</style><span class="css-1cf0sa4 ehvvd9m1">By <style data-emotn="css 1ydk2rb">{-webk-text-ratn:unrle;text-ratn:unrle;text-ratn-thickns:0.0625rem;text-ratn-lor:her;text-unrle-offset:0.25rem;lor:her;-webk-transn:all 0.3s ease--out;transn:all 0.3s ease--out;}{lor:#9a0500;text-ratn-lor:borr-lk-body-hover;}</style><a href="/thor/2419/michael-llahan/" class="css-1ydk2rb e1c1bym14">Michael Callahan</a></span><style data-emotn="css 14sxeg">{lor:#6F6F6F;display:le-block;marg-left:0.625rem;text-transform:upperse;}@media(max-width: 64rem){{font-size:0.70003rem;le-height:1.4;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{font-size:0.70003rem;le-height:1.4;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{font-size:0.8125rem;le-height:1.4;}}</style><time class="css-14sxeg exadjwu6">Published: Feb 1, 2020</time></addrs></div><style data-emotn="css 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z6i669">{font-fay:Charter,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-size:1.1875rem;le-height:1.6;paddg-left:0rem;paddg-right:0rem;posn:relative;}@media(m-width: 48rem){{paddg-left:3.5rem;paddg-right:3.5rem;}}@media(m-width: 48rem) and (max-width: 61.25rem){{max-width:45.25rem;marg-left:to;marg-right:to;}}@media(m-width: 61.25rem){{paddg-left:0rem;paddg-right:0rem;}}@media(m-width: 73.75rem) and (max-width: 100rem){{paddg-left:0rem;paddg-right:0rem;}}@media(m-width: 90rem){{paddg-left:0rem;paddg-right:0rem;}} em{font-fay:Charter,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-style:alic;} strong{font-fay:Charter,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-weight:bold;}{clear:both;ntent:" ";display:block;font-size:0.7rem;le-height:1.5rem;height:0rem;visibily:hidn;}</style><div class="article-body-ntent article-body longform-body css-z6i669 ewisyje7"><style data-emotn="css o9c7xd">{font-fay:Charter,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-size:1.1875rem;le-height:1.6;}{float:left;text-transform:upperse;font-weight:bold;marg-right:0.9375rem;marg-bottom:-0.625rem;marg-top:0;}{lor:#030929;font-fay:NewParis,NewParis-fallback,Geia,Tim,serif;font-size:3.8431rem;font-weight:normal;le-height:1;}@-moz-document url-prefix(){{marg-top:0.625rem;}}@media(max-width: 64rem){{font-size:3.75rem;le-height:1.15;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{font-size:3.75rem;le-height:1.15;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{font-size:6.25rem;le-height:1;}} em{font-fay:Charter,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-style:alic;} strong{font-fay:Charter,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-weight:bold;}</style><p data-no-id="0" class="body-dropp css-o9c7xd et3p2gv0">Friday lunch at Galatoire’s are almost as legendary as the rtrant self. Found 1905, the French Quarter stalwart is a hive for the social and bs be mon of New Orleans, and, while no one is exactly sure why, midday Friday has always been the zenh for seeg and beg seen. This sunny Friday is no different, as the cy’s gentry stabs at leafy salads and chicken Clemence, and giggly butant toast one another wh flut of pétillant pk champagne. Upstairs, amid the mtard curtas and ­hunter-green wallpaper, the cy’s great lady walks toward her regular table the rner, the one overlookg the honky-tonk of Bourbon Street below.</p><style data-emotn="css 18vfmjb">{font-fay:Charter,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-size:1.1875rem;le-height:1.6;} em{font-fay:Charter,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-style:alic;} strong{font-fay:Charter,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-weight:bold;}</style><p data-no-id="1" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">That there is somethg regal about Gayle Benson is obv the moment you meet her. It’s the serene gaze, the breathy Jacquele Kennedy voice, the refed manner. She is the owner of the cy’s two premier sports anchis (the NFL’s Sats and the NBA’s Pelins), and as she walks down the hall to the dg room, waers and bboys step asi. It’s like the scene <em>My Fair Lady</em> when the queen of Transylvania enters the Embassy Ball and everyone bows and curtsi as she pass. </p><div supprsHydratnWarng data-no-id="2" data-embed="pullquote" class="embed css-0 e9hzx6g0"><style data-emotn="css 1eiql25">{text-align:center;marg:0rem;paddg-top:0.9375rem;paddg-bottom:0.9375rem;}</style><blockquote class="css-1eiql25 e1pe3zr91"><style data-emotn="css 118z4a">{background-lor:#9a0500;lor:#fff;ntent:'';display:block;height:0.125rem;marg:0 to 1.875rem;width:60%;}</style><span aria-hidn="te" class="css-118z4a eagam8p0"></span><style data-emotn="css q6i00s">{lor:#030929;font-fay:NewParis,NewParis-fallback,Geia,Tim,serif;font-size:1.625rem;le-height:1.2;marg:0rem;}@media(max-width: 64rem){{font-size:2.25rem;le-height:1.1;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{font-size:2.625rem;le-height:1.1;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{font-size:2.8125rem;le-height:1.1;}} b, strong{font-fay:her;font-weight:bold;} em, i{font-fay:her;font-style:alic;}</style><blockquote class="css-q6i00s e1pe3zr90"> She was a girl om the wrong si of the bayou who fied society’s expectatns.