Sean Payton: good for the Saints, good for N.O.

WP: Saints’ Payton more than just the right guy - washingtonpost.com Highlights - MSNBC.com: "'At the beginning of the year we talked about the things we can and can't control,' Payton said. 'We talked about embracing some of the responsibility of trying to understand and give this city a little something to be proud of and give this city a reason to get fired up about going to work on Monday and some of the challenges -- there is still a lot to do -- and from an organizational standpoint. [Benson] was clear we want to be out in the front of the effort to rebuild this town. We want to be one of the major players in helping to rebuild this city.

'Well, the first thing we can do is begin to play better, win games and, sure, there's going to be a lot of individual efforts charitable-wise and visits and all those things, but it goes back to the football. That's something that can help, too.'

There is a very good chance the egomaniacal Parcells might not have been able to do this, or even the alternately stoic and folksy Joe Gibbs. Few men could have mixed the football and rebuilding and made it all work.

In the first hire of Mickey Loomis's career -- only the most important coaching hire anywhere in years -- he just might have gotten it right."