Sean Payton is a short step away from breaking out the tape measure to make sure the basket’s still 10 feet.
The Saints coach had the Seahawks logo painted on his practice fields, “trying to create the exact environment,” for their road trip this weekend.
Granted, without steady rain, record-breaking noise and a dominant defense, it won’t be a perfect replica of what they’ll see at CenturyLink Field.
But Payton has proven himself willing to push motivational buttons, as with last week’s decree to change the color of the Gatorade the team was drinking.
Such little ploys might seem corny, but it didn’t hurt last week, as they won a road playoff game in less-than-ideal weather conditions, something they were presumed to be unable to do.
A new logo on the practice field won’t make much of a difference Saturday, but his players know he’s in it with them, and those kind of little things can make a big difference as long as players believe they do.