With Peter King on his annual four-week summer vacation, Saints coach Sean Payton took time away from vacationing in he Florida panhandle to write Monday's Monday Morning Quarterback column for SI.com.

He points out that each year, the playoffs feature four to six teams that didn't qualify the prior season. (Actually, last year the number was seven -- with five new teams from the NFC alone.) And while Payton wisely doesn't tap the Saints as one of the teams to crash the postseason party in 2009, he thinks the Jets will make it.

The coach offers to have defensive ends Will Smith and Charles Grant climb Mt. Rainier in lieu of serving four-game suspensions to start the season.

Slices from Payton's column:

"When we signed Drew Brees in 2006, he had an inured shoulder. The most important factor in our decision was Drew's work ethic and desire to be special. It is no doubt that one of the hardest things have to do each leading up to to free agency and the draft is evaluate players. How important is the game to the player? Will money change his work ethic? Does he see himself as being great?

"Clearly the business of building teams is not an exact science, but I can say with certainty that players like Brees, Tom Brady and Peyton Manning give us a barometer for the type of player we are seeking. Players who are driven, motivated and play the game with passion, just like those three do week in and week out."

Payton thinks former Saints linebacker Rickey Jackson and ex-Seattle defensive tackles Cortez Kennedy should have a spot reserved for them in Canton. He notes hat this is coming from an offensive coach who believes it is time to fill the Pro Football Hall of Fame with more of the NFL's defensive elite.

The coach said he had heard that Jimmy Buffett wants to see a Dolphins-Saints Super Bowl. He would like that as well, especially since it would mean he'd be facing his good friend Tony Soprano (Miami coach), And he notes that despite Buffett's recent business partnership with the Dolphins, he believes Buffett would be wearing a Saints jersey at that Super Bowl.

Payton writes that New Orleans is fortunate that its two major sports franchises have leaders like Brees and Hornets point guard Chris Paul, that they are players you build your team around, but while they are magnificent at their profession, they are equally important to their community.

The coach is sold on the Florida panhandle beaches, He writes: "If you're looking for the best sand beaches in America, look no further than the Fort Walton beaches along Florida's panhandle. They are fantastic. Our family has vacationed here the past five years. i am actually typing feverishly to meet my deadline as I sit on my porch overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. Plenty of sunshine and not overly crowded. If you like getting in crystal clear water, swimming and surfing, you will love this spot. The water temperature is perfect, high 70s, low 80s. A great place to visit and I use it to unwind before the rigors of another NFL season.

"I think I like working on an upcoming game plan more than I do writing a column. I was terrible in English and I have to thank Greg Bensel, our vice president of communications, for helping me through this project. It doesn't make it any easier that the temperature outside is 85 and Bob Marley's Is This Love is playing in the background.

"I  think it's five o'clock somewhere!."

SOME HITHER, OTHERS YON: Byron Scott, on the state of the Hornets: "We feel like with the addition of Darren Collison and Marcus Thornton we've we've gotten better. We still need some frontcourt help. We need a couple of more bigs." Chris Paul is taking his offseason role seriously.He's lifting more weights and said he plans to continue lifting during the season so he can absorb more punishment. He's trying to eat healthier, too. Said Paul: "Anytime I went out and got something, fries was always my side. I've been trying to switch to baked potatoes and things like that. But I'll treat myself at times." This summer his schedule reads like this: "Where's Waldo": At Alonzo Mourning's Zo's Summer Grove charity function in Miami. At the NAACP 100th anniversary in New York. Off to meetings at Nike headquarters in Oregon. Still to come are basketball camps and his own charity golf event...

Paul discussed the call he received from George Gervin confirmation his participation in the golf tournament, prompting a story about Gervin from Scott. The coach remembered the time Gervin went for 40-plus on him without breaking a sweat, using all the shots in his arsenal (jumpers, hooks, finger rolls) while calmly letting Scott know, "You can't get this" despite his best efforts to stop him. Paul said he's 24 right now and has a little ways to go, but said the Hornets need to win. "I've been first-team All-NBA, I've been an All-Star, stuff like that," said Paul. "You can have all that if I can get my championship."...Trivia time: In the four major professional sports, there are five team names shared by two teams each. What are the five names, and what are the teams?...

Zephyrs

The Zephyrs woes continued Monday night as the Oklahoma City RedHawks beat them 3-1 in their series opener at Zephyr Field.

Willie Collazo (7-4) was effective for most of the night despite taking the loss.  He was able to wriggle out of several jams during his seven innings of work.  The only damage he gave up came in the third inning.  After allowing back-to-back singles to Greg Golson and Jose Vallejo to begin the inning, Collazo then gave up a three-run homer to Kevin Richardson to put the RedHawks up 3-0.

The three- run cushion would prove to be enough for the RedHawks, who extended the Zephyr losing streak to a season-high seven games.

Alejandro De Aza went 2-for-4 with an RBI to lead the way for the Zephyrs, who could not put together enough offense to mount a serious comeback.  The team was 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position on the night.

The series will continue Tuesday night at 7  with Willie Glen  facing off against Elizardo Ramirez. .

Summer League winds down for former Tigers

Four former LSU players completed their NBA Summer League stints as the 21-team event came to a close the other night in Las Vegas.


Marcus Thornton, the SEC player of the year and a second-round draft choice of the Hornets, had three good games before having to miss the last two games with an injured ankle. He averaged 20.7 points in 29.7 minutes per contest. In three games, he shot 44 per cent from the field and averaged 3.3 rebound sand 2.3 steals per game.


Terry Martin, playing as a free agent for the Hornets, played in two games, averaging 6.5 minutes and 4.0 points per game.


Anthony Randolph, who played for LSU during the 2007-08 season and the Golden State Warriors during the 2008-09 season, averaged 26.8 points in four Summer League games, hitting 80.9 from the floor. He also averaged 1.3 assists and 3.0 blocks per contest. He had 42 points in a win over the Bulls and three double doubles in his four games.


Garrett Temple played as a free agent for the Houston Rockets that tied the Memphis Grizzlies as the only undefeated 5-0 teams in the summer league. Temple saw action in all five games, averaging 12.6 minutes per contest. He averaged 4.6 points per game and shot 38 per cent from the floor.

MAILBAG: I had the unenviable task of running against Dr. Billy Cannon on the third leg of the 440 relay at LSU in 1957. As a freshman at Mississippi Southern (I believe he was a sophomore), he took the baton about a yard and a half ahead of me and handed off about a yard ahead. He turned around and saw me still that close, and gruffly half0yelled, "Did you gain on me?" I advised that I did but it was only a half yard or so. He kicked the ground and stormed off the field I think LSU still set a new school record that day.

The same afternoon, LSU great King Mott ran what was said to be the fastest 440 in the nation that year, in which I placed third, behind senior Mott and MSC junior Don Jennings. Every time I stepped on the track, there was a world class runner standing next to me. Carl Seefield of LSU, who ran Bobby Morrow down from behind on a mile relay just after Morrow returned from the Olympics with three gold medals. Dave Sime, world's fastest human at the Florida Relays in 1957. Billy Cannon and Lance Alworth. I would have loved to have run against someone further down in my speed class every now and then. But it was great to watch them run. . .from behind!
---Richard Smith, Hattiesburg.

I remember those track athletes well. Cannon would win the 100, run second in the 220, win the sot put and discus, and run a leg on the 440 relay team. His best event was the 60-yard dash indoors and could have qualified for the Olympics if he hadn't played football.
My roommate at LSU, Ronnie Toussaint, won the SEC high jump with a height of 6-feet-7.
Cannon ran a 9.4 100 and was billed as the world's fastest shot-putter.