Times-Pic answers our Sam Mills Wall of Fame question: Tom Benson

by David "Satch" Kelly on Jun 25, 2009 12:37 PM CDT

In today's Times-Pic mailbag, Jeff Duncan and Brian Alee-Walsh give us an explanation as to why the Sam Mills Wall of Fame ceremony has not been rescheduled:

Q: Hey, Jeff, I was wondering if you knew anything about Sam Mills being honored with a banner in the Dome. On the Saints blog I frequent (and for which you recently did an interview with our moderator), Canal Street Chronicles, a member recently brought up that he remembers that a Sam Mills "Banner in the Dome" ceremony was planned for the 2005 season, but it was dashed by Katrina/Rita. I think Sam is loooong overdue for this type of public recognition. Thanks. Hans, Louisville, Ky.

A: Hans, great to hear from a Louisvillian. Yes, you are correct. Mills' Wall of Fame ceremony was a victim of Katrina. I'll defer to colleague Brian Allee-Walsh for the answer. Here's Brian's take:

Hey Hans, the late Sam Mills saga is a complex one, one that began well before Katrina. In fact, Mills was supposed to be honored posthumously at the 2005 home opener against the New York Giants, the game that eventually was moved to Giants Stadium and played on a Monday night after the storm. Then, the team remained in San Antonio for the duration of the '05 season and there were far more pressing matters to deal with in the storm's aftermath. Consequently, the Mills ceremony got pushed to the backburner where it remains today. That's what happened in a nutshell. Going forward, until Saints owner Tom Benson gets on board, Mills or any other Saints player like Morten Andersen and Willie Roaf, for example, aren't likely to join the six others currently on the Superdome Wall (Jim Finks, Dave Dixon, Eddie Robinson, Pete Maravich, Archie Manning and Rickey Jackson). Five men sit on the selection board, which is chaired by LSED head Ron Forman. Keep in mind, this is not the Saints Wall of Fame, it is the Superdome Wall of Fame. The Superdome is a state building, whose primary tenant just happens to be the Saints. Thus, Benson feels his organization should have a representative on the selection board. There are other issues. Benson still feels Mills slighted him and his organization when he left the Saints to sign with the Carolina Panthers in the mid-1990s. It just kills me that a life-size statue of "The Field Mouse" stands outside Carolina's stadium in downtown Charlotte, N.C., and there is nothing in the Superdome to honor Mills, who unquestionably was the heart and soul of the team's best-ever defense, a.k.a. The Dome Patrol. Superdome spokesman Bill Curl said the possibility exists that Mills and others could be honored in new format, perhaps in conjunction with the Saints Hall of Fame. I know this: I have not given up the fight. Mills was a class act and deserves to be remembered in a class way by an organization that got his best on and off the field for 10 years. Anything less would be a damn shame. - Brian Allee-Walsh.

Sounds like Tom Benson may be responsible for the roadblock. Thanks very much to Jeff and Brian for finding an answer for us. Benson will probably require a swift kick in the pants before he sets his ego aside for a moment and does the right thing in regards to Mills.

This FanPost was written by a reader and member of Canal Street Chronicles. It does not necessarily reflect the views of CSC and its staff or editors.

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Nice follow-up

but not the results we’re after … yet. Since it’s been confirmed that a 2005 ceremony was indeed scheduled, I contend that concessions must have been made by Mr. Benson at the time. In other words, he was evidently over any ill feelings he may still harbor for Mills and the way things went down. That’s actually saying a lot, in and of itself.

As some of you may remember, Carolina extended Mills an contract offer and the Saints decided to match the offer, yet Mills still decided to walk. And if you put yourself in Mills’s shoes, that’s understandable. If the Saints truly thought he was worth that amount, why did it take a third party to push the envelope? Given the same situation, I think I would have probably flicked my chin at the organization, as well.

To move past all that, as we can now only assume Mr. Benson was willing to do pre-Katrina, is to swallow one’s pride. The next question/hurdle therefore becomes, what made ol’ Tommy boy regurgitate it? I don’t think Sam has come back to life since the storm to ruffle any feathers. Why the change of heart?

My guess? There was no TRUE change of heart on Mr. Benson’s part. I’d be willing to bet that:

a.) Some other faceless individual — either within the Saints organization, or on the Superdome board — was spearheading this event in 2005.

b.) Mr. Benson either reluctantly signed off on it, or had no say so in the matter to begin with.

c.) That individual is no longer employed with the Saints, nor are they on the board.

The bottom line? We’re either going to need a new figurehead to push this through, or we’re going to have to do it ourselves as a fan base. Even if Mr. Benson is “okay” with the idea, I don’t think he’ll ever feel a sense of urgency to get the ball rolling. Not without someone there pushing him. Who’s ready to push?

by coldpizza on Jun 25, 2009 2:40 PM CDT reply actions

I'm ready

Pushing wealthy businessmen and politicians is usually the only way to get things done. My take on Benson is this: Mills had just passed away on April 18th, 2005 and was very much in the minds of Saints fans that year, so Benson needed to finally get this done that season so he wouldn’t come off as a heartless d-bag. After Katrina botched everyone’s lives and plans later that year and now that most fans have since moved on, there’s no reason for Benson to finally follow through. I guarantee that his personal reason for honoring Mills had more to do with keeping the fans happy and thus keeping the the revenue flowing in than it did about honoring one of the greatest players to ever wear a Saints uniform. It will take a push by the fans, the Mills family, and possibly Rita (if she can be convinced) to finally get this done. Benson is, always was, and always will be concerned solely with the money he stands to make from the team and nothing else.

Go Saints!!!! Deuce may be gone, but he will never be forgotten.

by David "Satch" Kelly on Jun 25, 2009 3:18 PM CDT up reply actions

Benson = Mr. Potter

Remember the miserly old curmudgeon from “It’s a Wonderful Life”? Tom Benson is a fat, greedy, no-good, selfish, disloyal, self-centered, money-grubbing Jabba the Hut. I hate his guts and can’t wait to piss on his grave. The day he dies is the day the world becomes a better place.

Did I mention that he is also a traitorous, compassionless, money-whore?

Long live Tom Benson. In Hell.

There is nobody so irritating as someone who is less intelligent than us and yet is wiser.

by Tigernut on Jul 2, 2009 7:14 AM CDT up reply actions

Way to get in a plug Hans

nice work

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by Dave Cariello on Jun 25, 2009 4:05 PM CDT reply actions

anything for the promotion of the best ever Saints fansite/blog!!!

"Knock 'em the (- -) out!" - G Dub

by HansDat on Jun 25, 2009 9:34 PM CDT up reply actions

lets keep going?

should we do the petition. whats the next step? great post satch! rec’d it!!

by NYSaint on Jul 10, 2009 6:56 PM CDT reply actions

How's about

getting a group of us together to push for this on the Bud Bridge, prior to the Bengals preseason opener? If we make a big sign that says “Sam Mills for the Wall of Fame, Show Your Support Here” I bet we’d get a ton of signatures and might even wind up on the local news. We could call the WWL pregame show from a cell and slip in a plug for it. If we get a good response and aren’t hassled by security, do it again before the next home game. The more and more something like this is in the public eye, the more pressure Mr. Benson and/or members of the Superdome commission are going to feel to answer to it. It’s hard to ignore something that’s constantly being thrown in your face.

by coldpizza on Jul 11, 2009 5:29 AM CDT up reply actions