Tom Benson, the 87-year-old owner of the New Orleans Saints, has not been enjoying his time in the hills of West Virginia during the Saints' stay at the Greenbrier Hotel for training camp. Last week, he was taken to the Greenbrier Valley Hospital and was treated for dehydration.
Today, Benson had a fairly serious episode with trouble breathing, and it is being blamed on the altitude of Kate's Mountain, where the training camp is being held, right above the main thoroughfare of White Sulphur Springs. Benson was took to the hospital once again after he was given oxygen as a precautionary measure, and he is fine, according to team spokesman Greg Bensel: "This morning, Mr. Benson left practice after not feeling well due to symptoms related to the altitude here in West Virginia," the Saints said in a statement. "(He) was given a series of tests, of which, doctors did not find any issues or complications. He was treated with oxygen and has been released."
The Saints will be in West Virginia for one more week, so Mr. Benson will not have to deal with the altitude much longer, as he'll be traveling back to the bayou.
Benson has been the owner of the Saints since 1985, and recently took ownership of the New Orleans Pelicans NBA franchise.