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.
Even on a windy midweek afternoon, this area is a kaleidoscope of beads, booze and beignets. Bars advertise that hangovers are installed — and repaired.
A faded cover of the Times-Picayune hangs on the wall at Finnegan’s Easy with the headline screaming “AMEN!” in celebration of the New Orleans Saints’ lone Super Bowl victory. There has not been much to celebrate at the Caesar’s Superdome lately, the team accelerating toward a fourth consecutive season without a playoff berth.
This is a recent phenomenon. Life wasn’t like this when Sean Payton coached the black and gold.
“I’d definitely take him back,” Saints fan Michelle Melancon said between hands of video poker. “He brought us a Super Bowl. He was an inspiration. He did a lot for this city.”
Payton returns on Thursday night for the first time since he resigned following the 2021 season. The head coach oversees a flawed Broncos team eager to remain relevant against a desperate Saints team that has dropped four straight.
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.
“I think we will welcome him with open arms. There will probably be some people still mad he quit, but I don’t think there will be much of that,” said Janelle Bays, a waitress at Daisy Dukes Express Southern, whose father has Saints season tickets. “He was burned out. I think everybody has their time and moves on. I know I will cheer for him.”
In Denver, Payton remains viewed suspiciously. His resume proves his success, but nobody cares about his past. He is 11-12 with the Broncos. His culture of discipline has taken shape, but his offense has failed to live up to his reputation as a Will Hunting of Xs and Os.
In New Orleans, he was not a coach. He was a conquering hero, an alpha personality who changed the trajectory of an entire franchise. Before Payton, the “Aints” were known for Archie Manning’s scrambles, fans with bags over their heads, and Jim Mora’s grumpy press conferences. When Payton took over in 2006, the Saints had one playoff victory. When he left, he owned nine playoff berths and a championship, his legacy rooted in the organization’s rebirth following Hurricane Katrina.
“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.
“Sean Payton and Drew Brees came in and demonstrated strong leadership when there wasn’t a lot of that in the city. Sean refused to play the victim after the worst disaster in U.S. history. He never made excuses. After decades of having sand kicked in their face as fans, Sean provided confidence, bordering on arrogance. People liked that.”
So when Payton put his hand around his neck and yelled “choke” at Falcons running back Devonta Freeman and mocked Vikings fans by doing their Skol clap, it fit into the fabric.
Payton clearly is not for everyone. But it was hard during the height of his glory to find anyone complaining — even when he was suspended for the 2012 season for his role in Bounty Gate.
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.
Blaring music on Wednesday provided a reminder. Walking down Bourbon Street, the 2018 Saints celebration song “Hit The Sean Payton” bounced off shop windows promising voodoo bones tours and psychic readings.
“What he did after Katrina that will be cemented forever here,” said Saint Vader, a New Orleans super fan who dresses like Darth Vader at home games. “He rejuvenated the city. People will never forget that.”
Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton stands on the field during the first quarter against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
Payton cannot be mentioned in New Orleans without bringing up Drew Brees. They remain one of the greatest coach-quarterback pairings in NFL history.
Rejection brought them together. Payton flirted with the Raiders, but he wanted the Green Bay job. The Packers went in another direction, and he ended up in New Orleans. Brees was headed to the Dolphins as a free agent but failed a physical. Reggie Bush was supposed to go to the Texans with the No. 1 overall pick, but they passed on him.
Today the 2006 season is immortalized with the statue of Steve Gleason blocking a punt in the reopening of the Superdome.
With Payton and New Orleans, it will always be bigger than football.
“I don’t think any of us could ever understand the impact (that season) could have,” Payton said.
Brees will celebrate his induction into the Saints Hall of Fame during a halftime ceremony. He wanted it on Thursday, even as some Saints officials balked, to free up his weekend for coaching while coinciding with Payton’s return.
“People ask if we won because of Sean or Drew. It was the combination. They were great together,” said Steve Lofaso, a server at Bobby Hebert’s Cajun Cannon Restaurant and Bar in Metairie, La. “I will be at the game. And like some other fans I have talked to, I am a little worried Sean is going to embarrass the Saints.”
Payton, who still has a home in the city, didn’t leave New Orleans; he brought New Orleans with him. As recently as February, he had 13 staff members and 9 players with ties to the Saints employed by the Broncos.
It provides Payton comfort. He won seven division titles with the Saints.
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But, three years ago Payton abruptly quit in New Orleans. New Orleans, though, isn’t ready to quit on him.
“There will be boos from fans who feel betrayed. But there will also be a lot of people who feel grateful,” Saint Vader said. “I will be seated on the Broncos’ side with a sign that says ‘Thank You Sean.’”
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