New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton probably had a right to be angry during his team’s 20-17 loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday. The Saints were whistled for 11 penalties, the costliest being the one that came against him during the Falcons’ final drive.
Payton was upset with officials for not stopping the clock sooner after he called a timeout, so he stormed the field. Head official Clete Blakeman called an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Payton, which gave the Falcons 15 yards and the first down they needed to seal the victory.
I think that's the first time I've ever seen a team lose because their coach tried to call a timeout. #Saints #Falcons pic.twitter.com/71jGWJbaTy
— John Breech (@johnbreech) December 8, 2017
But that wasn’t the end of it for Payton and Blakeman. After the game ended and the participants were running to the locker room, Blakeman stumbled near midfield. The impedance? Payton.
The two coincidentally (or not) made some sort of contact. After nearly tripping, Blakeman looked back at Payton but continued on his way.
Classy Sean Payton. What a scumbag. P.S. Thanks for the W 😂 pic.twitter.com/MdeHhQSqe8 — Jared Paul (@jaredmpaul) December 8, 2017
“I called a timeout and then he asked me again, and I said ‘I’ve already called a timeout,'” Payton said after the game. “I probably said it with a little more oomph or vigor than I was supposed to, but I’d had enough. I got to be smarter than that.”
The league reviews all unsportsmanlike penalty calls. You wonder if they might take a look at the mid-field run-in as well.