</blockquote><style data-emotn="css 1fv5ixs">{background-lor:#9a0500;lor:#fff;ntent:'';display:block;height:0.125rem;marg:1.875rem to 0;width:60%;}</style><span aria-hidn="te" class="css-1fv5ixs eagam8p1"></span></blockquote></div><p data-no-id="3" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">Like most royals, Benson is circumspect and impecbly pole. Also like most royals, she has been burned by nuendo, tsive prs fascatn, and heapg dollops of whispered gossip. When you are the third wife of your state’s richt man, and then you have to fend off his scendants for ntrol of his fortune, ’s reasonable to assume that people are gog to pay attentn. But like all great women of style, the Chanel-swathed former terr signer—who today may be the most powerful woman profsnal sports—retas a cloud of mystery she wears as fortably as her pearls.</p><style data-emotn="css 1mtk2uq">{--data-embed-display:flex;-webk-align-ems:center;-webk-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-ems:center;display:-webk-box;display:-webk-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;marg-bottom:0.9375rem;}@media(m-width: 20rem){{clear:both;marg-left:to;marg-right:to;width:100%;}}@media(m-width: 30rem){{clear:both;marg-left:to;marg-right:to;width:100%;}}@media(m-width: 40.625rem){{width:70%;marg-left:1rem;marg-right:0rem;float:right;clear:right;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{width:70%;marg-left:1rem;marg-right:0rem;float:right;clear:right;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{width:60%;marg-left:1rem;marg-right:0rem;float:right;clear:right;}}@media(m-width: 73.75rem){{width:60%;marg-left:1rem;marg-right:lc(-30% - 1rem);float:right;clear:right;}}@media(m-width: 75rem){{width:60%;marg-left:1rem;marg-right:lc(-30% - 1rem);float:right;clear:right;}}@media(m-width: 90rem){{width:60%;marg-left:1rem;marg-right:lc(-30% - 1rem);float:right;clear:right;}} a span{right:1rem;} img{width:to;height:85vh;} a{display:-webk-le-box;display:-webk-le-flex;display:-ms-le-flexbox;display:le-flex;posn:var(--posn, relative);} img:not(.ewcw41w1){display:block;width:100%;height:to;-webk-align-self:flex-start;-ms-flex-em-align:flex-start;align-self:flex-start;}</style><div size="large" data-embed="body-image" data-no-id="4" class="align-right size-large embed css-1mtk2uq e1xqj1sx4"><style data-emotn="css uwraif">{width:100%;display:-webk-le-box;display:-webk-le-flex;display:-ms-le-flexbox;display:le-flex;-webk-flex-directn:lumn;-ms-flex-directn:lumn;flex-directn:lumn;marg-left:to;marg-right:to;-webk-box-pack:center;-ms-flex-pack:center;-webk-jtify-ntent:center;jtify-ntent:center;}</style><div class="css-uwraif e1xqj1sx3"><img alt="NFL Divisnal Playoffs - Arizona Cardals v New Orleans Sats" tle="NFL Divisnal Playoffs - Arizona Cardals v New Orleans Sats" loadg="lazy" width="3888" height="2592" dg="async" data-nimg="1" style="lor: transparent; width: 100%; height: to;" siz="100vw" srcSet=" 640w, 980w, 1120w, 1200w, 1920w" src="" class="css-0 exi4f7p0" /><style data-emotn="css 78jldq">{paddg-left:0rem;}</style><div class="css-78jldq e1xqj1sx2"><style data-emotn="css qtcc4k">{lor:#030929;font-fay:Terma,Terma-fallback,Helveti,Arial,sans-serif;m-width:100%;paddg-top:0.625rem;width:0;}@media(max-width: 64rem){{font-size:0.8125rem;le-height:1.4;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{font-size:0.875rem;le-height:1.4;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{font-size:1rem;le-height:1.6;}} em, i{font-fay:her;font-style:alic;} i, em{font-fay:Terma,Terma-fallback,Helveti,Arial,sans-serif;}</style><div class="css-qtcc4k e1xqj1sx1">Tom and Gayle Benson celebrate after the New Orleans Sats beat the Arizona Cardals durg the NFC Divisnal Playoff Game 2010.</div><figptn class="css-1am3yn9 enfs9c50"><span class="css-16u9763 e6iqd2">Chris Graythen</span><style data-emotn="css 117g3a1">{lor:#595959;font-fay:Terma,Terma-fallback,Helveti,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:0.70003rem;le-height:1.4;paddg:0 0.3rem;text-transform:upperse;}@media(m-width: 40.625rem){{paddg-right:0.3125rem;}}</style><span class="css-117g3a1 e6iqd0">//</span><span class="css-16u9763 e6iqd1">Getty Imag</span></figptn></div></div></div><p data-no-id="5" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">Talkg about her childhood “across the river” Old Algiers, a poor neighborhood, she says that om an early age “I had this eye—this sire—for betiful thgs.” Her sire has been fulfilled. Her holdgs clu a grand mansn, a 600-acre horse farm Lexgton, Kentucky (she has raced two hors the Derby), a home Palm Beach, and a 145-foot yacht. (She also has one of the ft jewelry llectns New Or­leans. “Osr Heyman, Tiffany, Van Cleef—the nice on,” she offers murely.)