Bill Belichick doesn’t allow snow days—and Patriots players are well aware
"I wouldn’t want to be the guy who’s late tomorrow."
During a press conference Wednesday, Devin McCourty was questioned about the potential departures of some Patriots defensive coaches this offseason. However, the Patriots safety had more immediate issues on the mind.
“I’m honestly just trying to prepare for this snow day tomorrow,” McCourty said.
Not be be mistaken with an off-day, a snow day for Patriots players is just that: a day when it snows. Bill Belichick still expects them to come to work, and they are well aware of the consequences if they don’t.
According to McCourty, Belichick doesn’t care about excuses.
“Don’t call and say your car got stuck,” the Patriots defensive captain said. “I think everyone knows there’s two hotels up here at Patriot Place so stay there for the night. Find a way. But I tell guys, like wake up earlier, especially if you don’t have a garage or something. Wake up. Go clean your car out. I think guys know.”
McCourty appeared to be alluding to the 2009 incident in which Patriots linebacker Adalius Thomas was sent home by Belichick after arriving slightly late to an 8 a.m. team meeting due to a snowstorm.
“I didn’t know it was going to snow,” a frustrated Thomas told reporters at the time. “There was traffic. I can’t run people over getting to work. I don’t do that. I actually almost had a car accident. It is what it is. … What do you do? It’s not the Jetsons, I can’t jump up and just fly. What the heck am I supposed to do?”
Thomas was just one of four players, including Randy Moss, who were sent home for their tardiness. However, the episode was seen as a precipitating factor in Thomas’ eventual departure from the team.
McCourty said Wednesday he remembers the incident.
“I saw that on ESPN,” he said. “I knew not to come late. I found a couple nice places that are about 15 or 20 minutes away my rookie year and I was like, ‘Nah, I’ll do the three minutes away.’”
McCourty added that New England is the one team in the NFL where “no matter what time of the year it is, if it’s not going well you’ll get fired.”
“Like I always say, the goal every day is not to get fired,” he said. “So guys know that.”
As MassLive reported Wednesday, McCourty was hardly the only player aware of the fact that there are no weather exceptions to Belichick’s “No Days Off” mantra.
“I wouldn’t want to be the guy who’s late tomorrow,” said Patriots wide receiver and special teams captain Matthew Slater, who said he didn’t think it would be an issue Thursday, especially with the team now in playoff season.
“Guys understand we need to be here,” Slater said. “The expectation is what it is. We live in New England. There’s going to be weather. Give yourself some extra time; as simple as that.”
McCourty concurred with that advice.
“I’m not telling you to drive like crazy and crash to get here, but wake up a little earlier and make it a priority for yourself,” he said.
