New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton and I once had a strong relationship. This ended at some point in 2004 when Payton decided to spurn Al Davis’ offer to become head coach of the Oakland Raiders and remain with the Dallas Cowboys.
I was a young beat writer for the Dallas Morning News who’d been told to only use anonymous sources as a last resort. And that’s how Payton’s former wife, Beth, ended up on the cover of SportsDay for 3-4 straight days. Beth was providing me with a blow-by-blow description of Payton’s interview process with the Raiders. I was writing this in the paper each day, but Sean didn’t know it because he was in Oakland with Davis. The internet was still in the early stages.
Beth is the reason I knew Payton had turned down Davis and decided to stay with the Cowboys. Jerry Jones had doubled Payton’s salary to $1 million to convince him to stay on Bill Parcells’ staff. Davis had asked Payton not to tell anyone he’d been offered the job, but it was too late because Beth had already confirmed that to me. I’ll never forget Sean telling me, somewhat profanely, to take his wife’s name out of the story.
I took the tongue-lashing and then explained, “The one way I take her name out of the story is if you confirm she’s telling the truth.” Payton agreed to my proposal, and then hit me with a few more choice words. I’d like to say we’ve laughed about this over the years, but we haven’t.
And to make matters worse, Payton and I frequent the same bar in Florida — Bud & Alley’s — at the same time every summer. I tell you this to remind you no one holds a grudge like Payton. And losing to the Cowboys, 13-10, last season drove him nuts. He knows Jones has coveted him as a head coach for many years, and he’s flattered by this. Getting completely stonewalled by the Cowboys’ defense last season was an embarrassment to him.
Payton relishes the opportunity to take down the Cowboys while being compromised at quarterback. The Cowboys teed off on Drew Brees last season. It was a stunning outcome that didn’t derail the Saints season, but it left a mark.
Payton has had some great moments against the Cowboys, but he’s also been humbled, both at the Superdome and in Arlington. The long-term contract he just signed with the Saints means he’ll likely never coach for Jerry Jones, but there’s still something extra he brings to these games. Dallas was where he raised his kids. It’s where he found refuge when the NFL banned him for a season due to Bountygate. His legacy will certainly be tied to New Orleans, but his heart remains in Dallas.
He can play it down all he wants, but these games against the Cowboys mean more to him. His career was hanging in the balance when Jim Fassel stripped him of playcalling duties in 2002. He received a second chance with Bill Parcells and the Cowboys in 2003. And he’s never looked back.
My only regret is not having a quote from Beth Payton in this column.