</p><p data-no-id="6" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">Now, jt for kicks, she’s relnchg Dixie Beer, which was first brewed New Orleans 1907 and which ceased productn 2005. As the widow and prcipal heir of Tom Benson, the r alership and bankg tyon who owned the Sats and the Pelins and who died March 2018, she is now one of the wealthit women the world, wh an timated worth of $3.1 billn—and the only Louisianan on the Forb 400. <br /></p><p data-no-id="7" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">Gayle Benson’s journey to beg the Crcent Cy’s figurative first lady is a distctly Southern tale of termatn, opportuny, and unlikely romance. She was a girl om the wrong si of the bayou who fied society’s expectatns of what a young lady uld and should aspire to. She charmed the most obstate mogul New Orleans and then endured tabloid stori implyg that she was a gold digger who had welshed on her own past bts. Today she is a 72-year-old sociale who is makg her prence known the ­ttosterone-fueled world of profsnal sports. <br /></p><p data-no-id="8" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">“Durg the last year of his life, Mr. Benson would say, ‘I’m not gog to live much longer. Promise me you’re gog to take re of Mrs. Benson,’ ” Sats print Dennis Lscha rells. “But she’s her own woman. We take strength om her.”<br /></p><style data-emotn="css 1736von">{--data-embed-display:flex;-webk-align-ems:center;-webk-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-ems:center;clear:both;display:-webk-box;display:-webk-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;marg-bottom:0.9375rem;marg-left:to;marg-right:to;width:100%;}@media(m-width: 20rem){{width:100%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}}@media(m-width: 30rem){{width:100%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}}@media(m-width: 40.625rem){{width:100%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{width:100%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{width:100%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}}@media(m-width: 73.75rem){{width:100%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}}@media(m-width: 75rem){{width:100%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}}@media(m-width: 90rem){{width:100%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}} a span{right:1rem;} img{width:to;height:85vh;} a{display:-webk-le-box;display:-webk-le-flex;display:-ms-le-flexbox;display:le-flex;posn:var(--posn, relative);} img:not(.ewcw41w1){display:block;width:100%;height:to;-webk-align-self:flex-start;-ms-flex-em-align:flex-start;align-self:flex-start;}</style><div size="medium" data-embed="body-image" data-no-id="9" class="align-center size-medium embed css-1736von e1xqj1sx4"><div class="css-uwraif e1xqj1sx3"><img alt="Automotive sign, Vehicle, Automotive exterr, Footwear, Photography, Tire, Car, Room, Automotive wheel system, Bumper, " tle="Automotive sign, Vehicle, Automotive exterr, Footwear, Photography, Tire, Car, Room, Automotive wheel system, Bumper, " loadg="lazy" width="1883" height="1256" dg="async" data-nimg="1" style="lor: transparent; width: 100%; height: to;" siz="100vw" srcSet=" 640w, 980w, 1120w, 1200w, 1920w" src="" class="css-0 exi4f7p0" /><style data-emotn="css swqnqv">@media(m-width: 20rem){{paddg-left:0rem;}}@media(m-width: 30rem){{paddg-left:0rem;}}@media(m-width: 40.625rem){{paddg-left:0rem;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{paddg-left:0rem;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{paddg-left:0rem;}}@media(m-width: 73.75rem){{paddg-left:0rem;}}@media(m-width: 75rem){{paddg-left:0rem;}}@media(m-width: 90rem){{paddg-left:0rem;}}</style><div class="css-swqnqv e1xqj1sx2"><div class="css-qtcc4k e1xqj1sx1">Benson, seen here wh place kicker Wil Lutz, has been the owner of the New Orleans Sats sce March 2018.</div><figptn class="css-1am3yn9 enfs9c50"><span class="css-16u9763 e6iqd2">Andrew Hethergton</span></figptn></div></div></div><style data-emotn="css 18pb4rg">{borr:0;borr-bottom:th solid black;marg:1.875rem 0;clear:both;}</style><hr data-no-id="10" class="css-18pb4rg et3p2gv0" /><p data-no-id="11" class="body-dropp css-o9c7xd et3p2gv0">Gayle Benson’s mansn ss on a private road Audubon Place, the tonit neighborhood New Orleans, where her neighbors clu Avram Glazer, the -owner of both the Tampa Bay Bucneers and England’s Manchter Uned soccer club, and John Ge, the owner of the <em>Tim-­Piyune</em>. The street is a picturque table of stately ho wh wi porch and whe lumns, manicured lawns, and wdow box overflowg wh hydrangeas and ros.<br /></p><p data-no-id="12" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">Perched on a French provcial chair her stg room, Benson wears a black crepe top and flowg pants om Chanel paired wh a fted whe blazer om Alexanr McQueen and…post-­surgery sho. She has had trouble wh both feet, and she had them operated on simultaneoly, bee Gayle Benson always wants anythg unpleasant dispatched wh as quickly as possible, down to her to.