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Bill Belichick and Punishing Players Who Are Late for Meetings during Snow Storms

By Rick Karcher, Michael McCann, Geoffrey Rapp, Greg Skidmore, and Howard Wasserman

Yesterday morning four Patriots players -- including Randy Moss and Adalius Thomas -- were between 10 and 20 minutes late for an 8 a.m. meeting. It was snowing that morning in Massachusetts (which weather forecasts had predicted, so the snow was foreseeable to anyone with access to a forecast). Thomas had called the team to let them know he would be late due to weather; it's unclear whether the other players did.

In response to the players' tardiness, coach Bill Belichick sent them home. While the players were not fined, they felt embarrassed by the punishment. As a contextual point, the 7-5 Patriots, though in first place in the middling AFC East, have lost two in a row and many commentators have opined that the team has not played up to its potential. Thomas, in particular, has been cited as an under-performing player.

Thomas is now speaking out against Belichick's decision. Here are excerpts to what Thomas had to say to ESPN's Mike Reiss:

Reiss: What can you tell us about yesterday?

Thomas: ?I got sent home. That?s pretty much it, for being late.?

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Reiss: Can you add more context to that; maybe a reason behind it?

Thomas: ?I think everyone woke up to the snow yesterday. I didn?t know it was going to snow. 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. He did what he thought was best for him. That?s what he did.?

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Reiss: Do you feel compelled to say something to them ? an apology or what have you?

Thomas: ?I don?t know. That?s one thing about Mother Nature. You can?t control that. You can?t run people over getting to work. There is nothing to really apologize about. I didn?t try to be late. That?s basically it, though. I don?t know what else to say. You leave home, you have people there, cars sitting in the road, you?re sitting there, 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??

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Reiss: Can what happened yesterday serve as motivation?

Thomas: : ?Motivation is for Kindergarteners. I?m not a Kindergartner. Sending somebody home, that?s like ?He?s expelled, come back and make good grades.? Get that [expletive] out of here. That?s ridiculous. Motivation??

Should players be punished -- and I think being sent home is a punishment, even if it does not financially harm a player -- for showing up late when it's snowing or there is some other dangerous weather condition? Are they supposed to leave earlier for work? Who's right here?

Full post as published by Sports Law Blog on December 10, 2009 (boomark / email).