Does Gayle care? (6 Viewers)

[RJ in Lafayette]

I would be shocked if Gayle lives outside New Orleans. I am not saying she doesn't have a house somewhere else (and I have no knowledge that she does). But she is totally committed to the city.

Again, my sense is that she is isolated and allows Dennis Lauscha (who follows her around when she is on the sideline before every game) and Mickey Loomis to run the show. I wish she had truly business relationships with Lauscha and Loomis, but those relationships seem intensely personal. Lauscha is the team's president, and Loomis holds the titles executive vice president and general manager, so technically Lauscha is Loomis's boss. But I doubt that on football issues Loomis reports to Lauscha. Loomis does what he wants and seems answerable only to Gayle. So does Gayle have access to outside voices? I doubt it. The Saints are an incredibly insular organization that does whatever it wants.

 

[SuperSaint]

Of course she cares, but she's a 'Hands-off' owner, so it may present the appearance of nonchalance.

Besides, it's been clear for years that the Pels are her baby more than the Saints.

 

[Saint Jack]

Of course she cares, but she's a 'Hands-off' owner, so it may present the appearance of nonchalance.

Besides, it's been clear for years that the Pels are her baby more than the Saints.

Are you sure?
Because I’ve always thought the Saints were the moneymaker.
And in my opinion, it just seemed like the Pelicans were a side business to sell tickets in the offseason.

 

[Saint Jack]

But I think she cares.
That Super Bowl win gave the Saints more publicity and notoriety that the franchise still feels today.
Get another championship and the value of the franchise will increase.

 

[SoggyBottomBoy]

Yes. She cares.

 

[REBELMAX]

She can’t do anything if she wanted to. She a PR prop.

It’s hard to get really angry with her isn’t ? Lmao That’s not an accident.

She doesn’t take questions. She doesn’t meet with media -even for the annual media lunch -if they ask questions that aren’t submitted well in advance.

She made a deal. She lives on a horse farm in Kentucky and she is required to go to games for the teams.

I can’t believe people actually think she has any power in a practical sense.

 

[changchang]

She can’t do anything if she wanted to. She a PR prop.

It’s hard to get really angry with her isn’t ? Lmao That’s not an accident.

She doesn’t take questions. She doesn’t meet with media -even for the annual media lunch -if they ask questions that aren’t submitted well in advance.

She made a deal. She lives on a horse farm in Kentucky and she is required to go to games for the teams.

I can’t believe people actually think she has any power in a practical sense.

What do you mean she can’t do anything? Doesn’t she have all of the power? Maybe she will never exercise it but isn’t she the owner? Is there some stipulation that she can make no changes?

 

[REBELMAX]

What do you mean she can’t do anything? Doesn’t she have all of the power? Maybe she will never exercise it but isn’t she the owner? Is there some stipulation that she can make no changes?

Ok. This always triggers people. So I understand.

I want to say one thing and then I’m not saying anymore.

Does this feel normal ? Does any of this feel like it makes any logical sense ? The thread is named “Does Gayle care ? “ Is that a normal question ?

What would make people constantly ask that ? The GM just when on live media and said “we need to look past the results “ Our Coach is statistically one of the worst professional head coaches in the history of the sport. But he ceded any say so or control to get the job. The owner hasn’t take a business or professional based question… ever. Local media are terrified to ask anything tough for fear they will “get the credentials pulled “.

Does any of this feel off ? It should …. because it is.

 

[Fiyo]

How much does it really matter to her? I’m sure it matters to some degree but what is her tolerance for losing? Is she willing to even make a change or is she loyal to Mickey no matter the circumstance? I get the feeling her tolerance is a lot lower than any of ours would be if we were fortunate enough to have inherited this empire. I hope I am wrong but if that’s the case then results such as these may not change for some time.

She’s born and bred New Orleans … other than the OBVIOUSLY deserved, this is not a personal shot. … But this even asking or implying is simply undeserved and just plain ridiculous … She’s an old timer who is loyal to her team and city no matter what. And until I have her money — enough to own the Saints and keep them in NOLA as she has, including when Tom may have had other ideas, I’m going to war with her, no questions asked. I have faith she and her team will figure this out one way or the other, no matter who she decides her support team should be.

 

[Fiyo]

What do you mean she can’t do anything? Doesn’t she have all of the power? Maybe she will never exercise it but isn’t she the owner? Is there some stipulation that she can make no changes?

So you’d rather have Jerry Jones as an owner? … I have a feeling you didn’t live through John Meacom Jr.

 

[SuperSaint]

Are you sure?
Because I’ve always thought the Saints were the moneymaker.
And in my opinion, it just seemed like the Pelicans were a side business to sell tickets in the offseason.

Yeah, even back when Tom Benson was alive, it was an unspoken understanding that the Pels were her baby.

 

[RJ in Lafayette]

I would like to know more about her spending time in Kentucky. But here's one to blow your minds. The best things that happened to the Saints were Tom Benson marrying Gayle (I'm sure it was his good looks and personality) and perversely Katrina. Before Katrina, Tom Benson wanted to move the team to San Antonio. After the hurricane, he made his intentions clear. The NFL, largely Paul Tagliabue, intervened and said no. There should be a Tagliabue statue outside the Superdome. Inside the organization, only one person protested the decision and went public with Benson's intentions. It wasn't Dennis Lauscha or Greg Bensel--they were on the San Antonio train--and it certainly wasn't Mickey Loomis. It was Arnold Fielkow, whom Benson quickly fired.

And over time Gayle, who I suspect was pushing back a bit on the San Antonio relocation, helped to round off a tad Tom's sharp edges and urged him to buy the Pelicans.

Gayle's problem is loyalty. Eric Asher said today on his broadcast that Dennis Allen is just the fall guy. The person truly responsible for the mess the franchise is in is Mickey Loomis. Because he feels so little pressure from ownership, Loomis is going to ride the roller coaster as long as he can. My guess is that the only person who can persuade Gayle Benson to move on from Loomis is Dennis Lauscha. Until season-ticket sales crater, I don't see Lauscha stepping up to the plate.

 

[Cajun Chat]

How much does it really matter to her? I’m sure it matters to some degree but what is her tolerance for losing? Is she willing to even make a change or is she loyal to Mickey no matter the circumstance? I get the feeling her tolerance is a lot lower than any of ours would be if we were fortunate enough to have inherited this empire. I hope I am wrong but if that’s the case then results such as these may not change for some time.

I think this is the wrong question. The question is does she know? As if does she know what is happening and how to manage through it or has she deferred everything to Dennis and Mickey?

 

[SaintsBrah]

How much does it really matter to her? I’m sure it matters to some degree but what is her tolerance for losing? Is she willing to even make a change or is she loyal to Mickey no matter the circumstance? I get the feeling her tolerance is a lot lower than any of ours would be if we were fortunate enough to have inherited this empire. I hope I am wrong but if that’s the case then results such as these may not change for some time.

No she’s worth 6.6 billion already

Why would an NFL owner not care?

bc she inherited it??

 

[RJ in Lafayette]

Change will come when one of two things happen.

One possibility is that Mickey goes to Gayle and says it is time for a new general manager. He can save face and keep getting big checks by remaining the executive vice-president of the team or given another grand title in the Benson business structure. I increasingly do not see this happening. Loomis was long overshadowed by Payton, and the last three years have tarnished his reputation. I do not think his ego will allow him to step down after the 2024 season.

The only other possibility is Lauscha breaking ranks and telling Gayle it is time to make a change at the top with the Saints' football operations. I will believe this when it happens.

The organization will say that the team sustained so many injuries that Allen deserves another year or will make Allen the scapegoat.