For 20 years, Bill Belichick battered us into believing that boring was better.
Belichick’s press conferences were famously phlegmatic — and frequently phlegmy (<muffle, muffle> SNORT). He gave us nothing and expected his players to follow suit. Anyone who deigned to speak candidly invariably found himself called before the team to grovel for forgiveness. Belichick’s Pats didn’t just ignore the noise. They killed it in its sleep.
Well, it’s a new day in Foxboro, and for the first time in eons, we have actual quotes to analyze and dissect.
The Jerod Mayo Era has been more open and individualistic by design, with Mayo empowering his players to speak their minds and be treated like adults. We’ll see where that gets them in the long run.
In the meantime, we’ve got material. With the final preseason game in the books, let’s look back at the five worst quotes of training camp and what they suggest about the upcoming season.