If you’re a professional athlete, you know there’s a chance you’ll have to work on a holiday.
If you played for the New England Patriots under head coach Bill Belichick, those chances rose exponentially.
After all, it was Belichick who believed so strongly in “No Days Off” that he once chanted the mantra at a Patriots Super Bowl parade (which ironically signaled the beginning of the offseason).
So, you may not be surprised to hear how Belichick dealt with Christmas during his time in New England.
On a holiday edition of the Quick Snap Podcast, ex-Patriots players Brian Hoyer and David Andrews shared a pair of their favorite stories about Belichick getting into the holiday spirit.
“F— Christmas”
Hoyer and Andrews believe Belichick dropped this epic line during the 2018 season, when Christmas fell on a Thursday.
“Probably the most important day of the week (for game preparation) is Thursday,” Andrews explained. “Thursdays are the hardest, maybe not physically, but mentally, being locked in — it’s a day that I think is probably the most important day of the week.”
“So, we had to decide — we’re going to come in to work. Like, you’ve got to come in to work,” Hoyer continued.
“And Bill kind of gave the spiel and said, ‘Look, it’s a wonderful holiday. It’s great and I love Christmas, but with all due respect, f— Christmas. We’ve got to come in here and work.'”
That’s a line straight out of the Grinch’s playbook, but Belichick apparently had some justification for his comments.
“It may have been 2018 on the road to our Super Bowl win,” Hoyer added. “I think (Belichick) basically said, ‘The best Christmas gift we can give to ourselves and our families and our friends is a win this Sunday.'”
While some players’ families and friends might have disagreed with that statement, Belichick’s Patriots ultimately delivered with a Super Bowl LIII victory.
Nice try, Matt Light
Hoyer also recalled a moment late in the the 2009 season when Belichick and veteran offensive tackle Matt Light went back-and-forth over when the players would show up to the stadium on Christmas Day.
“(Belichick) was like, ‘All right, Light, you’re the leader of these guys. We’ve got to come in tomorrow for Christmas. Why don’t you figure out what time you guys want to come in?'” Hoyer said.
“So, Matt basically polls the locker room. We go out and practice on the field. Bill’s like, ‘All right, Light, what did you come up with?” And Matt’s like, ‘You know, we talked it over, Coach. We want to come in at 11.’
“And Bill was like, ’11? You know, my kids were young once, too. They’re up at 6 a.m. and the presents are open by 7. I’ll see your asses at 9.'”
Valiant effort, Matt.
Also in this episode:
- Hoyer and Andrews discuss the Patriots’ comeback from 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat Ravens and clinch a playoff spot.
- The guys exchange Christmas gifts.
- The guys welcome in Phil Perry to get his thoughts on Patriots-Ravens, New England’s impressive season, and his favorite stories from covering the team for a decade-plus.
- Reacting to the latest playoff developments around the NFL and Will Campbell’s beer chugging skills at the Celtics game on Friday.
