Benson, who owned Saints & Pelicans, dies
Tom Benson, a successful auto dealer who brought the New Orleans Saints their only winning seasons and the “Benson Boogie,” has died.
Benson, who has also owned the NBA’s New Orleans Pelicans since 2012, was 90. The NFL and NBA teams announced Benson’s death on Thursday.
Benson made his mark in pro sports with the Saints, which he bought in 1985 when it appeared the club would be sold to out-of-state interests and perhaps moved out of Louisiana. He paid $70 million for the team, which is now worth more than $1 billion. Benson’s business acumen helped turn the Saints from a perennial also-ran into a contender — and the 2009 NFL champion. Yet his ownership also was less flatteringly marked by the 2012 bounty scandal and by rumors Benson did not want to bring the team back to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina devastated the city in 2005.
l The Oakland Raiders are shuffling wide receivers, signing free agent Jordy Nelson and releasing Michael Crabtree.
Nelson agreed to a two-year contract Thursday after the Raiders spent more than a day meeting with the former Green Bay Packers star. Oakland is also cutting ties with Crabtree after three seasons, leaving Nelson and Amari Cooper as the team’s starters. NFL Network first reported Nelson’s signing and ESPN first reported Crabtree’s release.
l The McCourty twins are back together. The Cleveland Browns traded cornerback Jason McCourty to the New England Patriots, reuniting him with his brother Devin. The Browns also sent a seventhround pick to the Patriots to get a sixthrounder in return.
T.J. Oshie scored twice, Dmitry Orlov and Nicklas Backstrom each had a goal and two assists, and the first-place Washington Capitals beat the Islanders 7-3 in Brooklyn.
Andrei Burakovsky added a goal and an assist, and Lars Eller and John Carlson also scored to help Washington improve to 104-3 in its last 17 games against the Islanders.
Evgeny Kuznetsov had three assists and Philipp Grubauer finished with 35 saves for his 11th win of the season. Brock Nelson, Andrew Ladd and Ryan Pulock scored for the Islanders, who lost for the ninth time in 10 games.
Christopher Gibson started and gave up five goals on 12 shots before he was pulled midway through the second period. Jaroslav Halak came on and finished with eight saves.