Family files lawsuit claiming Saints owner Tom Benson incompetent to control team

Family members of New Orleans Saints and New Orleans Pelicans owner Tom Benson filed a lawsuit Thursday claiming he's incompetent and is being manipulated by his wife and her allies, Jeff Duncan of the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.

The suit comes one day after the 87-year-old Benson revealed he will transfer ownership of his pro sports franchises to his wife, Gayle, upon his death.

Rita Benson LeBlanc, Benson's granddaughter and presumed heir to the franchises, is named as a petitioner in the suit along with Tom Benson's daughter, Renee LeBlanc, and grandson, Ryan LeBlanc.

The suit, which was filed in Orleans Parish Civil District Court, claims Benson's health is much worse than publicly known and has made him unable to manage his personal or business affairs. It also attempts to paint Gayle Benson, 67, as a "gold-digging opportunist" who has taken advantage of her husband's declining health.

The suit is seeking to have Renee LeBlanc named executor of Benson's sports and business ventures with Rita Benson LeBlanc in a secondary position.