Post by brophy on Oct 19, 2006 9:28:04 GMT -6
[glow=red,2,300]FAN FAVORITE[/glow]
He's unlike any Saints head coach the city has seen. And not just because the team is winning.
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
By Jimmy Smith
Less than 24 hours before the Saints would kick off their biggest game of the season, Sean Payton was totally engrossed, as one might expect.
Not in final preparations for the Philadelphia Eagles, but entertaining a young visitor and his family to the team's Airline Drive practice facility.
"He was beyond amazing," Julie Steib said of the Saints coach Monday. "He talked to my daughter. He had time for every one of my children. He let us get into the huddle. He let Cameron do a little cheer. He was overly gracious.
"Then to top it off, after the game on Sunday, we come into the locker room . . . we had chills. We couldn't believe it. It was phenomenal. I don't know how else to describe it."
Eight-year-old Cameron Steib of Thibodaux was diagnosed last summer with Leigh's disease, a rare neuromuscular disease characterized by degeneration of the central nervous system. The prognosis for those who contract it is grim. As part of A Child's Wish, Cameron visited the Saints on Saturday, got tickets to Sunday's game, and hoped to see some of his heroes again Sunday as they left the field and headed to the locker room.
That wasn't enough for Payton.
"When the coach came by," Julie Steib said, "he stopped and grabbed Cameron and told us we were all going into the locker room. He had Cameron in his arms. He gave a speech to the players. Then we all knelt down and prayed with the team. He gave Cameron the game ball."
On Monday, Payton paused to reflect on the events of the weekend, of the events of the past few months, of the way this Saints-mad city has embraced its 5-1 football team and the new head coach.
"I was raised pretty well," Payton said of his parents, Thomas and Jeanne Payton, both now dead. "My parents taught me to treat other people the way you'd want to be treated. I just think that when a guy like Cameron is at practice, and you see what kind of position he's in, it puts it all in perspective."
Rebuilding smiles
Payton seems to be putting everything about post-Katrina New Orleans into perspective. He understands how important the Saints are to the residents and a city trying to recover from disaster.
He doesn't act like the typical football coach. He's a team ambassador. He's on a goodwill mission, making it a point to express his appreciation to corporate team sponsors, who are vital to the Saints' long-term viability, as well as to working-class fans, who have used their post-Katrina discretionary income to buy more than 68,000 Saints season tickets this year.
"I'm thrilled to death for them," Payton said. "This is a little unique. We thought at the beginning of the season this could be something special and we had an opportunity maybe to put some smiles on people's faces and help start the rebuild of this city.
"There's a lot of work to be done outside of the football aspect of what this town needs. But I think the idea that they can rally around their team, I think that's good stuff. There are a lot of people on a weekly and daily basis who show us how important this team is to them. So we feel that sense of responsibility and we're excited for them."
After three Superdome victories, Payton, an NFL head coach at 42, has taken the time to slap hands with fans rimming the plaza level of the stadium before leaving the field.
"I've never seen a coach go and high-five the fans," Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis said Monday. "I've never seen that. Sean is excited for the city and our fans."
During three road trips on the team charter plane, Payton has taken the time to meet and greet each corporate sponsor that has accompanied the team that particular week, chatting for a moment, thanking them for their presence and support, something that Ben Hales, Saints vice president of marketing and business development, has not seen before.
"I think the other (head coaches) were so focused on just the football team and anything else to them was a distraction," Hales said. "Everybody here understands we all have a role to play. Sean doesn't see it as a distraction. He sees there's a time and place for everything. He feels it's the right thing to do to talk to these guys. He's not going out of his way.
"He's genuine about it. I think if it was phony, guys would see right through it. If it was lip service and he was dragged to the back of the plane kicking and screaming, you could tell. That's just not what he does."
Payton admits he feels an obligation to express his appreciation to fans and corporate sponsors alike. After it was announced just before the start of the regular season that the club had, for the first time, sold every season ticket, Payton said he went into the ticket office to congratulate the sales personnel on their effort.
