Sorry, New Orleans Saints fans.
The Sean Payton dance and the Sean Payton rap, the Saints’ postseason entertainment, will be forgotten Sunday around 7 p.m. after the Minnesota Vikings advance past New Orleans to the NFC title game.
No dancing in the Saints’ locker room. No rapping in the locker room.
The Vikings, who beat the Saints in Week 1 and now have a chance to host Super Bowl 52, will do all the celebrating after the divisional playoff game in Minneapolis. There might even be something called the Zim dance. This would be a righteous tribute to Minnesota coach Mike Zimmer, even though the Zim dance sounds like a vice that men pay for at adult clubs in New Orleans.
Payton, the New Orleans coach, danced with his players in the locker room in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome after their victory against the Carolina Panthers to cap the NFL wild-card weekend. The scene included a broom to signify the Saints’ three-game sweep of the Panthers this season.
Saints win ! Coach p ??? next round of playoff @Saints #saints #playoff2017 #whodat #WhoDatNation pic.twitter.com/hEifpSqgEA
— Alex Jenkins (@AlexJenkins15) January 8, 2018
There are many video clips of the celebration, and the Payton dance has inspired others to post their own videos in which they imitate the moves.
This one is cute.
These kindergartners doing ‘The Sean Payton’ is the only New Orleans @Saints highlight we need. ??⚜️
?: Green Park Elementary School #GoSaints #BlessYouBoys
Watch the full video here: https://t.co/sJPem7UgNG pic.twitter.com/UeNv3dnGAx
— WWL-TV (@WWLTV) January 10, 2018
This one is not cute.
We bring you the Sean Payton challenge @BobbyHebert3 @WWLAMFM @dmcallister26 @Saints send us your best @SeanPayton dance moves pic.twitter.com/fJustVL7oA
— Kristian Garic (@KristianGaric) January 10, 2018
The Payton dance has also inspired New Orleans musician Shamarr Allen to create a new rap song. It’s called “Hit the Sean Payton”, but I’m declining to listen to it because I don’t want it stuck in my head.
Like the dance, the song will be a one-week wonder.
Neither will become the Saints’ version of the Chicago Bears’ 1985 “Super Bowl Shuffle” because that Bears team is legendary and this Saints team won’t be.
Vikings 24, Saints 20.
The Saints won’t host the NFC title game, but life will go on in the French Quarter.
Bourbon Street dancers will never stop dancing and Mardi Gras won’t be canceled.