<br /></p><div data-embed="embed-gallery" data-no-id="13" class="embed css-0 ebzsujn10"><style data-emotn="css d4q6s5">{font-fay:NewParis,NewParis-fallback,Geia,Tim,serif;font-weight:normal;marg-bottom:0.625rem;marg-top:0.625rem;text-align:center;}@media(max-width: 64rem){{marg:1.25rem 0 0.9375rem;font-size:1.9375rem;le-height:1.2;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{marg:1.875rem 0 1.25rem;font-size:2.625rem;le-height:1.1;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{font-size:2.625rem;le-height:1.1;}}</style><h5 class="css-d4q6s5 ebzsujn6"><span aria-hidn="te" class="css-0 eagam8p0"></span>The NFL's Female Boss<span aria-hidn="te" class="css-0 eagam8p1"></span></h5><style data-emotn="css 1en1mge">{display:-webk-box;display:-webk-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webk-flex-directn:row;-ms-flex-directn:row;flex-directn:row;-webk-box-flex-wrap:wrap;-webk-flex-wrap:wrap;-ms-flex-wrap:wrap;flex-wrap:wrap;grid-gap:1rem;-webk-box-pack:start;-ms-flex-pack:start;-webk-jtify-ntent:flex-start;jtify-ntent:flex-start;marg-bottom:0.875rem;}@media(max-width: 48rem){ .ebzsujn9{width:100%;}}@media(m-width: 40.625rem) and (max-width: 61.25rem){ .ebzsujn9{m-width:m(20.625rem, lc((100% - 1rem)/2));max-width:m(20.625rem, lc((100% - 1rem)/2));}}@media(m-width: 61.25rem) and (max-width: 73.75rem){ .ebzsujn9{width:lc((100% - 1rem * 2)/3);max-width:lc((100% - 1rem * 2)/3);}}@media(m-width: 73.75rem){{marg-left:max(lc((100vw - lc(20.625rem * 2 - 1rem)) / -2 + 1rem), lc((1rem + 20.625rem) / -1));marg-right:max(lc((100vw - lc(20.625rem * 2 - 1rem)) / -2 + 1rem), lc((1rem + 20.625rem) / -1));-webk-box-pack:start;-ms-flex-pack:start;-webk-jtify-ntent:flex-start;jtify-ntent:flex-start;} .ebzsujn9{width:lc((100% - 1rem * 4) / 5);}}</style><div class="css-1en1mge ebzsujn8"><style data-emotn="css dkcszz">@media(max-width: 64rem){{marg-bottom:1.875rem;}}</style><div class="css-dkcszz ebzsujn9"><style data-emotn="css 1i7xyfd">{marg:0 0 0.3125rem 0;m-width:5rem;} img:not(.ektooqb1):not(.ektooqb0){width:100%;height:to;} img{marg-bottom:0;}</style><div class="css-1i7xyfd ebzsujn5"><style data-emotn="css njwezd">{display:block;paddg-bottom:0rem;text-align:center;vertil-align:top;} figptn{le-height:1.1;}</style><div class="css-njwezd ebzsujn4"><img src="" alt="Helmet, Sports gear, Personal protective equipment, Headgear, Football helmet, Cap, " tle="Helmet, Sports gear, Personal protective equipment, Headgear, Football helmet, Cap, " width="700" height="700" dg="async" loadg="lazy" /><style data-emotn="css id9gvh">{lor:#030929;font-fay:Terma,Terma-fallback,Helveti,Arial,sans-serif;font-weight:normal;marg-bottom:0.625rem;marg-top:0.625rem;}@media(max-width: 64rem){{font-size:0.875rem;le-height:1.4;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{font-size:1rem;le-height:1.4;}}</style><h6 class="css-id9gvh ebzsujn1">Kim Pegula</h6><style data-emotn="css qepz18"> p{marg-top:0.3125rem;marg-bottom:0.3125rem;font-fay:Charter,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-size:1rem;le-height:1.4;} {background-lor:#030929;lor:#fff;display:le-block;} {background-lor:#323232;lor:#ffffff;}</style><div class="css-qepz18 ebzsujn0"><p class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">Buffalo Bills</p></div></div></div></div><div class="css-dkcszz ebzsujn9"><div class="css-1i7xyfd ebzsujn5"><div class="css-njwezd ebzsujn4"><img src="" alt="Helmet, Football tographed paraphernalia, Sports gear, Football helmet, Personal protective equipment, Football gear, Football equipment, Sports llectible, Football fan accsory, Sports fan accsory, " tle="Helmet, Football tographed paraphernalia, Sports gear, Football helmet, Personal protective equipment, Football gear, Football equipment, Sports llectible, Football fan accsory, Sports fan accsory, " width="700" height="700" dg="async" loadg="lazy" /><h6 class="css-id9gvh ebzsujn1">Denise Debartolo York</h6><div class="css-qepz18 ebzsujn0"><p class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">San Francis 49ers</p></div></div></div></div><div class="css-dkcszz ebzsujn9"><div class="css-1i7xyfd ebzsujn5"><div class="css-njwezd ebzsujn4"><img src="" alt="Sports gear, Helmet, Football helmet, Football gear, Football equipment, Football tographed paraphernalia, Personal protective equipment, Face mask, Sports llectible, Sports equipment, " tle="Sports gear, Helmet, Football helmet, Football gear, Football equipment, Football tographed paraphernalia, Personal protective equipment, Face mask, Sports llectible, Sports equipment, " width="700" height="700" dg="async" loadg="lazy" /><h6 class="css-id9gvh ebzsujn1">Virgia Halas McCaskey</h6><div class="css-qepz18 ebzsujn0"><p class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">Chigo Bears</p></div></div></div></div><div class="css-dkcszz ebzsujn9"><div class="css-1i7xyfd ebzsujn5"><div class="css-njwezd ebzsujn4"><img src="" alt="Helmet, Sports gear, Football helmet, Football gear, Personal protective equipment, Football tographed paraphernalia, Football equipment, Face mask, Sports equipment, Headgear, " tle="Helmet, Sports gear, Football helmet, Football gear, Personal protective equipment, Football tographed paraphernalia, Football equipment, Face