"I think there are times when something like that could be distracting," Payton said of taking time out for others, "but at the same time, it's having that balance in your life that there's a right time for everything. These (corporate sponsors) are people who are supporting what we're doing. By acknowledging that, just by shaking hands and smiling, it's not like you're trying to run for office. You're just trying to thank them. And it goes a long way."
Making some noise
Fans have taken notice. Payton has gone out of his way to emphasize the importance of a vocal home crowd, playfully admonishing them for not being loud enough at times last week against Tampa Bay, and praising their zeal Sunday in several instances when the Eagles were forced to use a couple of time-outs, as well as when the Eagles were penalized for a false start Payton attributed to the crowd noise.
"People have been excited, and I think they've embraced what we're trying to accomplish," Payton said Monday. "You can tell the impact and the importance that this team has. You can see it in their eyes. You can see it in their eyes at the end of the games just in the end zone when I have a chance to say thanks.
"From the day I've arrived here, people have welcomed myself and our staff and the new members of this team with open arms. It's hard to explain. It's powerful."
But Payton has also made an effort to embrace the city. For example, when the West Bank Quarterback Club called this spring and invited him to speak at its year-end meeting, when the group honors high school athletes, Payton became the first Saints head coach to ever attend, according to the club's Wayne Ory.
"And he called me back personally twice," Ory said. "The first time he called he said, 'This is Sean Payton.' I thought someone was BSing me. But he's a great guy, first-class."
"He has people skills," said Loomis, who admitted those traits were evident when he interviewed Payton for the head coaching vacancy in January. "He's a good football coach, No. 1. And part of being a good football coach is being able to deliver your message and getting your players to respond to it. That's the whole key. Sean can do that. Interestingly enough, he can communicate his message beyond that to the public. It's a byproduct of the way he presents himself. And it's real genuine."
Payton said he was deeply moved by young Cameron Steib and his family: "It left a lump in my throat."
And, in turn, the Steibs were equally moved. Not only did Cameron get a ball on Sunday, Payton went to equipment manager Dan Simmons and got three more balls for Cameron's siblings.
"We've had many blessings with Cameron," Julie Steib said. "Our lives have been in a whirlwind. We have great, great sorrow. But our blessings overflow. They are so many. This weekend was just mind-blowing. It was the biggest blessing we've ever had."
He's unlike any Saints head coach the city has seen. And not just because the team is winning.
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
By Jimmy Smith
Less than 24 hours before the Saints would kick off their biggest game of the season, Sean Payton was totally engrossed, as one might expect.
Not in final preparations for the Philadelphia Eagles, but entertaining a young visitor and his family to the team's Airline Drive practice facility.
"He was beyond amazing," Julie Steib said of the Saints coach Monday. "He talked to my daughter. He had time for every one of my children. He let us get into the huddle. He let Cameron do a little cheer. He was overly gracious.
"Then to top it off, after the game on Sunday, we come into the locker room . . . we had chills. We couldn't believe it. It was phenomenal. I don't know how else to describe it."
Eight-year-old Cameron Steib of Thibodaux was diagnosed last summer with Leigh's disease, a rare neuromuscular disease characterized by degeneration of the central nervous system. The prognosis for those who contract it is grim. As part of A Child's Wish, Cameron visited the Saints on Saturday, got tickets to Sunday's game, and hoped to see some of his heroes again Sunday as they left the field and headed to the locker room.
That wasn't enough for Payton.
"When the coach came by," Julie Steib said, "he stopped and grabbed Cameron and told us we were all going into the locker room. He had Cameron in his arms. He gave a speech to the players. Then we all knelt down and prayed with the team. He gave Cameron the game ball."
On Monday, Payton paused to reflect on the events of the weekend, of the events of the past few months, of the way this Saints-mad city has embraced its 5-1 football team and the new head coach.
"I was raised pretty well," Payton said of his parents, Thomas and Jeanne Payton, both now dead. "My parents taught me to treat other people the way you'd want to be treated. I just think that when a guy like Cameron is at practice, and you see what kind of position he's in, it puts it all in perspective."
Rebuilding smiles
Payton seems to be putting everything about post-Katrina New Orleans into perspective. He understands how important the Saints are to the residents and a city trying to recover from disaster.
