Tom Benson, the owner of the New Orleans Saints for more than 30 years, has died, according to a team spokesman. The team announced that he died peacefully with his wife, Gayle, by his side.
Benson, 90, had been recently hospitalized in the intensive care unit at Ochsner Medical Center for multiple weeks with flu-like symptoms. He also has battled health issues the past several years, including being hospitalized for exhaustion last October.
A prominent New Orleans businessman, Benson bought the franchise in 1985 and became a popular figure despite the team's prolonged losing in the early days.