‘I would take him back’ was familiar refrain from Saints fans regarding Broncos coach.
New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton celebrates after winning the NFL Super Bowl XLIV football game in Miami, Sunday, Feb. 7, 2010. The Saints won 31-17. NEW ORLEANS – It is approaching happy hour, which is any waking hour on Bourbon Street, the jazz bellowing from street musicians as tourists sip daiquiris from plastic contraptions.
If Payton had arrived a month ago, when the Saints were averaging 45 points, perhaps he would have felt the wrath of Who Dat Nation. Talking to a wide swath of fans and locals leading up to kickoff, it is obvious Payton remains a civic treasure. “In Louisiana, we tend to play the victim card. At times, it seems like there is not a lot to feel good about, but football is where we can rub elbows with the likes of Dallas, New York and Denver,” said longtime Times-Picayune columnist Jeff Duncan.
And while some fans will let him have it Thursday — “I don’t think there’s going to be a lot of flowers and warm fuzzies for yours truly,” Payton said — his history here has not been erased from the city’s hard drive. Payton cannot be mentioned in New Orleans without bringing up Drew Brees. They remain one of the greatest coach-quarterback pairings in NFL history.
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