What does "Suspended" mean exactly?
 

Obviously, a player can't play and a coach can't stand on the sideline. But is Sean banned from the practice facility? Is he allowed to correspond unofficially via email, telephone and VTC? Will he still have access to official game film and things like that? I know he won't get paid this year, but this is that situation where someone really does this job for free. He'd be the only coach to win a superbowl that didn't coach the winning team.

It was said on ESPN that starting April 1 that he cannot communicate with the team via email etc etc. But I do wonder if we win the sb does he get a ring.

Sean probably has two options this year ...

1) Play World of Warcraft for the next year
2) Work as a consultant on the college level, if permitted to do so while he's still under contract with us.

Don't forget Madden !

You all are fooling yourselves if you think SP wont be communicating to Brees and the team somehow. I sure he will be sending them plays and whatever else. I just dont see SP sitting around for a year and not involved with the team

The team can give a ring to whoever it wants to.
Mayors, ball boys, road chefs, and yes, suspended head coaches if they choose.

If he does and gets caught, what do you think Goodell will do to him then. He better go take a year long Vacation in Hawaii.

3) Spend some well earned quality time with his family, travel the world, and get some distance from the game, so that he can come back fully rejuvenated for the 2013 season.

This might actually end up being a blessing in disguise, because it has been widely speculated that SP might retire from football after his current contract with the Saints runs out. But this year away from the game might just allow him to charge his batteries and give him the drive he needs to coach the Saints for another decade.

what do you think the NFL is going to do during this suspension? Bug SP's phones? Email? House? I mean if it were me I would at least draw up as many plays and game plans before 1 APR that I could and hand them to Drew. Get a burn phone and give him and only him the number to it...lol.

Really good point. I have a feeling that Paytons return in 2013 will be something in the likeness of General Sherman's March to the Sea. I'd bet Payton will take the off year to plan the utter destruction of everybody we'll face in 2013.

Heck, we all know that Sean Payton is going to still run the team to some degree. You know he will have those late night conversations with Pete Carmichael on a prepaid cell phone. LOL

On a serious note, yes, it would be wise for him to get away for the year and comeback in 2013 raring to go.

One thing I do wonder though, if ESPN or another network hired him for the year would that be in violation of his suspension? Or say, coach a college team for a year?

Would the league be allowed to tap his phone or ISP etc, to check if he is in contact with the team in anyway!

In the UK that would be called an invasion of privacy and I'm pretty sure it would not be allowed!

Well, I am a unix engineer, so I volunteer to make "Paytonimous" out of Sean Payton. Someone untraceable could be hacking the Saints intranet the entire 2012 season, but instead of stealing data, uploading it :)

He'll have a lot of time studying teams form a different perspective... I don't see that as a bad thing.

Same way the bounty crap came out in the 1st place!