Saints owner’s family appeals mental competency ruling
NEW ORLEANS — Three relatives of New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson on Wednesday appealed a ruling by a state court judge who declared the 87-year-old billionaire mentally fit to control his major league sports teams and other businesses.
Benson’s daughter, Renee Benson Benham, and her adult children, Rita and Ryan LeBlanc, believe that the businessman’s “cognitive impairment” is worse than the court determined and could worsen, the family’s lawyer, Randall Smith, said in a prepared statement.
The appeal is filed in the state 4th Circuit Court of Appeal.
Tom Benson’s attorney, Phil Wittmann, could not be reached for comment on the decision to appeal.
The family filed a lawsuit in January in Civil District Court in New Orleans claiming their father and grandfather is “infirm” and “unable to consistently make reasoned decisions” regarding his assets.
The suit charged that Tom Benson’s third wife, Gayle, blocked family members from access to him and was manipulating his decisions.
Blazers to deal Batum to Hornets
The Portland Trail Blazers and Charlotte Hornets are working on a trade that would send swingman Nicolas Batum to the Hornets in exchange for center Noah Vonleh and guard/forward Gerald Henderson.
The deal, first reported by Yahoo Sports, has Batum going to a new team after seven years with the Trail Blazers.
Batum struggled last season in Portland, batting injuries and averaging 9.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.1 steals while shooting 40.0 percent from the field in 71 games. He will be coming off wrist surgery but is expected to be healthy in time for the start of the 2015-16 season.
Batum is entering the final year of his contract and will make $12.2 million.
Henderson averaged 12.1 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 80 games last season for the Hornets. The 27-year-old, who has spent all six of his NBA seasons with Charlotte, will make $6 million next season before becoming a free agent in 2016.
Haslett joins Penn State as consultant
Veteran NFL coach Jim Haslett is joining the Penn State football team as a consultant.
In his role with the Nittany Lions, Haslett will work with the coaches and staff.
Penn State went 7-6 overall last season with standout quarterback Christian Hackenberg, who will be a junior.
Haslett, a Pittsburgh native, was the defensive coordinator of the Washington Redskins from 2010 to 2014. He also was the head coach of the New Orleans Saints from 2000 to 2005, and was the interim head coach for the St. Louis Rams for part of the 2008 season.
Shooting guard chooses Kentucky
Kentucky reeled in a standout guard from Canada on Wednesday to add to its 2015 recruiting class.
Jamal Murray, ranked as a five-star shooting guard from Orangeville Prep in Ontario, joins an incoming group that includes Skal Labissiere, considered the No. 1 overall recruit in the country, and McDonald’s All-American guard Isaiah Briscoe.
Murray’s commitment, which he announced on TSN in Canada, moves the Wildcats to the top of the team rankings according to most recruiting services.
Murray is the fifth member of Kentucky’s class. The Wildcats lost seven of their top eight scorers from last season’s team that went 38-1.
Kings suspend Voynov
Russian defenseman Slava Voynov, already indefinitely suspended by the NHL, was also suspended by the Los Angeles Kings several weeks ago because he suffered a non-hockey injury.
The suspension by the Kings, reported Wednesday on the team’s website, removes Voynov’s $4.166 million salary cap hit for the next four seasons. The length of the team suspension wasn’t specified.
Voynov was suspended by the NHL for the final 76 games of the 2014-15 season after he was arrested and charged last year with domestic violence against his wife.
Earlier this year, Voynov tore his right Achilles tendon while serving the NHL suspension. The Kings said the injury occurred during non-hockey activity and he had surgery to repair it.