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About 76 percent of the NFL schedule remains. Already "Monday Night Football" has set records as the most-watched program in cable television history, with nearly 22 million last week watching Packers-Vikings and quarterback Brett Favre, who turned 40 on Saturday.

To this point, by the numbers, we've also seen: 20 months for Plaxico Burress on a weapon charge; a 19-game losing streak end in Detroit; an eight-part Michael Vick reality show series green-lighted by BET; and one ownership bid from Rush Limbaugh in St. Louis.

If Lovie Smith ever finds himself unemployed, he's one coach who wouldn't transition into the broadcast booth or move the needle on talk radio. The Bears coach likes to divide the season into quarters, almost as much as he hates to say anything remotely interesting.

His team is 3-1 at the bye week with three quarters to go, and whatever role Rod Marinelli has played in that, you'd never see Smith open up like this about how he recruited the defensive line assistant and Lions refugee to Halas Hall.

Compare that to Sean Payton, who painted the scene for Peter King of Sports Illustrated. The New Orleans Saints coach was sitting near the firepit in his backyard in Louisiana when he came up with the plan to exceed Green Bay's offer and sign Gregg Williams as his defensive coordinator in January.

"So I had a couple of beers in me," the Naperville Central graduate recently told King, "and I start thinking, 'I make enough money. We really need this guy. I'm going to offer some of my own money to try to make this happen.' So the next day, I walk into (general manager) Mickey Loomis' office and say, 'Mickey, take $250,000 of my salary, add it onto our offer for Gregg and let's get this thing done right now.' Mickey called (owner) Tom Benson, they discussed it, and they agreed. So we upped the offer."

Right now the 4-0 Saints are absolutely crushing it, and that will be a major story line beyond their Week 5 bye.

The Saints, who are averaging an NFL-best 36 points per game, haven't trailed during a game all year. They're tied for the league lead in total offense (414.3 yards per game). A defense that last year ranked in the bottom third of the NFL is now in the top third.

Payton shrewdly made it a package deal and also hired Williams' son Blake, a Princeton graduate, as an assistant. Payton, 45, has long excelled at networking within the coaching industry.

He crossed paths with Central coach Mike Stine some 20 years ago, and last week they exchanged text messages around New Orleans' 24-10 victory over the 3-1 New York Jets. Payton tracks how the Redhawks are doing. They first met while Payton was recruiting the area as an assistant at San Diego State and Illinois.

"He's a regular guy," Stine said. "He's a players' coach. (He's) had a passion for the game (since) he was 22 years old. ... He's been chasing that dream (since) he got out of college.

"He's down-to-earth, treats people right."

There are ways to connect with players or quickly lose a locker room. Earlier this season Cleveland Browns coach Eric Mangini fined a player $1,700 for grabbing a $3 bottle of water at a hotel without paying for it. Last month Payton parachuted into a Redhawks game at North Central College to shoot a Kenny Chesney music video. (Stine was told the song won't be released until next summer). Payton also once joked about the Easter bunny -- in full costume -- keeping up with him during an April road race in New Orleans.

Payton isn't physically imposing, nor does he have the playing credentials of "Samurai Mike" Singletary, the ex-Bears linebacker who has the San Francisco 49ers at 3-1.

That doesn't necessarily matter. Kent Graham, another quarterback out of the DuPage Valley Conference (Wheaton North), played under Payton in 1999 with the New York Giants.

"When Sean became our quarterbacks coach, there was no doubt," Graham said. "He came in with a lot of credibility. He put his time in, as far as being a coach. He had been under Jon Gruden for a long time in Philadelphia. We knew he paid his dues. (He) knew what he was talking about and he was professional."

Payton wasn't swallowed up by the city's relentless tabloids or unforgiving back pages that introduced "Clueless Joe" Torre to New York when the Yankees hired him in 1995.

"It was the first time (he) was calling plays when he was with the Giants," Graham recalled. "We went up to Minnesota to play the Vikings (and) before the game we're like, 'All right, let's represent the DVC, let's go.'"

But Payton's future is in New Orleans, where he is signed through 2012. If the Saints keep playing like this, that $250,000 figure will be a small price to pay. He'll easily make that investment back on his next deal.

DeadmaN

hay, what ever gets it done
right?

nutria

Payton is a leader. He leads by example. Think what would happen in our country if some of the politicians or"leaders" in business would give up some of their salary or perks to support something they believed in. Payton has cojones and puts his own money up--we are lucky to have a coach like that.

jn671

I love how our team would do anything to make the team better.. Drew giving up some of his pay to get a player in here as well as Payton Giving up 250000 to get Williams as it is stated in this article.

Rugby Saint II

Payton makes me proud. He leads by example and I believe the players he has brought in reflect his attitude. We are a quality team without Diva's.

QBREES9

Just take the points, kick the FG please, just take the points. No really I love his style.