We have all been there. If you deny it, more power to you, but you're lying. Absolutely everyone has had at least one run in with an annoying as hell fire alarm, and it takes every ounce of our being not to want to smash that thing so it stops.
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On Sunday afternoon inside Cincinnati's Paul Brown Stadium visitors locker room in Ohio, New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton did something most of us never have. He got so fed up at the fire alarm blaring before the road game that he destroyed it.
The noise, which had been going on roughly 20 minutes before kickoff, got the best of Payton's patience. He even confirmed he did it, but said "destroyed would be a little bit sensationalist."
"I just needed the noise to stop and will gladly take care of the repair costs," Payton told the media in a phone interview. "I consider the Brown family and that organization as close allies."
Sean Payton confirmed that he damaged a fire alarm in the Saints locker room before Sunday's game. Said 'destroyed' would be sensational. But he wanted to make it stop, will gladly pay the repair cost and has respect for the Bengals and Brown family.
— Mike Triplett (@MikeTriplett) November 12, 2018
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Let's hope the Cincinnati Bengals feel that way, too, because what Payton did is not exactly legal. Damaging a safety device, including a smoke alarm, is misdemeanor criminal mischief, which could mean up to 60 days in jail, according to The Advocate.
Although Payton technically broke the law, he's not going to jail. That's ludicrous to even think. However, the Bengals have alerted authorities, and everyone is just waiting for anything to happen.
Chances are, everyone will let this slide. Nobody really knows why the fire alarm was sounding in the first place, but it was clearly annoying and a loud distraction, and nobody really wants to punish an NFL head coach for something like this.
There are some great theories on social media about the situation, too, including rumors the Cincinnati Police Department was asked to arrest Payton, that the Saints coach pulled the alarm himself to wake his team up, and that he should be suspended indefinitely by the NFL for his conduct and broken fire alarm.
I have a friend who works for Cincinnati police and apparently after the bengals reported Sean Payton, the fire marshal told CPD to arrest him for the fire alarm damage but the mayor of Cincinnati intervened and told CPD “we are not getting involved with that.”
— Sugar Magnolia⚜️✌🏼️ (@_MidwestMess) November 12, 2018
The Bengals people reported to authorities that Sean Payton set off the fire alarm in the Saints locker room 15 minutes before the game.
ESPN reported pregame that Sean was worried that the team looked tired. 5 min later the fire alarms went off. Saints had no comment. #WhoDat
— Wesley Dome Patrol (@WhoDatWesley13) November 12, 2018
@NFL needs to hold coaches to higher standards than players. Sean Payton needs to be suspended indefinitely for vandalizing the Bengals fire alarm system
— American Road Trip (@Panther__news) November 12, 2018
Believe whatever you want. Just know Sean Payton did something we all have wanted to at some point in our lives.
Oh, and the New Orleans Saints destroyed the Cincinnati Bengals, 51-14, too.
