PATRIOTS TRAINING CAMP
The New England Patriots will open their 49th annual training camp on Thursday, July 24 with practices scheduled for 8:45 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. on the practice fields located behind Gillette Stadium. Training camp will run through Aug. 14 with practices open to the public. Patriots fans of all ages are welcome to attend. Parking and admission are free. The practice schedule throughout training camp is tentative and subject to change. Fans who plan to attend practices are encouraged to check the Patriots website for daily updates. There is also a training camp hotline that fans can call: 508-549-0001.

Thursday, July 24
8:45 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Morning Practice
11:15 a.m. Bill Belichick Press Conference
5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Evening Practice

Friday, July 25
11:15 a.m. Bill Belichick Press Conference
2:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Afternoon Practice

Saturday, July 26
11:15 a.m. Bill Belichick Press Conference
Training Camp Practices are closed to the public due to the New England Country Music Festival.

Sunday, July 27
8:45 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Morning Practice
11:15 a.m. Bill Belichick Press Conference
5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Evening Practice

Monday, July 28
11:15 a.m. Bill Belichick Press Conference
2:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Afternoon Practice

Tuesday, July 29
8:45 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Morning Practice
11:15 a.m. Bill Belichick Press Conference
5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Evening Practice

Wednesday, July 30
11:15 a.m. Bill Belichick Press Conference
2:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Afternoon Practice

Thursday, July 31
8:45 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Morning Practice
11:15 a.m. Bill Belichick Press Conference
2:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Afternoon Practice

Wednesday, July 16, 2008
SI.COM: Patriotic Obsession – Chargers enter '08 season with one goal in mind "…[San Diego Chargers general manager A.J.] Smith practices what [George] Allen preached, devouring any opportunity he gets to study New England's methods and practices that go into making up the vaunted Patriot Way. Last January, during the Chargers' three-game run through the AFC playoffs, Smith told his team's Web site that he couldn't read enough about the inner workings of New England's dynasty. 'For Christmas, I got 'The Blueprint: How the New England Patriots Beat the System to Create the Last Great NFL Super Power' by Christopher Price,' Smith said. 'I've read all the books put out on the New England Patriots organization. There aren't trade secrets, but just general thoughts on why they've been successful.' … 'You look at New England, and they're always doing what's in the best interest of their team. They wanted [Wes] Welker and they gave up a lot for him. Why would they do that? Because they realized what he is. They felt he was worth it. I respect the way they operate from that standpoint.'"
full story | patriots books

Friday, July 4, 2008
NFL TOTAL ACCESS: CBS Football Analyst Phil Simms on the Patriots
Rich Eisen: "Let's talk about the Patriots here. Obviously CBS has the AFC package and a lot of people still believe the Patriots to be the best team in the AFC. We always know that the team that loses the Super Bowl usually has a rough go of it the following year. Do you believe the Patriots will be immune from that particular hangover?"
Phil Simms: "Yeah, they'll probably have a little Super Bowl hangover – an 18-0 hangover – and they'll have an awful year and they'll go 13-3! That's really what I believe, that they'll have another superior year. I think you'd have a hard time finding somebody who has an opposite opinion of that and taking it seriously. They've proven that they can fight through many obstacles. They have, of course, great players, and the organization and the coaching staff, they've proven they're pretty great too."
Eisen: "…Do you believe that the Patriots do have some serious holes going into '08?"
Simms: "No. Absolutely not. Serious holes? Think about it: the Giants had to have a miracle drive at the end of the game to win, to score their second touchdown of the game! So it's not like that defense was showing tremendous weakness. But like any organization and team, you want to upgrade. I think they've probably done that a little bit during the offseason. They drafted some more speed for defense. And their offensive line, well, their offensive line was fine all year and it had a lot of tremendous moments, but they were playing in the Super Bowl, I think, against the best pass rushing defensive line by far in the NFL, and they put a lot of pressure on those linemen by making them block a lot of one-on-ones or manning up and letting Brady spread the field, and it was tough. It didn't work as well as it had the rest of the year."
full video

