Maybe my rabbit ears are a bit too big for this kind of thing. It may not be my business how anyone spends their money. It's something I cannot help but do, especially since it speaks to the way that the wealthy are treated in this country and not just in sport.
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I was watching last night's U.S. Open for a while and noticed that Gayle Benson, the New Orleans Saints' owner, was promising $1 million to the Gulf Coast Renewal Fund in order to assist the region recover from Hurricane Ida.
Here it is at NFL.com. It's also available on NBCSports.com. Here's the Saints press release on the WKRGs website. The Bleacher Report story is required. I got ya. All the other places are possible to imagine.
A million dollars is a lot. It is for you and me. It is also true for many other people. It is a significant amount for the Gulf Coast Renewal Fund. It is an initial donation. There could be more.
Except that the damage that Hurricane Irma will cause to your car and property will make $1 million seem like change in a car ashtray. None of these articles mention Benson's $3.4 billion worth. With a B. They do it all the time. I'm sure she has plenty of liquid. According to Statista, the Saints earned over $400 million in 2019 revenue. That seems to provide a fair amount of liquid.
What is my reaction? I was impressed that an unfathomably wealthy lady donated an amount that she would never miss. It is something, but not enough. Benson can't fix all the problems that are possible once damage has been fully assessed. However, I also know that $1million won't be enough.
ESPN cannot say this, because they are in bed with NFL. The NFL's website wont do anything but show how good their owners are every chance they get. Even though all 32 of them would probably turn your dog into a wheat thresher to make a buck, we know that none of them will. Many outlets have an agreement with The Shield or count on them to provide eyeballs. You won't see anything, not even going in on it, but just mentioning how much Benson is worth.
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Benson could have given nothing, so I don't mean to portray her as a heartless Scrooge. As silly as it sounds, $1 million is more than just nothing. It's like a token gesture, a halfhearted wave.
$1 million is a great donation. It will likely help many people. Benson is able to save many lives and not have her life affected in any way. All owners do. All rich people do. They don't. They bend the laws to their will so that they don't have to, except for when it is necessary to make headlines. They even find ways to avoid paying full freight for taxes. We are supposed to clap like seals whenever they drop from the top and spread what amounts to pocket dust for them onto us. This gesture is trending on Twitter or on ESPN, so I'm supposed to go agog.
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Sorry. To get me to salute, you'll have to do much more. McKenzie Scott agrees. Talk to me if you're on her block.
