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Ex-Patriots WR Danny Amendola says Tom Brady is the Patriot Way, not Bill Belichick – Yahoo Sports
https://sports.yahoo.com/ex-patriots-wr-danny-amendola-says-tom-brady-is-the-patriot-way-not-bill-belichick-165958554.html
Former New England Patriots wide receiver Danny Amendola believes he has identified the true engine of the Patriot Way, and it’s definitely not head coach Bill Belichick. He says it’s Tom Brady, who is headed to Super Bowl LV on Sunday with his new team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
In a Monday appearance on Fox Sports’ “First Things First,” Amendola was asked if he thinks Belichick will have a harder time getting players to buy into the storied Patriot Way with Brady no longer there. Amendola, who won two Super Bowls during his five seasons in New England, answered the question by praising Brady and minimizing the role the coaches had in the team’s success.
Brady is the Patriot Way
“When you see the ‘Patriot Way’ in the dictionary, it’s got Tom Brady’s picture next to it. None of those coaches caught any passes. … Tom Brady is the ‘Patriot Way.’ That’s why he’s in the Super Bowl & the Patriots aren’t.” — @DannyAmendola pic.twitter.com/XtVd0ntJPc
— First Things First (@FTFonFS1) February 1, 2021
“When you see ‘Patriot Way’ in the dictionary, it’s going to have Tom Brady’s pic next to it. None of those coaches threw any passes. None of those coaches caught any passes. None of those coaches made any tackles. They got guys in the right position because they watch a lot of film and they spend all their time at the facility. But Tom Brady is the Patriot Way, and that’s the reason why Tom Brady’s in the Super Bowl right now and the Patriots aren’t.”
Amendola has extensive knowledge on the Patriot Way, and to him it’s just one man: Tom Brady. He, not Belichick or any coaching system, is why players came to the Patriots. And Brady presumably took the Patriot Way with him when he left, since the Buccaneers are playing in the Super Bowl and the Patriots went 7-9 in their first Brady-free season.
Belichick was tough to play for
Amendola respects Belichick, but he doesn’t seem to like him very much. After he left the Patriots following the 2017 season, he said that Belichick’s prickly personality made it challenging to play for him.
“It’s not easy, that’s for sure,” Amendola said via ESPN. “He’s an a**hole sometimes. There were a lot of things I didn’t like about playing for him, but I must say, the things I didn’t like were all in regards to getting the team better, and I respected him.”
The Patriot Way has proven successful, but only if you can get players to buy into it. With Brady gone, Amendola doesn’t think Belichick has the personality to convince his players to do it.
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