The Front Row with JASON ELLIOTT March 31, 2012

It takes a lot to admit you're foul when you get caught doing something wrong in sports.

Apparently it takes a lot more to accept your punishment and deal with the consequences.

WHILE THIS week most NFL owners and coaches are meeting to discuss the rules and regulations for the upcoming season, another is making headlines while he still can.

New Orleans coach Sean Payton, who was suspended for one year for his involvement in bounties during the Saints' Super Bowl run, has reached out to retired coach Bill Parcells in an effort to get him to coach on an interim basis.

Whether Parcells agrees to do it remains a mystery, as with his being eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame - should he return, the wait increases another five years.

The urgency for the team and Payton increases by the day, as his suspension begins on Sunday - though he is appealing his suspension.

As for former defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, his future is a little more in doubt.

Williams, who left the Saints to coach in St. Louis at the conclusion of last season, may not see the field again for the Rams after being suspended indefinitely.

And as the rumored ring leader of the bounty circus, Williams won't find too much sympathy among the other coaches in the league.

There was a rumor that while with the Washington Redskins, Williams had a bounty out on Seattle Seahawk running back Shaun Alexander during the 2006 NFC playoffs.

Alexander was knocked out of the game with a concussion in the first half, but returned the following week to help lead Seattle to its only Super Bowl appearance to date.

If that rumor is true, then maybe this whole thing could date back a lot longer than many have thought.

Hopefully both coaches will have learned from their mistakes, but I wouldn’t count on it.

THERE ARE plenty of reasons why Parcells should just stay retired.

With all the different sanctions that are coming to some of those players involved, why put up with the headache?

Why not just enjoy playing golf and commentating on the game, rather than trying to figure out the best way to slow down Cam Newton twice a year.

Besides, those around the team knew what was going on and chose to ignore those warnings from the NFL.

Injuries happen a lot more during football games than in any sport.

But when you’re paying players to go out and take another player out — that’s not sports anymore.

Payton won’t be fired anytime soon for his antics, but likely won’t remain quiet either as he serves his suspension.

Maybe Payton and Williams can rent a bus and go around the country apologizing to others and confess to what they’ve done and beg for mercy.

They might need it to get their jobs back.

Jason Elliott is a sports writer for the Coeur d’Alene Press. He can be reached at 664-8176, Ext. 2020 or via email at [email protected]