Without quoting RJ's whole post, I agree that there is hostility toward the Saints and Payton for the reason he outlines in his 3rd point. I am not convinced that there is any sort of conspiracy going on, but I am persuaded that the current commissioner dislikes Payton and that this dates back to an incident during the time of the 2009-2010 superbowl. I don't recall the details, but it had something to do with interviews-- Payton was late, or didn't show up, or wasn't sober-- something like that. Then came the flimsy evidence of a bounty process. Then came the no-call and its aftermath.
All of this adds up to animosity, conscious or unconscious. It comes from Park Avenue and from the officials. The question becomes this: is there an understanding between these two entities?