Thursday, June 19, 2008
JOURNAL INQUIRER:  Late Night, Early Morning
"Patriots coach Bill Belichick was out pretty late Tuesday night, watching the Boston Celtics beat the L.A. Lakers at the TD Banknorth Garden, but he got up early to keep his promise to play in the Travelers Championship Celebrity Pro-Am on Wednesday. 'We finally got home about 2 (a.m.),' Belichick said. 'It was just a thrill to be there. They had such a good win, winning so convincingly. After the year they had last year, to bounce back … I was really happy for Doc (Rivers) and the whole organization.' The Patriots coach was happy to lavish praise on the Red Sox and Celtics for their championships, but stopped short of adding his own team to the list after their loss to the Giants in the Super Bowl. 'I'm happy for Terry Francona and Doc and their organizations for the jobs they've done, but we're just trying to do our thing,' he said. 'We have good relationships with those teams, we support them and they support us. But for us, it's next year – we're on to '08. We haven't done anything yet. We have a long way to go.'"
full story

Monday, June 2, 2008
PATRIOTS TODAY:  Bill Belichick at Passing Camp, the NCAA Lacrosse Banquet, and Wesleyan University's Athletics Hall of Fame "[W]e bring you the latest from passing camp. Hear from Bill Belichick, Tank Williams, Dave Thomas and others as we wrap up the latest OTA. Plus, Belichick takes in some championship lacrosse and is honored at his alma mater. Catch all that and more, now on Patriots Today."
full video

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "Anyone that knows Bill and his commitment to coaching understands that there is more to come." –John Biddiscombe, Director of Athletics, at Wesleyan University's Athletics Hall of Fame induction ceremony

Friday, May 23, 2008
MIDDLETOWN PRESS: Belichick, Rogers Inducted Into Wesleyan Hall Of Fame
"Belichick, a 1975 graduate of Wesleyan [University], was a three-sport varsity player in football, squash, and lacrosse and smiled broadly and often as he conversed with former classmates and fellow inductees. To a packed Beckham Hall at Fayerweather, Belichick spoke fondly about his time as a Cardinal. 'I certainly appreciate this honor,' he said. 'There certainly isn't anything that means more to me in my heart than to be recognized by this university. The time I spent here was four unforgettable years. It was an awesome experience.' Belichick added that his time at Wesleyan taught him lessons that he in turn brought to his football teams. 'One of the things I really learned here is how individuals can be combined into a team mentality and team atmosphere,' he said. 'These are some lessons that I still take with me this day.'"
full story | video clip | photos

Wednesday, May 7, 2008
PATRIOTS TODAY: Coach Belichick Speaks To USA Football Coaching Camp "To continue the close connection between the Patriots and the community of New England, head coach Bill Belichick surprised a full house of coaches from around the region attending USA Football's Coaching Camp at Gillette Stadium. 'More than anything, I just want to tell you how much I respect the job that you do. Nobody knows more than I do how much a high school coach means to a player.' After a morning practice with the young rookies attending Patriots minicamp, Belichick relayed his experience on the field to the group of youth coaches, explaining his main philosophy on working with new and young players. 'We just really try to lay out what we expect from the player, and that's something that's really been my overall philosophy as a coach. … When people ask me, What do you believe in, how do you try to coach your team, that's what I would say it is.' As the head coach prepares for the Patriots' 2008 season, he also had some final words of encouragement for the youth coaches as they prepare for their upcoming season. 'There's usually two people that influence their life the most: one of their parents and their high school coach.'"
full video | usa football audio

Thursday, May 1, 2008
SALEM NEWS:  The Thrill of Bill – Huge Salem State crowd turns out to cheer Coach Belichick "Anyone who went to Salem State College last night thinking Bill Belichick was going to reveal a few trade secrets about the New England Patriots was sorely disappointed. … But none of that seemed to matter to the 3,200 faithful – many wearing team sweat shirts and hats – who packed Rockett Arena and created a traffic jam on Canal Street that looked like Route 1 in Foxboro before a Patriots game. They loved The Coach. Belichick got a standing ovation when he appeared on stage that rivaled anything given to the former U.S. presidents and world leaders who have graced the Salem State Speaker Series."
salem news | salem gazette | daily item | bleacher report

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