mask, Sports equipment, Headgear, " width="700" height="700" dg="async" loadg="lazy" /><h6 class="css-id9gvh ebzsujn1">Carol Davis</h6><div class="css-qepz18 ebzsujn0"><p class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">Oakland Rairs</p></div></div></div></div><div class="css-dkcszz ebzsujn9"><div class="css-1i7xyfd ebzsujn5"><div class="css-njwezd ebzsujn4"><img src="" alt="Sports gear, Helmet, Football helmet, Football gear, Football equipment, Football tographed paraphernalia, Personal protective equipment, Headgear, Sports llectible, Football fan accsory, " tle="Sports gear, Helmet, Football helmet, Football gear, Football equipment, Football tographed paraphernalia, Personal protective equipment, Headgear, Sports llectible, Football fan accsory, " width="700" height="700" dg="async" loadg="lazy" /><h6 class="css-id9gvh ebzsujn1">Martha Firtone Ford</h6><div class="css-qepz18 ebzsujn0"><p class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">Detro Lns</p></div></div></div></div><div class="css-dkcszz ebzsujn9"><div class="css-1i7xyfd ebzsujn5"><div class="css-njwezd ebzsujn4"><img src="" alt="Sports gear, Helmet, Football helmet, Personal protective equipment, Football gear, Face mask, Football equipment, Headgear, Football fan accsory, Goggl, " tle="Sports gear, Helmet, Football helmet, Personal protective equipment, Football gear, Face mask, Football equipment, Headgear, Football fan accsory, Goggl, " width="700" height="700" dg="async" loadg="lazy" /><h6 class="css-id9gvh ebzsujn1">Amy Adams Stnk</h6><div class="css-qepz18 ebzsujn0"><p class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">Tennse Tans</p></div></div></div></div><div class="css-dkcszz ebzsujn9"><div class="css-1i7xyfd ebzsujn5"><div class="css-njwezd ebzsujn4"><img src="" alt="Sports gear, Helmet, Football helmet, Football gear, Football equipment, Personal protective equipment, Football tographed paraphernalia, Face mask, Headgear, Sports llectible, " tle="Sports gear, Helmet, Football helmet, Football gear, Football equipment, Personal protective equipment, Football tographed paraphernalia, Face mask, Headgear, Sports llectible, " width="700" height="700" dg="async" loadg="lazy" /><h6 class="css-id9gvh ebzsujn1">Jody Allen</h6><div class="css-qepz18 ebzsujn0"><p class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">Seattle Seahawks</p></div></div></div></div><div class="css-dkcszz ebzsujn9"><div class="css-1i7xyfd ebzsujn5"><div class="css-njwezd ebzsujn4"><img src="" alt="Helmet, Sports gear, Football helmet, Personal protective equipment, Orange, Football gear, Football equipment, Headgear, Sports equipment, Face mask, " tle="Helmet, Sports gear, Football helmet, Personal protective equipment, Orange, Football gear, Football equipment, Headgear, Sports equipment, Face mask, " width="700" height="700" dg="async" loadg="lazy" /><h6 class="css-id9gvh ebzsujn1">Dee Haslam</h6><div class="css-qepz18 ebzsujn0"><p class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">Cleveland Browns</p></div></div></div></div></div></div><p data-no-id="14" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">She grew up on the wt bank of the Mississippi River, one of three children of a supervisor at a pipe-ftg pany and a homemaker. She worked as a secretary, and at the age of 27 began buyg and flippg ho, long before many people were dog . From there she moved on to openg a sign bs. “I was always entreprenrial,” she says, “even gra school.”</p><p data-no-id="15" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0"> It’s not an exaggeratn to say that God brought her to Tom Benson. In 2004, the notorly gmpy 77-year-old tyon was at home, puffg and blowg on an exercise bicycle and ­watchg the morng Catholic Mass on televisn; she was servg as a lector at the service, and he saw her on TV. The next day the widower cid to travel to the church himself for a closer look. He liked what he saw. She didn’t. “He looks at me and go, ‘Who’s this young lady?’ He puts his hand out and I put my hand out,” Gayle rells. “I looked to his big blue ey and I said to myself, ‘Buddy, I’m not terted you.’ He looked like trouble to me.”</p><p data-no-id="16" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">He was. Wh a foul temper and ntrollg meanor, Tom Benson was notor for beg a sore loser and “a gdge holr. If you did somethg wrong, he remembered forever,” Gayle says. Already twice divorced, she was not terted romance. She also found his boastg—about his wealth, his posssns, his bs acumen—off-puttg. “The more he talked, the ls imprsed I was,” she says. “I’m thkg, This guy is too shallow for me.”<br /></p><div supprsHydratnWarng data-no-id="17" data-embed="pullquote" class="embed css-0 e9hzx6g0"><blockquote class="css-1eiql25 e1pe3zr91"><span aria-hidn="te" class="css-118z4a eagam8p0"></span><blockquote class="css-q6i00s e1pe3zr90">She mak her players feel special, whether ’s leavg signed mail clippgs on our lockers or teractg wh our fai at practice.