After a year off, Sean Payton is back. He is recharged, renewed, revitalized.
But his mistrust of 345 Park Avenue still lingered.
In a long profile from ESPN.com’s Seth Wickersham, Payton vented a bit about the powers-that-be.
“I was cynical when I arrived in New York,” said Payton.
Payton believes he has reason to be. In his final months with the Saints, Payton had a certain beef with the league office.
A study of penalties committed against each team over the past four seasons shows that the Saints ranked 30th, 31st, 32nd, and 32nd in penalties called against their opponents. When it does happen, it’s statistically extremely rare.
Payton’s not-so-subtle message was and is that the league’s bias against the Saints manifests itself in penalties not called against its opponents.
So what happened when the Saints presented their findings to the league office? Payton said there was no answer.
And Payton’s suspicions reached the top of the ladder. “I think it starts with [Commissioner] Roger [Goodell],” said Payton.
Payton doesn’t believe Goodell intentionally ordered a Code Red against the Saints. Things do not happen clearly. But the Saints became Park Avenue pariahs in 2012, due to the bounty scandal. And if there is open hostility toward a team, it can permeate the various departments and functions, ultimately (and possibly) harming the officiating department in a certain way — the officers of game could look the other way if the opponents of the Saints commit fouls.
The feeling that the odds were stacked against him wore on Payton.
“I’m tired,” Payton told Wickersham. “There is a feeling, I would say on my part, of missing jump balls in this game. You know? Success or lack of success with the Saints is a blip in the NFL.
In some ways, Payton’s comments about Goodell and the league office were even more surprising than what he first said to Jarrett Bell in USA Today about former Broncos coach Nathanial Hackett and his current team, the Jets. The things Payton said to Bell could affect the Broncos in one game, Week 5 against the Jets; The things Payton said to Wickersham could affect the Broncos all of this.
Or maybe it’s just a warning shot. It was a message to the league office and officials that if the trend from Payton’s last four years with the Saints carried over to the Broncos, Payton would call it. And the league, in an era of legal gambling, will have a big mess on its hands if the numbers suddenly show that the Broncos benefit from the fewest fouls called against their opponents at all or most. other teams.
Regardless, Payton’s remarks showed a lot of nerves. It will be interesting to see if Goodell responds. It will also be interesting to see if we hear about what the response is.