Monday, Peter King of SI.com wrote a fantastic tidbit regarding a battle between New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton and Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.  Remarkably, this contest took place over a bottle of fine wine, not a crucial fourth down play or a trip to the Super Bowl.

The setting was the world famous St. Elmo Steak House in Downtown Indianapolis.  Both men were in town for the NFL’s annual pre-draft scouting combine. 

St. Elmo Steak House is Indianapolis’s top destination for visiting sports figures and celebrities. During the weekend of the AFC Championship Game, Rob Lowe, Taylor Lautner, Jets’ quarterback Mark Sanchez and CBS’ broadcaster Jim Nantz were among the big names to partake in a meal at the 108-year old restaurant.

Last Friday, Payton and his fellow Saints coaches were dining in a private room at St. Elmo.  During the meal, the Super Bowl winning coach was informed that Jones had reserved the same private room for Saturday night and had also reserved a bottle of Caymus Special Selection cabernet sauvignon for the evening.  

Payton became intrigued with the idea of consuming this high class vino, so he elected to order a bottle for his table.  Unfortunately, the restaurant only had one bottle left and it was set aside for Jones.  This is when the story got really interesting.   

Payton, a former Cowboys assistant, attempted to convince the restaurant to serve his table the lone bottle of Caymus Special.  After great deliberation, St. Elmo management chose to allow Payton the honor of drinking this wine.  After emptying the bottle, Payton asked the waiter for a pen, so he could write a note of “trash talk” on the bottle’s label.

The note to the Cowboys owner read:

WHO DAT!
World Champions XLIV
Sean Payton

Winning a world championship clearly has its privileges.  This story illustrates one of the many perks.

St. Elmo Steak House

127 South Illinois Street. Downtown Indianapolis

Photograph Source: New York Daily News