Sean Payton on destroying fire alarm: 'I just needed the noise to stop'
They of course serve a valuable purpose, but there are few sounds more annoying than a malfunctioning fire alarm.
And on Sunday, New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton took matters into his own hands because of one.
‘I just needed the noise to stop’
On Monday, Payton told reporters that he had destroyed the fire alarm box in the Saints’ locker room at Paul Brown Stadium before his team went out and smacked the host Cincinnati Bengals, 51-14.
New Orleans Times-Picayune photographer Michael DeMocker tweeted proof of the alarm going off well over two hours before kickoff.
Payton said it was “sensationalist” to describe his action as destroying the alarm box, but a photograph tells a different story:
Sean Payton smashed a fire alarm in the Saints locker room before Sunday's game against the Bengals. The alarms were going off throughout Paul Brown Stadium. https://t.co/Tt1Az5PBIL pic.twitter.com/kdkfpiJLpb
— Josh Katzenstein (@jkatzenstein) November 11, 2018
After about 10 minutes, Payton had had enough. He said on Monday, “I just needed the noise to stop. Gladly, we’ll take care of the repair cost and I consider the Brown family and that organization as close allies and people we have a lot of respect for and the same way with Marvin [Lewis].”
Wasn’t a motivational ploy
Payton said it wasn’t a motivational ploy by him to destroy the alarm and fire up (sorry) his players before the game against the Bengals.
He wanted Saints players focused before they went onto the field for pre-game warm-ups, and the alarm, he felt, was preventing that.
Payton could be facing charges
While Payton wants to pay for the repair of the alarm, he could have bigger issues: Hamilton County Prosecutor Joseph T. Deters told New Orleans television station WWL that police are investigating the incident and Payton could face charges.
“If law enforcement brings that to us after their investigation, we will make a determination at that time,” Deters said.
In Ohio, individuals found guilty of criminal damage face a maximum penalty of 60 days in jail and a $500 fine.
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