Shaping up with the competent mob

Everyone please turn your medallions to Team Gayle.

Saints and Pelicans owner Tom Benson has prevailed in his mental competency trial, according to his lawyers.

In December and January, Benson fired his daughter, Renee; and her children, Rita and Ryan LeBlanc, as employees and announced that he no longer wanted them to have anything to do with the various businesses he owns in Louisiana and Texas or to inherit the businesses when he dies. The twice-widowed Benson alleged they had proved to be incompetent and that they had treated his third Gayle rudely.

Gayle Benson is now in line to assume control of her husband’s businesses upon his death.

Renee, Rita and Ryan fired back by filing a lawsuit seeking to have the 87-year-old Benson declared mentally incompetent to make such a decision. The relatives also alleged that Gayle Benson had manipulated her husband and exerted undue influence on him before he effectively cut them out of his life.

But Orleans Parish Civil District Court Judge Kern Reese ruled in favor of Benson in the matter, his lawyers said.

 Was pretty much in the bag as soon as Donald Trump explained his net worth on TV the other day. 

I HAVE ASSETS, BIG ACCOUNTING FIRM, ONE OF THE MOST HIGHLY RESPECTED, $9,240,000,000. [APPLAUSE] AND I HAVE LIABILITIES OF ABOUT $500 -- THAT'S LONG-TERM DEBT, VERY LOW INTEREST RATES. IN FACT, ONE OF THE BIG BANKS CAME TO TO ME, SAID, DONALD CAN, YOU DON'T HAVE ENOUGH BORROWINGS. COULD WE LOAN YOU $4 BILLION? I SAID, I DON'T NEED IT. I DON'T WANT IT. I'VE BEEN THERE. I DON'T IT. BUT IN TWO SECONDS THEY'D GIVE ME WHATEVER I WANTED. AND NOW WITH THE INCREASE, IT'LL BE WELL OVER $10 BILLION. BUT HERE A TOTAL NET WORTH OF $8

So, by that reckoning, it would take eight Tom Bensons to make even one Donald Trump.  And we let Trump roam free and do stuff like run for President (sort of.) So clearly Benson can keep owning some sports teams.