3 pm press conference today Saints facility... (1 Viewer)

[WhoDat?DrewDat]

aww watching him walk out the room for the last time

Someone's cutting onions around here

 

[Zztop]

Someone's cutting onions around here

I held up okay, until the end. Him walking off was too much. I guess it was the finality of it all

 

[Brandon13]

Someone's cutting onions around here

I told my wife that it's like a family member died and that it just won't be the same.

On the other side of 2018 NFCCG and now the Brees/Payton era.. it's just different.

 

[Brandon13]

I held up okay, until the end. Him walking off was too much. I guess it was the finality of it all

Couldn't take it and had to go to the store and buy beer LOL.. ugh this just sucks.

 

[Grand Master BJC]

I'm so emotional right now. It's going to take a while to come to terms with this. I'm getting some tacos and beer and hope I wake up tomorrow from the nightmare that 2020-2022 has been.

 

[Saint Taysom]

 

[Bill]

We're sad because we all know that we may never see this level of success for our Saints ever again. It's certainly possible... but it's not very likely.

 

[SaintsSupremacy]

We're sad because we all know that we may never see this level of success for our Saints ever again. It's certainly possible... but it's not very likely.

Yep, the true pain is watching a hall of fame QB and Coach combo walk off the field and may never be replicated again in our lifetimes. What we saw and the joy and emotions we experienced, the confidence, the highs and lows might never happen again. The pain we feel is directly correlated to the potential that hall of fame players and coaches have for world championships. It hurts so much more when super bowls are realistically in your grasp.

 

[Snakehead]

We're sad because we all know that we may never see this level of success for our Saints ever again. It's certainly possible... but it's not very likely.

Nah man, I don't see it that way at all. I see the CSP/DB era that turned around the organization. It's not just going to fall off when they retired. The standard and expectations have changed. Look at the Steelers. They had 16 head coaches in their first 36 years and had a losing record. Noll/Bradshaw changed that. Then they went from Noll to Cowher to Tomlin. The Saints had 13 head coaches in their first 38 years then the CSP/DB era turned it around. Now it's time for who is next to continue on. This organization is not going back to how it used to be before the CSP/DB era.

 

[PHSaint518]

I agree, but he never stated he wouldn't come back. I'm not a fan of presuming to know what he's thinking, and the guy I addressed has been projecting all afternoon. It gets annoying tbh.

Are you not supposed to share your opinion on a public forum? Anyway, you literally wrote this an hour or two ago “Dollars to donuts, it didn't have anything to do with Payton retiring.” That’s no different to how I presented my opinion and some would say that’s “presuming to know what he’s thinking.”

 

[FLSaintzFan]

I've been a fan since 1967. Sat in the dome when we could choose our seats, anywhere we wanted to sit. Horrible losing seasons, over and over. This organization has grown from a laughing stock, to a team that no other wanted to play against. Sean and Drew did that. But not alone. The front office selected them and added them to the great mix, that is New Orleans itself.

I cannot remember any Saints coach NOT being fired. And every one that was fired needed to be. I also cannot recall ever seeing Sean Payton in Saints facility, and before the cameras, wearing anything but a Saints shirt and/or visor.
This is a bittersweet day for fans. I'm so happy for Sean. I've not seen him smile and have such a relaxed demeanor since the Super Bowl win. He's earned this. Let him ride over the big hill ahead, not knowing what is on the other side.

I wish you well Sean Payton. Thank you!

 

[perret318]

I agree. In another thread I mentioned Bill Cowher who walked away from Pittsburgh when he was only 48 years old I believe. Everyone said he'd take and year or two off and he'd be back coaching. Its been 16 years and he never went back to coaching. Some guys are content with what they've accomplished in one chapter of their life and are ready to turn the page to the next one.

Well said. If I had accomplished what CSP did in 16 years here (not to mention the previous however many in Dallas and NY), I'd be perfectly happy to hang up my spurs and see what life has to offer to my millionaire self.

But then again, I'm not Sean Payton, so I'm not projecting that he feels the same way. A driven, competitive guy like that might not be content with chilling for a few years. But that's up to him.

Being a Saints fan since my childhood in the mid-80's, CSP has brought the kind of winning excitement that I only dreamed of back then, and gave it to us for 16 straight years. So all I can do is thank him for that, and be hopeful for the future.

Best of luck, Sean. You've spoiled us for years to come. It's been an awesome ride.

Thanks man.

 

[Crzycjunx76]

Sure, just a little surprised to hear him completely shut the door on any possible return down the line.

I dont get that at all from his presser. He is closing a chapter, has a lot of emotion, and wants to get all the questions out of the way now... because i really think he wants to completely disconnect for a while after this, vanish even.

Will he come back to the NFL/football in some capacity? I expect so.

Broadcasting, front office, coaching? Dont know, but even if he dabbles in broadcasting I would think coaching would still call him.

Is it with the Saints? Any broadcasting would be national. Front office? Yeah, it would be a natural fit. Coaching, that is muddier. He would want to come back to a team on the precipice of contending, with a QB capable of executing the O and being his extension on the field... teams like that are not often in the market for a coach, and the ones that are have meddling owners.

If we retooled for a season rebuilding the Oline and skill spots, traded some guys not in a 3yr plan for draft capitol, drafted a QB in 23, and were back in playoff contention by 24 or 25 but felt our coach was underacheiving with the talent... if he takes 3-4 seasons off, we could be his team of choice again.

If he takes one or two seasons off it is unlikely. At that point with the new coach we either kept it rolling successfully, retooled for a year and are still evaluating the results/coaching, or failed to keep it rolling all together and started the inevitable rebuild. None of those would seem to make us a likely landing spot.

Though if we keep the whole staff intact and promote the HC from within, i could see a path there.

Of course I could have it all wrong and Sean could come back wanting the challenge of taking a team at the bottom to the top again.

Just dont think he is "closing a door" so much as a chapter, and if we met the conditions he was looking for as a team and he wanted to come back to coaching, he would without reservation.

 

[Broad St. Saint]

Nah man, I don't see it that way at all. I see the CSP/DB era that turned around the organization. It's not just going to fall off when they retired. The standard and expectations have changed. Look at the Steelers. They had 16 head coaches in their first 36 years and had a losing record. Noll/Bradshaw changed that. Then they went from Noll to Cowher to Tomlin. The Saints had 13 head coaches in their first 38 years then the CSP/DB era turned it around. Now it's time for who is next to continue on. This organization is not going back to how it used to be before the CSP/DB era.

It's possible. As they say in management circles, A's hire A's, B's hire C's. It's possible that the culture has changed so much on Airline Drive such that the organization has much higher goals and standards, to the point that winning continues. Let's hope so!

 

[Breakin'Hearts]

Watching the press conference, Sean seemed like the pressure of being a head coach was lifted off his shoulders. Him bringing king cake to Mrs. Benson and the media folks was a nice touch.... It just seemed like I was listening to a different, relaxed Sean Payton today. Hearing him thank all those past and present Saints players by name kinda got me chocked up. Great memories of the past 15 years came back to mind.