Payton steps down

Before Sean Payton took his first head coaching job in New Orleans in 2006, the Saints had a grand total of one playoff victory since their founding in 1967. The standard will be considerably higher for the next head coach in the Big Easy.

Payton, whose 16-year tenure with the club included its only Super Bowl championship and also a one-season suspension stemming from the NFL’s bounty investigation, is leaving coaching — for now.

Payton informed the team that he is leaving his first and only NFL head coaching job with a 152-89 regular-season record — and nine playoff appearances — in 15 seasons. The 2009 Saints won the NFL title.

“I don’t like the word retirement,” Payton said at an announcement attended by owner Gayle Benson, top management and assistant coaches. “I still have a vision for doing things in football. And I’ll be honest with you, that might be coaching again at some point. I don’t think it’s this year, I think maybe in the future. That’s not where my heart is right now.”

MLB MLB DROPS ARBITRATION

CUTS » Major League Baseball withdrew its plan for more limited salary arbitration on Tuesday, a day after the union withdrew its demand for greater free agent eligibility.

In the second straight day of talks aimed at an agreement to end a lockout that started Dec. 2, clubs also accepted the union’s framework to funnel additional money to pre-arbitration-eligible players from central revenue, offering a $10 million pool based on awards and WAR. The union has asked for $105 million for the group, usually about 30 players annually.

In addition, management increased its offer to increase the minimum salary for players with less than one year of major league service from $600,000 to $615,000, but with a provision teams couldn’t pay more than that amount. Players have proposed a $775,000 minimum next year, up from $570,500.

Tennis

NADAL FENDS OFF SHAPOVALOV » With another Australian Open semifinal spot secured after a four-hour, fiveset victory, Rafael Nadal looked toward his support team in Rod Laver Arena and nodded his head. It was like he was just confirming the plan: Five wins down, two to go in his bid for a men’s record 21st major title.

On the other side of the net, 14th-seeded Denis Shapovalov broke his racket on the hard blue court after a frustrating 6-3, 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 6-3 loss to Nadal, who later acknowledged he felt “destroyed” physically on a hot afternoon.