WVUE-8 reported Sunday night that New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson and Coach Sean Payton were spotted in Manhattan over the weekend, raising speculation the pair may be in New York to meet with NFL officials regarding the alleged "pay for performance" scheme the league says New Orleans employed from 2009 to 2011. Neither Saints officials nor the league responded Sunday night to queries about the possible meeting. WVUE is owned by Benson. Although many players have come forward since the league released its report March 2 claiming similar bonus schedules were in place in other NFL locker rooms, the players have thus far stopped short of confirming the chilling aspect NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell added to the New Orleans accusations, namely that bounties were in place for deliberately injuring opponents. The Saints and top officials including Payton and General Manager Mickey Loomis, whom the league essentially accused of lying about the bounty system and of directly ignoring an order from Benson to eradicate it - a charge the club pointedly denies - are facing potentially severe penalties. Source: The Times-Picayune