He doesn't act like the typical football coach. He's a team ambassador. He's on a goodwill mission, making it a point to express his appreciation to corporate team sponsors, who are vital to the Saints' long-term viability, as well as to working-class fans, who have used their post-Katrina discretionary income to buy more than 68,000 Saints season tickets this year.
"I'm thrilled to death for them," Payton said. "This is a little unique. We thought at the beginning of the season this could be something special and we had an opportunity maybe to put some smiles on people's faces and help start the rebuild of this city.
"There's a lot of work to be done outside of the football aspect of what this town needs. But I think the idea that they can rally around their team, I think that's good stuff. There are a lot of people on a weekly and daily basis who show us how important this team is to them. So we feel that sense of responsibility and we're excited for them."
After three Superdome victories, Payton, an NFL head coach at 42, has taken the time to slap hands with fans rimming the plaza level of the stadium before leaving the field.
"I've never seen a coach go and high-five the fans," Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis said Monday. "I've never seen that. Sean is excited for the city and our fans."
During three road trips on the team charter plane, Payton has taken the time to meet and greet each corporate sponsor that has accompanied the team that particular week, chatting for a moment, thanking them for their presence and support, something that Ben Hales, Saints vice president of marketing and business development, has not seen before.
"I think the other (head coaches) were so focused on just the football team and anything else to them was a distraction," Hales said. "Everybody here understands we all have a role to play. Sean doesn't see it as a distraction. He sees there's a time and place for everything. He feels it's the right thing to do to talk to these guys. He's not going out of his way.
"He's genuine about it. I think if it was phony, guys would see right through it. If it was lip service and he was dragged to the back of the plane kicking and screaming, you could tell. That's just not what he does."
Payton admits he feels an obligation to express his appreciation to fans and corporate sponsors alike. After it was announced just before the start of the regular season that the club had, for the first time, sold every season ticket, Payton said he went into the ticket office to congratulate the sales personnel on their effort.
"I think there are times when something like that could be distracting," Payton said of taking time out for others, "but at the same time, it's having that balance in your life that there's a right time for everything. These (corporate sponsors) are people who are supporting what we're doing. By acknowledging that, just by shaking hands and smiling, it's not like you're trying to run for office. You're just trying to thank them. And it goes a long way."
Making some noise
Fans have taken notice. Payton has gone out of his way to emphasize the importance of a vocal home crowd, playfully admonishing them for not being loud enough at times last week against Tampa Bay, and praising their zeal Sunday in several instances when the Eagles were forced to use a couple of time-outs, as well as when the Eagles were penalized for a false start Payton attributed to the crowd noise.
"People have been excited, and I think they've embraced what we're trying to accomplish," Payton said Monday. "You can tell the impact and the importance that this team has. You can see it in their eyes. You can see it in their eyes at the end of the games just in the end zone when I have a chance to say thanks.
"From the day I've arrived here, people have welcomed myself and our staff and the new members of this team with open arms. It's hard to explain. It's powerful."
But Payton has also made an effort to embrace the city. For example, when the West Bank Quarterback Club called this spring and invited him to speak at its year-end meeting, when the group honors high school athletes, Payton became the first Saints head coach to ever attend, according to the club's Wayne Ory.
"And he called me back personally twice," Ory said. "The first time he called he said, 'This is Sean Payton.' I thought someone was BSing me. But he's a great guy, first-class."
"He has people skills," said Loomis, who admitted those traits were evident when he interviewed Payton for the head coaching vacancy in January. "He's a good football coach, No. 1. And part of being a good football coach is being able to deliver your message and getting your players to respond to it. That's the whole key. Sean can do that. Interestingly enough, he can communicate his message beyond that to the public. It's a byproduct of the way he presents himself. And it's real genuine."
Payton said he was deeply moved by young Cameron Steib and his family: "It left a lump in my throat."
And, in turn, the Steibs were equally moved. Not only did Cameron get a ball on Sunday, Payton went to equipment manager Dan Simmons and got three more balls for Cameron's siblings.
"We've had many blessings with Cameron," Julie Steib said. "Our lives have been in a whirlwind. We have great, great sorrow. But our blessings overflow. They are so many. This weekend was just mind-blowing. It was the biggest blessing we've ever had."