</blockquote><span aria-hidn="te" class="css-1fv5ixs eagam8p1"></span></blockquote></div><p data-no-id="18" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">But she had dner wh him, which led to another, and then another. Dpe herself, Gayle found herself disarmed and fallg for his sense of humor and urtly manners. “Gayle was able to brg out the bt him,” says New Orleans archbishop Gregory Michael Aymond, who watched the uple’s romance blossom om the begng, “and help him velop that more gentle si.”<br /></p><p data-no-id="19" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">Tom Benson hardly unrwent a Scrooge-style transformatn (once, durg a dner party, he got so bored he abptly end the eveng by standg up and clarg that was time for everyone to leave), but there was, those who knew him say, a softeng to his prickly meanor. “He was high for the ws and low durg the loss,” says Mickey Loomis, the Sats’ general manager for almost 20 years. “She’s ls emotnal, more even-keeled. He admired that.”</p><div size="large" data-embed="body-image" data-no-id="20" class="align-right size-large embed css-1mtk2uq e1xqj1sx4"><div class="css-uwraif e1xqj1sx3"><img alt="Wild Card Round - Mnota Vikgs v New Orleans Sats" tle="Wild Card Round - Mnota Vikgs v New Orleans Sats" loadg="lazy" width="1024" height="683" dg="async" data-nimg="1" style="lor: transparent; width: 100%; height: to;" siz="100vw" srcSet=" 640w, 980w, 1120w, 1200w, 1920w" src="" class="css-0 exi4f7p0" /><div class="css-78jldq e1xqj1sx2"><div class="css-qtcc4k e1xqj1sx1">The Sats’ Vonn Bell durg the NFC Wild Card Playoff game agast the Mnota Vikgs.</div><figptn class="css-1am3yn9 enfs9c50"><span class="css-16u9763 e6iqd2">Sean Gardner</span><span class="css-117g3a1 e6iqd0">//</span><span class="css-16u9763 e6iqd1">Getty Imag</span></figptn></div></div></div><p data-no-id="21" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">When the uple got engaged 2004, Gayle’s iends worried that Tom’s dghter and grandchildren om his first marriage might not accept his new wife. Angela Hill, a lol televisn anchor who beiend Gayle the mid-1970s, ma a pot of publicly toastg not what Tom was brgg to the unn but what Gayle was: tst, loyalty, iendship, unndnal love. “When I said that at the rehearsal dner, was really targeted toward—certaly to Tom, but to his fay, too,” Hill says. “I hoped that they would embrace her. It didn’t work out, and ankly ’s their loss.”</p><p data-no-id="22" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">Tom’s dghter Renee Benson LeBlanc, granddghter Ra, and grandson Ryan had all been eply volved the fay bs, but was Gayle who helped Tom get through the aftermath of Hurrine Katra and “Bountygate,” a 2012 sndal on the Sats that volved secret bon beg paid by ach for juri flicted on opposg players. (Tom was not implited.) </p><p data-no-id="23" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">LeBlanc and her children acced Gayle of turng him agast them, so when Tom announced January 2015, at the age of 87, that he was disherg them and leavg his entire tate to Gayle, they filed su to have him clared petent. In the procs they dug up embarrassg tails om Gayle’s past, cludg an alleged arrt and lawsus stemmg om accatns that she hadn’t paid var wag or tax durg her time as an terr signer. Among other transgrsns, the su alleged that Gayle had “systemilly isolated Tom Benson to prevent him om his ual teractns wh fay, iends, and advisers, thereby allowg her to unduly fluence his cisns to her benef.” The tabloids feasted. Tom died March 2018, at age 90, om fluenza. </p><style data-emotn="css gv3b6u">{--data-embed-display:flex;-webk-align-ems:center;-webk-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-ems:center;display:-webk-box;display:-webk-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;marg-bottom:0.9375rem;}@media(m-width: 20rem){{clear:both;marg-left:to;marg-right:to;width:100%;}}@media(m-width: 30rem){{clear:both;marg-left:to;marg-right:to;width:100%;}}@media(m-width: 40.625rem){{width:70%;marg-right:1rem;marg-left:0rem;float:left;clear:left;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{width:70%;marg-right:1rem;marg-left:0rem;float:left;clear:left;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{width:60%;marg-right:1rem;marg-left:0rem;float:left;clear:left;}}@media(m-width: 73.75rem){{width:60%;marg-right:1rem;marg-left:lc(-30% - 1rem);float:left;clear:left;}}@media(m-width: 75rem){{width:60%;marg-right:1rem;marg-left:lc(-30% - 1rem);float:left;clear:left;}}@media(m-width: 90rem){{width:60%;marg-right:1rem;marg-left:lc(-30% - 1rem);float:left;clear:left;}} a span{right:1rem;} img{width:to;height:85vh;} a{display:-webk-le-box;display:-webk-le-flex;display:-ms-le-flexbox;display:le-flex;posn:var(--posn, relative);} img:not(.ewcw41w1){display:block;width:100%;height:to;-webk-align-self:flex-start;-ms-flex-em-align:flex-start;align-self:flex-start;}</style><div size="large" data-embed="body-image" data-no-id="24" class="align-left size-large embed css-gv3b6u e1xqj1sx4"><div class="css-uwraif e1xqj1sx3"><img