Saint Owner Benson Upset After Incident

The New Orleans Saints say owner Tom Benson has not yet decided whether he will be at Sunday’s game in Baton Rouge, La., and frustration caused him to send an e-mail to the NFL saying he would not attend any more games at Louisiana State’s Tiger Stadium this season or next.

Team spokesman Greg Bensel said that Benson was upset by the treatment from fans after the Saints’ 21-6 loss to Miami on Sunday in Baton Rouge.

Benson, who attended the game with his wife, Gayle, granddaughter and grandson, was involved in an altercation with a WWL-TV cameraman and a fan as the owner and his family left the stadium.

Copies of Benson’s e-mail to NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue were obtained by the Times-Picayune and WWL-TV in New Orleans.

In the e-mail, Benson called security at Tiger Stadium “inadequate to nonexistent” and claimed that he and his family members “could have all been severely injured or killed.”

“I will not return to Baton Rouge for any reason, including any games scheduled for the end of this season or a contemplated next season,” Benson said in the e-mail. “No person, much less the owner of NFL team, should have either he, his family or his friends subjected to this form of danger, intimidation and abuse. I was advised not to go but wanted to support the league.”

As Benson and his party were leaving Sunday’s game, Benson lunged at a WWL-TV camera, knocking it down and causing a microphone to fall off. Then, he had a shouting match with a fan.

The NFL said it planned no action against Benson.

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Pittsburgh Steeler quarterback Ben Roethlisberger had arthroscopic surgery to remove a damaged piece of cartilage from his right knee and will not play in Sunday’s game at Green Bay and, possibly, the Nov. 13 game against Cleveland.

Charlie Batch will start against the Packers.

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Coach Dick Vermeil said quarterback Trent Green may not start for Kansas City on Sunday against the Oakland Raiders.

Green was in St. Louis on Wednesday for services for his father, who died at the age of 58 on Oct. 27. Vermeil is concerned with the amount of practice time Green has missed. If Green doesn’t start, Todd Collins will get the call.

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Terrell Owens returned to practice, a day after he was listed as doubtful for Philadelphia’s game at Washington on Sunday.

Owens sprained the same ankle he had surgery on last year in Sunday’s loss to Denver. He was upgraded to questionable, but quarterback Donovan McNabb sat out his second consecutive practice because of a rib injury and was downgraded to questionable.

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Randy Moss was held out of practice for the second consecutive day, and the Oakland receiver is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game at Kansas City. Moss is recovering after a hard fall against San Diego on Oct. 16, when he bruised his ribs, strained a groin and bruised his pelvic area.

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Joey Harrington will be back starting at quarterback for the Detroit Lions. Jeff Garcia is questionable after taking several hard hits during a 19-13 overtime loss to Chicago.