e l y Ga n o s n e B
IT’S BEEN A LITTLE OVER A YEAR since the beloved Tom Benson passed away at the age of 90, leaving control of both his NFL team, the Saints, and his NBA team, the Pelicans, to his wife of 14 years, Gayle Marie Benson—or GMB, as she’s known affectionately to those close to her within the executive ranks of the organizations. This past year for the now solitary owner has been anything but dull. Drew Brees scored an all-time NFL passing record, Michael Thomas hit an all-time receiving record for the Saints, the acrobatic Alvin Kamara became just the second player in NFL history to total 1,500 rushing yards and 1,500 receiving yards in his first two seasons in the league, and kicker Wil Lutz set a franchise record for consecutive field goals, just for starters. And, of course, they roared through other contenders to make it to the championship game leading to the Super Bowl. But who can forget the game-changing no-call in that championship match against the Rams, which still has coaches and players alike calling for rule changes regarding reviews and challenges? And that is just a tiny snapshot of her NFL team over the last year. The Pelicans have had their fair share of drama as well, most notably when their finest player and one of the best in the league, Anthony Davis, asked the powers-that-be in February to trade him. The Pelicans couldn’t put together a trade deal that was beneficial
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Inside New Orleans
for them, leaving “The Brow” with nowhere to land immediately when the trade deadline expired. He’s now been limited to 20 minutes per game until the season is over. Benson says they will trade him when they are ready, and when it makes sense. Subsequent to that tumult, Gayle Benson had the unenviable job of firing Pelicans’ GM Dell Demps in a move that may redefine the entire franchise going forward. So, just who is Gayle Marie LaJaunie Bird Benson, the first woman to be in the distinct position as a majority shareholder in both an NFL and NBA franchise? She’s a local girl who grew up in Old Algiers. “This was before it was trendy,” explained Benson from inside the former interior decorator’s immaculately tailored office at Saints Camp. “It was a working-class section of New Orleans back then. My mother was very religious and put me in Catholic schools for elementary and middle school, but when I got to be around 14 (when you think you know everything), I decided I wanted to go to public school. I was at war with my mother over this, but I was strong-willed, and at 15 I landed at Behrman High School.” To hear Benson tell it, culture shock ensued. Having been insulated her entire life to this point with strict rules of behavior, witnessing the goings-on at her new school was shocking. “People were in the halls making out and >>
photo: CANDRA GEORGE mycreativereality.com
by Leslie Cardé