alt="New Orleans Sats v Carola Panthers" tle="New Orleans Sats v Carola Panthers" loadg="lazy" width="4291" height="2860" dg="async" data-nimg="1" style="lor: transparent; width: 100%; height: to;" siz="100vw" srcSet=" 640w, 980w, 1120w, 1200w, 1920w" src="" class="css-0 exi4f7p0" /><div class="css-78jldq e1xqj1sx2"><div class="css-qtcc4k e1xqj1sx1">Sats wi receiver Michael Thomas set a NFL rerd for most receptns a sgle season. </div><figptn class="css-1am3yn9 enfs9c50"><span class="css-16u9763 e6iqd2">Jab Kupferman</span><span class="css-117g3a1 e6iqd0">//</span><span class="css-16u9763 e6iqd1">Getty Imag</span></figptn></div></div></div><p data-no-id="25" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">“It’s hurtful, but you need to move on,” Gayle says today. “I try not to get angry, or stay angry.” (Attorneys for the LeBlanc fay did not rpond to requts for ment for this story.) </p><p data-no-id="26" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">The lawsu wasn’t the first time the fay had ma wav. Observers say that while New Orleans society eventually warmed to Gayle, the fay’s fightg was never a secret. Tom’s dghter and grandchildren acced Gayle of cuttg off accs to the patriarch to ga power; a posn Tom ttified that they had physilly asslted Gayle a luxury sue at a Sats game and had “tried to kill me.”</p><p data-no-id="27" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">If Renee Benson and her children thought they uld turn the ti of public opn by playg the wicked stepmother rd, they misjudged the mood of the cy, which rallied behd Gayle. “She had so much support publicly,” says Mike Triplett, a journalist who has vered the Sats sce 2005. “The team was so vol sidg wh her, and how she was the one they wanted to be the owner and how Tom was groomg her to be the owner. I thk the fan base had gaed nfince her.” </p><p data-no-id="28" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">So had the players. “She is one of the kst people I’ve known,” says Sats quarterback Drew Bre. Gayle is godmother to one of his children. “She mak her players feel special, whether ’s leavg signed mail clippgs on our lockers or teractg wh our fai at practice. My wife and kids adore her.” </p><p data-no-id="29" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">Chatter on the cy’s social circu is more mixed. “Gayle has rema herself to Lady Bountiful, and she sure as sh has a lot of power,” says one society fixture. “But no one the whole scenar looks good.”</p><p data-no-id="30" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">After years of ugly ligatn—which reportedly clud a secret rerdg ma by Ra to prove that her grandfather was losg his md and an explosive posn which Tom Benson shouted, “Lyg bastard!” at Ted Bloch, a psychiatrist the LeBlancs hired to affirm his senily—the urt award Gayle ownership of the fay’s sports anchis. Today she is one of a small group of women who oversee an NFL anchise, a sorory that clus 94-year-old Martha Firtone Ford of the Detro Lns; Kim Pegula, 50, who -owns the Buffalo Bills wh her hband; and 60-year-old Jody Allen, who is chair of the Seattle Seahawks, which is owned by a tst the name of her late brother, Micro­soft -founr Pl Allen. </p><hr data-no-id="31" class="css-18pb4rg et3p2gv0" /><p data-no-id="32" class="body-dropp css-o9c7xd et3p2gv0">There are fewer gathergs more myster than the seasonal meetgs of the NFL owners, but if you image an old girls’ work huddled a rner, you’ll be disappoted. For her part Benson keeps unsel wh, and tsts, the same men her hband did: the on who still n the Sats. </p><p data-no-id="33" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">By her own admissn she don’t often hold urt at the meetgs (“I will wre letters if I feel I need to”), but she mak sure that she is heard. When San Francis 49ers quarter­back Col Kaepernick set off a firtorm by kneelg durg the natnal anthem durg gam, and other players followed su, Gayle—­reprentg an ailg Tom 2016—rnered NFL missner Roger Gooll. “We were gettg ready to start the meetg,” she rells. “I said, ‘Roger, you need to tell the owners that their players will not kneel. That’s all you have to do.’ ” </p><div size="medium" data-embed="body-image" data-no-id="34" class="align-center size-medium embed css-1736von e1xqj1sx4"><div class="css-uwraif e1xqj1sx3"><img alt="NFL: AUG 24 Preason - Sats at Jets" tle="NFL: AUG 24 Preason - Sats at Jets" loadg="lazy" width="3656" height="2437" dg="async" data-nimg="1" style="lor: transparent; width: 100%; height: to;" siz="100vw" srcSet=" 640w, 980w, 1120w, 1200w, 1920w" src="" class="css-0 exi4f7p0" /><div class="css-swqnqv e1xqj1sx2"><div class="css-qtcc4k e1xqj1sx1">Benson at a preason game agast the Giants last Augt. </div><figptn class="css-1am3yn9 enfs9c50"><span class="css-16u9763 e6iqd2">In Sportswire</span><span class="css-117g3a1 e6iqd0">//</span><span class="css-16u9763 e6iqd1">Getty Imag</span></figptn></div></div></div><p data-no-id="35" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">He didn’t. The kneelg ntroversy has quieted down; Kaepernick beme somethg of a social jtice folk hero, though he remas unsigned by any NFL team. But makg her voice heard, then and sce, Gayle Benson has tablished a prence ( the NBA as well) that is far more steel magnolia than shrkg vlet. And she is buildg her teams for champnships. “We n’t always w,” she says mischievoly, “but I kd of hope we do.”