Tom Benson Ruled Mentally Competent, Will Keep Control of Saints, Pelicans

Tom Benson, owner of the New Orleans Pelicans and New Orleans Saints, won a mental competency trial Thursday. The ruling secures his control of the two teams in addition to his other investments, according to Ramon Antonio Vargas and Jaquetta White of the New Orleans Advocate.

In addition, Benson's wife, Gayle, will take over when the 87-year-old dies.

Both Jeff Duncan of the Times-Picayune in New Orleans and Brett Martel of the Associated Press confirmed the news.

Benson released a statement, part of which read:

"

Gayle and I wish to thank the entire community for the overwhelming support that we have received during this trying time. Through it all, our fans and our sponsors showed unwavering support for our Saints and Pelicans.

We just finished minicamp in front of so many of our great fans and I cannot wait for training camp to start in late July.

"

Although on June 24, Benson's estranged heirs appealed the decision, citing that Benson never took the witness stand, per Katherine Sayre of NOLA.com. 

Vargas provided a brief look at the judge's reasoning behind the decision:

In January, Benson's daughter, Renee, and her two children filed suit to determine Benson's competency.

The development came shortly after he announced his wife would assume ownership of the Saints and Pelicans upon his death. Before that, Rita Benson LeBlanc, Renee Benson's daughter, was next in line to succeed the elder Benson.

"This is about the legacy of these two teams and everything we have done for the good of the city of New Orleans and our region," he said at the time, via Duncan. "My primary goal is to give the organization the foundation to live on after me for many, many years."

Benson bought the Saints in 1985 for $70 million from John Mecom Jr., who was the franchise's first owner. In 2012, he purchased the then-New Orleans Hornets for a sum of $338 million.

Under Benson's stewardship, the Saints won Super Bowl XLIV and have made the NFL playoffs five times since 2006. The Hornets/Pelicans haven't had quite the same success but look to have a bright future with Anthony Davis leading the way.