Under the terms of his season-long suspension for his role in the Saints' bounty program, head coach Sean Payton is "not allowed to have any contact with the Saints organization or anyone around the NFL," and if he does, he "must report it" to NFL Exec VP/Football Operations Ray Anderson, according to a source cited by Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. As a result, when Payton's suspension began Monday, he "essentially was cut off from every Saints employee and any coaching friend he has around the league until the day after" the '13 Super Bowl, when the suspension is scheduled to end (ESPN.com, 4/17). USA TODAY's Nate Davis notes Payton also "can't interact with other suspended parties, including" Saints GM Mickey Loomis and former Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams. That ruling "presumably includes any chance meetings Payton and Loomis might have in Florida, where they have beach houses a mile apart." Payton, Loomis, Williams and Saints interim coach Joe Vitt, who will "serve a six game suspension to start the season, are also barred from all NFL facilities and stadiums without permission from Commissioner Roger Goodell" (USA TODAY, 4/18). ESPN’s Merril Hoge said Sean Payton has “accepted the accountability” over the bounty scandal and the reason the NFL “is so strict right now with Sean Payton is because they warned him, they counseled him, they threatened him and he chose not to listen to any of it” (ESPN, 4/17).
CATCHING A BREAK? In New Orleans, Nakia Hogan notes the Saints "apparently caught a break" with their early '12 schedule. Of the Saints' first six games, only one is "against a team that had a winning record last season -- the Packers." The other five opponents to open the season had a combined record of 30-50. Vitt will return to coach the Saints for their seventh game (New Orleans TIMES-PICAYUNE, 4/18).