</p><p data-no-id="36" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0"><strong><em>This story appears the Febary 2020 issue of </em>Town & Country. <style data-emotn="css 188hsmf">{-webk-text-ratn:none;text-ratn:none;text-ratn-thickns:0.0625rem;text-ratn-lor:her;text-unrle-offset:0.25rem;lor:#fff;-webk-transn:all 0.3s ease--out;transn:all 0.3s ease--out;display:le-block;background-lor:#9a0500;font-fay:Terma,Terma-bold-fallback,Helveti,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:0.75rem;le-height:1;font-weight:bold;letter-spacg:0.02rem;paddg:0.6rem 0.7rem;text-transform:upperse;width:to;}{lor:#fff;text-ratn-lor:borr-lk-body-hover;background-lor:#030929;}{outle-lor:body-cta-btn-lk-foc;}</style><a data-href=" data-vars-ga-ll-to-actn="SUBSCRIBE NOW" data-vars-ga-outbound-lk=" href=" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" data-vars-ga-ux-element="Hyperlk" class="body-btn-lk css-188hsmf et3p2gv0">SUBSCRIBE NOW</a></strong></p><style data-emotn="css 2ok9l4">{marg-top:1.875rem;borr-top:th solid #595959;}</style><div data-jam-id="thor-b" class="css-2ok9l4 e13rjwo40"></div><style data-emotn="css ciejky">{clear:both;marg-top:1.25rem;}</style><div id="journey-le" class="css-ciejky e1cslvxz0"></div></div></div><div></div><div data-teractive="WatchNext-1" class="css-0 e10xr3vp6"><style data-emotn="css 1pqv15d">{marg-bottom:1.875rem;marg-top:1.875rem;paddg:0 0.938rem;}@media(m-width: 40.625rem){{paddg:0 2.5rem;}}</style><div data-embed="watch-next" class="css-1pqv15d e10xr3vp5"><style data-emotn="css jkklfs">{borr:th solid #030929;marg:0 to;max-width:60rem;text-align:center;}@media(max-width: 64rem){{paddg:0.9375rem;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{paddg:1.25rem;}}</style><div class="css-jkklfs e10xr3vp4"><style data-emotn="css 1sowyjy">{marg-bottom:1.25rem;}</style><div class="css-1sowyjy e10xr3vp3"><style data-emotn="css 1ixs76q">{font-fay:NewParis,NewParis-fallback,Geia,Tim,serif;font-weight:normal;marg:0rem;}@media(max-width: 48rem){{font-size:2.5rem;le-height:1.1;}}@media(max-width: 64rem){{font-size:2rem;le-height:1.2;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{font-size:2.8125rem;le-height:1.1;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{font-size:3.25rem;le-height:1.1;}}@media(m-width: 73.75rem){{font-size:3.25rem;le-height:1.1;}}</style><h6 class="css-1ixs76q e10xr3vp2"><span aria-hidn="te" class="css-0 eagam8p0"></span><span class="css-0 e10xr3vp1">Watch Next</span><span aria-hidn="te" class="css-0 eagam8p1"></span></h6><style data-emotn="css il0ojs">{-webk-align-ems:center;-webk-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-ems:center;lor:#030929;display:-webk-box;display:-webk-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;font-fay:NewParis,NewParis-fallback,Geia,Tim,serif;font-weight:normal;-webk-box-pack:center;-ms-flex-pack:center;-webk-jtify-ntent:center;jtify-ntent:center;marg:0.625rem 0 0.3125rem;m-height:to;}@media(max-width: 48rem){{font-size:1.0625rem;le-height:1.2;}}@media(m-width: 40.625rem){{font-size:1.0625rem;le-height:1.2;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{font-size:1.3125rem;le-height:1.2;}}</style><h6 class="css-il0ojs e10xr3vp0"> </h6></div><style data-emotn="css 1ui7hop">{marg-bottom:0.9375rem;--aspect-rat:56.25%;}</style><div class="__rp-ntaer css-1ui7hop e6l0f0"><style data-emotn="css 1yu8e3d">{marg-bottom:0.9375rem;width:100%;height:100%;} .__rp-ntaer{height:to;}</style><div data-embed="embed-vio" class="vio-player css-1yu8e3d e1ou1fny0"><style data-emotn="css 1uds6oo">{height:100%;width:100%;posn:relative;}</style><div class="css-1uds6oo e1f7ylgd6"><style data-emotn="css 1iiivv4">{background-lor:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.4);borr:.1875rem solid whe;borr-radi:50%;lor:#fff;cursor:poter;height:3.75rem;left:50%;posn:absolute;top:50%;-webk-transform:translate(-50%,-50%);-moz-transform:translate(-50%,-50%);-ms-transform:translate(-50%,-50%);transform:translate(-50%,-50%);-webk-transn:all 0.4s;transn:all 0.4s;width:3.75rem;z-x:1;}.e1f7ylgd6:hover {background-lor:rgba(33, 150, 245, 0.8);lor:#ffffff;}@media(m-width: 48rem){{height:5.625rem;width:5.625rem;borr:.28125rem solid whe;}}</style><button aria-label="Play Vio" class="css-1iiivv4 e1f7ylgd1"><style data-emotn="css 1lhf7lq">{fill:#ffffff;height:1.4rem;vertil-align:middle;width:1.45rem;}@media(m-width: 48rem){{width:2.3125rem;height:3rem;}}</style><svg xmlns=" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" style="fill: var(--primary, #000);" role="img" tle="Play" class="css-1lhf7lq e1f7ylgd2"><tle>play in .

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