The Saints’ draft has elicited a tepid response (Payton Turner at 28 was a head-scratcher while Notre Dame’s Ian Book also felt like a reach in the fourth round), though you have to admire their troll game. A day after the Rams hung a portrait of commissioner Roger Goodell in their beach-getaway-turned-draft-war-room in Malibu, New Orleans responded by displaying this painting of Triple-Crown-winner Secretariat (screengrab courtesy of Barstool Sports’ PFT Commenter), an obvious nod to the Kentucky Derby, which will be staged at Churchill Downs in Louisville later today.
The Saints’ rivalry with the Rams reached a boiling point when the two combatants faced off in the 2018 NFC Championship at the New Orleans Superdome, a game that will forever be remembered for Nickell Robey-Coleman’s blatant pass interference against Saints receiver Tommylee Lewis, though no flag was thrown on the play. Whether or not the Rams meant to troll New Orleans with their portrait of Goodell remains unclear, though clearly the Saints took notice.
New Orleans-based GMB Racing, a stable operated by Saints principal owner Gayle Benson, has featured a slew of past Derby participants including Mo Tom, Tom’s Ready (both named in honor of the late Tom Benson) and Lone Sailor. Payton appeared at the event himself in 2016, giving the “riders up” call to jockeys ahead of that year’s race.
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