NEW ORLEANS -- New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton signed a five-year contract extension Wednesday that will run through the 2017 season. The team announced the extension but did not release financial details of the deal. Payton had agreed to the deal in principle on Dec. 29. "Sean has been a critical part of our success, getting him signed to a long-term deal is very important to our organization and we are pleased to have it finalized," Saints general manager Mickey Loomis said in statement released by the team. "We have already begun the process of planning for the 2013 season, turning the page on 2012. We have challenges ahead, but they are nothing we cannot overcome. I know Sean is ready to get back to football in 2013." Payton has guided the most successful period in the franchises history, leading the Saints to three NFC South division titles and four post-season appearances. Two of his teams advanced to the NFC Championship and the 2009 squad won Super Bowl XLIV. Payton, who was suspended for the entire 2012 season in connection with the NFLs bounty investigation, can return to work Feb. 4, the day after the Super Bowl. "I am excited that we have finalized this contract with Sean," Saints owner Tom Benson said in the release. "He and Mickey have built a foundation of success as they have built the roster. We have already begun preparations for the 2013 season." Payton signed an extension in 2011 worth more than $6 million a year that would have kept him in New Orleans through 2015, but NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell objected to certain language in that deal, leaving Paytons future uncertain until a deal was reached in principle. The language in question in the previous extension gave Payton the right to opt out early if Loomis left the club for any reason. Payton is the only coach in Saints history to win a Super Bowl. But his legacy was tarnished by the NFLs bounty probe, as Goodell ruled that Payton failed to exert proper institutional control over a cash-for-hits bounty program run by former defensive co-ordinator Gregg Williams from 2009-2011. Although the Saints objected to the characterization of what coaches and players have said was nothing more than a performance pool for big plays, Goodell suspended Payton for the entire season. The commissioner also suspended Loomis for half of the season and assistant head coach Joe Vitt for six games. Payton is 62-34 in regular-season games as Saints coach and 5-3 in the post-season. During the three seasons before his suspension, the Saints won 41 regular-season and playoff games combined, more than any other team in the NFL. Payton has primarily handled the offence in New Orleans, teaming up with quarterback Drew Brees to break numerous NFL and club records. The single-season NFL records set by the Saints in 2011 included yards passing by a team (5,505) and a quarterback (5,476). The Saints also set a record for total offensive yards with 7,474. Although speculation ran rampant that Payton could essentially become a free agent after this season and end up elsewhere, Brees repeatedly said he would be "shocked" if Payton ended up anywhere but New Orleans next season. Brees is under contract with the Saints through the 2016 season, and Payton was the driving force in the Saints effort to acquire Brees as a free agent in 2006. Without Payton on the sideline this season, the Saints missed the playoffs for the first time since 2008. Brees remained prolific, but his 18 interceptions also tied for a league high heading into the final weekend of the season. When Payton reports back to work, it will officially close the book on the bounty saga that has overshadowed the Saints organization since the NFL first announced on March 2 that it found the Saints ran a program that paid improper cash bonuses for hits that injured opponents. In addition to the suspensions of Payton, Loomis and Vitt, the Saints also were docked second-round draft choices in 2012 and 2013, though Goodell has said he could potentially restores the Saints 2013 second-round choice and dock the team a later-round pick. Meanwhile, four current or former Saints were initially given suspensions of varying lengths. Two current Saints defensive captains, linebacker Jon Vilma and defensive end Will Smith, were among those suspended. Vilma was banned for the whole season and Smith for four games, but the players successfully challenged their punishment with the help of the NFL Players Association and never served a game. Former Commissioner Paul Tagliabue, who was appointed by Goodell to oversee the players appeals, ruled that the NFL probe was accurate in its findings that the Saints ran an improper program and attempted to cover it up, but that the evidence was not strong enough to warrant unprecedented suspensions for players who had been only fined for similar behaviour in the past. cheap nfl jerseys paypal . The club announced the deal on Wednesday, but as per club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed. wholesale jerseys .Y. -- Brayden Schenn scored the winner on Wednesday as the Adirondack Phantoms defeated the St. http://www.wholesalenflch... . Pedroia said after Tuesdays win that an MRI revealed he had a slightly torn muscle in the thumb. He hoped rest would get him back quickly and hed avoid the DL. Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine called his injury "day-to-day," but also said Pedroia was told not to swing a bat until the swelling subsided. [url=http://www.wholesalenflcheapjerseysfromchina.biz/]cheap jerseys usa . The Nashville Predators forward was suspended two games Tuesday following a collision with Buffalos Ryan Miller on Saturday night. cheap jerseys paypal . Theyve now set the Open-era Grand Slam title record, but the pair doesnt plan to stop adding to that total anytime soon. The American twins won the U. ATLANTA -- With Tim Duncan given a night off and Manu Ginobili still out with a hamstring injury, Tony Parker took the lead for the San Antonio Spurs. Parker had 23 points and 12 assists, and the Spurs held off the short-handed Atlanta Hawks 98-93 on Saturday night for their fourth straight victory. "Tony is just incredible," said Spurs coach Gregg Popovich. "What competitiveness. What a will to win. What a will to carry the team. Hes really fun to watch at both ends of the court. And hes been doing that all year." The Spurs snapped a streak of three straight road losses with their first win away from San Antonio since Jan. 2. Matt Bonner added 17 points, and Kawhi Leonard and Tiago Splitter each had 14 for the Spurs. Parker had 10 points in the final period as the Spurs held off the Hawks comeback. He was effective with his drives and when setting up Splitter on pick-and-roll plays. "In the fourth quarter I was trying to be aggressive and take more shots and at the same time still find Tiago on the roll," Parker said. "It worked out pretty well tonight. "Thats what I do best. I go to the paint and try to create, and if I feel comfortable when I go to the basket, I always feel like I can get a shot up. Ive been doing that my whole life." The Hawks began the game with a new depth problem in their backcourt. The problem reached crisis level in the second half. The Hawks announced about 90 minutes before the game that guard Lou Williams faces season-ending surgery for a torn ACL in his right knee. Williams was hurt Friday at Brooklyn and the tear was found when Williams was examined on Saturday by Dr. Michael Bernot in Atlanta. Then the Hawks lost guard Devin Harris to a sprained left ankle early in the final period. Harris didnt return from the locker room after having the ankle taped. Hawks coach Larry Drew said he had "no idea" on the severity of Harris injury. Harris was hobbling in the locker room after the game, unable to put weight on his left foot. "We are down to one point guard," Drew said, referring to Jeff Teague. "Were certainly going to have to talk about getting some more bodies in here because we are depleted." Josh Smith led the Hawks with 21 points. Kyle Korver, who started at shooting guard, had 19 points and a season-high eight rebounds. The Spurs led by 12 in the first hallf but Atlanta kept the game close in the final two periods.dddddddddddd A basket by Hawks rookie John Jenkins tied the game at 72-all early in the final period, but Bonners basket gave San Antonio the lead for good. Jenkins made two free throws with 22 seconds remaining to cut the Spurs lead to 94-91, but San Antonio beat the Hawks full-court press for an easy basket by Splitter. Drew called Williams injury "devastating" to the team. Williams was third on the team with his average of 14.1 points. Even though Williams usually came off the bench, his injury affected Drews starting lineup. Korver started instead of Harris because Drew said he wasnt comfortable having both his healthy point guards -- Harris and Teague -- in the lineup. Drew said the injury to Harris hurt the Hawks comeback attempt. "It certainly hurt us because I thought at that point we were really getting into a groove and a rhythm with our speed," Drew said. "Kyle was making some shots. Josh was doing a good job in attacking the rim. We were active, and we were really getting up and down the floor. We lost Devin, and that kind of let the wind out of our sails a little bit." The Hawks have lost eight of 10. "It happens during the season," Teague said. "It just happens to be tough for us right now." Al Horford had nine points and 15 rebounds for Atlanta after missing Fridays loss with a sore left hamstring. Bonner made all of his three 3-point attempts in the first half as the Spurs led 52-42 at the break. Korver had three 3-pointers in the half for Atlanta. The Hawks had a strong start to the second half and took a 61-60 lead after Smith drove past Boris Diaw on the baseline. Diaw answered with a basket to start an 8-0 run for the Spurs, who led 72-70 entering the final period. NOTES: There were fans wearing the colours for both teams in Sundays NFC championship game at the Georgia Dome between the San Francisco 49ers and Atlanta Falcons. ... R&B artist Mary J. Blige was in the crowd. ... Popovich, asked before the game why Ginobili is with the team though he is expected to miss at least another week with a left hamstring injury, said "eye candy." ... Korver has made at least one 3-pointer in a career-high 33 consecutive games, the second-longest streak in Hawks history. Mookie Blaylock had 3s in 42 straight games from March 26, 1996, to Jan. 11, 1997. ' ' '