Saints head coach Sean Payton has spoken publicly for the first time since one of the darkest days in the history of Louisiana sports, the NFC Championship loss against the LA Rams now known as the Bayou Burglary. Payton says for the first 24 hours he was angry, but in the days that followed, he resorted to a coping in isolation.
“Much like normal people, I sat and probably didn’t come out of my room and ate Jeni’s Ice Cream and watched Netflix for three straight days. There’s certain vices you gravitate to, and for me, it’s probably sugar,” said Payton.
Payton said teams encounter disappoints throughout the season, but as tough as this one is, they’ll get past it.
“I don’t know that you ever completely get over it, but I think you do get past it. There’s enough resolve I think that this time away is healthy and when it starts back up again in the spring, we’ll look at that calendar and get back at it again,” said Payton.
Payton said he is proud of his team’s season after winning 14 games. He added he has spoken with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell in the time since the game, but the conversation was brief.
“My discussions, briefly, on Monday and Tuesday, with the commissioner and with Troy were relative to not any sort of reversal or anything like that, it was just to the play and any sort of statement,” said Payton.
