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Asante Samuel said players who bought into the ‘Patriot Way’ were ‘brainwashed’
"I’m here to get money, take care of my family, the same way Belichick is here to take care of his family, get his money."
The American League defeated the National League 3-2 in the MLB All-Star Game on Tuesday night.
The Red Sox will return on Friday, hosting the Blue Jays at 7:10 p.m.
Asante Samuel on the Patriots: While a myriad of players came to New England over the years of the Tom Brady-Bill Belichick dynasty and bought into the team’s culture and methodology, Asante Samuel was not one of them.
Samuel, now retired after playing in the NFL for a decade (2003-2013), was part of back-to-back Super Bowl-winning Patriots teams in his first two seasons.
But speaking with the “I AM ATHLETE” podcast in a recent interview, Samuel said that he never bought into New England’s team mentality, popularly known as the “Patriot Way.”
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“Some of them [were] brainwashed with that Patriot Way. I’m not going for none of that. I don’t know what no Patriot Way is,” Samuel explained.
Samuel’s main contention was regarding how the team, led by Belichick, dealt with his contract situation. In particular, Samuel noted how Belichick was a highly paid coach in the league, yet didn’t want to give the cornerback a longer-term deal.
“All of them [were] company men, talking about Patriot Way,” said Samuel. “I don’t know none of that. I’m here to get money, take care of my family, the same way Belichick is here to take care of his family, get his money. So when you try to hold my money back and you want all your money, I [have] no respect for you.”
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Samuel, whose son (Asante Jr.) was a second-round pick by the Chargers in 2021, eventually left New England and signed with the Eagles in 2008 on a six-year, $56 million deal.
Trivia: Asante Samuel was a fourth-round pick by the Patriots in 2003. Who was New England’s first-round pick that year?
(Answer at the bottom).
Hint: He was drafted out of Texas A&M.
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A mic’d up pitcher is objectively fun:
Dusty Baker was ready to give David Ortiz an at-bat:
On this day: In 2016, Hanley Ramirez hit three two-run home runs in an 11-7 win over the Giants.
Daily highlight: A truly All-Star double play.
Trivia answer: Ty Warren
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