NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – If you’re a Saints fan, Gayle Benson wants you to know she shares your frustration with the team’s performance this season. In an exclusive interview with The Times-Picayune sports columnist Jeff Duncan, Benson spoke candidly about the Saints and the future of its general manager.
The Saints go into their bye week with a 2-8 record and sit at the bottom of their division. Some fans are trying to stay positive about the season.
“Not to say that this season is a wash, but we’re pretty far down there,” said Saints fan Damian Rogers.
“I keep saying it’s a development year. We’ve got a lot of young players that we’re seeing,” said Joshua DeSantiago, a Saints fan.
Times-Picayune columnist Jeff Duncan says the team’s owner is well aware of the frustrations and agreed to a rare interview with him this week.
“I think the fan discontent had reached a level that Gayle Benson and the executives with the Saints and Pelicans felt like she needed to say something,” Duncan said.
Duncan sat down with Gayle Benson for 30 minutes, asking questions likely on the minds of Saints fans. One dealt with the performance of general manager Mickey Loomis.
“It may not be what the fans want to hear, but as far as firing Mickey Loomis, that’s ridiculous. (He) does a great job. Mickey’s been one of the top NFL general managers. He’s a great guy. He’s got a bunch of rookies. He’s got a new coach who just was in the Super Bowl. I mean, what else can I do?” Benson told Duncan.
Duncan says Benson’s defense of Loomis is not surprising.
“It’s a very unique situation. He is ingrained in the hierarchy of this organization unlike any other general manager in the league. So, it’s not unusual, I think, to see her back him that way,” Duncan said.
Benson pointed to Loomis’ role in signing Drew Brees and hiring Sean Payton, which led to the franchise’s first championship. But Duncan says the Saints have been struggling to recapture that winning spirit.
“A lot of that was when Sean Payton and Drew Brees were here. And a lot of fans, I think, look at Mickey Loomis’ record when either one was not here, and it’s not been very good. They’ve not even made a playoff berth one time in those seasons,” Duncan said.
Gayle Benson expressed excitement for first-year head coach Kellen Moore and some of the younger Saints players. She assured executives of both the Saints and the New Orleans Pelicans — which she also owns — are being held accountable. But Benson admitted this is a time of rebuilding.
“I agree with everyone, including Mickey (Loomis), that we do not have the record that we want. However, I do see a team that is building for the future,” Benson told Duncan.
In the interview, Benson said both teams are not for sale. As for the Pelicans head coach, Benson said she “likes” Willie Green, but Vice President of Operations Joe Dumars will decide Green’s future.
The Saints organization may be building for a brighter future, but for some fans, the past has never looked better.
“I’ve always loved the Saints, and I love Drew Brees, and I wish Drew would come back,” said Anna Patchett, a Saints fan.
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