Michael Bennett admits he used to “hate” the Patriots
Newly-acquired defensive end Michael Bennett admits he used to “hate” the New England Patriots before joining the team this spring.
Michael Bennett still has yet to officially suit up for the New England Patriots, but he’s already making waves and a strong first impression with some interesting soundbites to the media.
Less than a week after describing his new head coach Bill Belichick as “the Yoda of football,” Bennett was at it again on Thursday, offering up some honest and extremely candid impressions of his new team. In a wide-ranging sit-down interview with Patriots.com, Bennett detailed how he “used to hate the Patriots.”
"“I’d hate it because they’d win so much. I’d hate it because Tom Brady’s hair was long. I’d hate it that [Bill] Belichick would wear sweaters. But now that I’m here, I love you. I love Tom Brady’s hair.”"
Bennett obviously had a lot of fun with the interview and took it as an opportunity to work in some of the trademark sarcasm and humor that he and his brother Martellus both share. Still, he was quick to point out how his old feelings about the franchise have actually changed since arriving in Foxborough.
“I love being a Patriot because, obviously, it’s all about winning,” Bennett told the website. “I think everything about the organization is about team-first. It’s just about doing what you need to do to get to where we want to go as a group. I think I love that.”
It’s a fairly monumental turnaround for an NFL player to go from using the word “hate” to the word “love” to describe his feelings about an organization.
It’s also a fascinating look inside the mindset that’s needed for professional athletes to adjust to new surroundings on the fly. After all, how many times do you see a player go from one rival team to another? It happened with James Harrison when he went from the Pittsburgh Steelers to the Patriots, it happened when Curtis Martin went from the Patriots to the New York Jets, and it happened when Stephon Gilmore went from the Buffalo Bills to the Patriots.
Next. Patriots should keep practicing patience this offseason. dark
Such transactions obviously aren’t just limited to the Patriots either. Who can forget Green Bay Packers legend Brett Favre coming out of the tunnel for the first time in Minnesota Vikings purple-and-gold? The sight turned the stomach of plenty of “cheeseheads” worldwide… but what must it have been like for Favre himself?
Perhaps Bennett’s comments shed a little more light on the mental and emotional transformation that has to happen when players change allegiances – and perspectives – in their careers.