Michael Bennett ready to work

Steven Senne / AP Photo
Michael Bennett basically took a flight from Hawaii to Boston, then showed up for practice.  Bennett was excused from the first 3 days tending to a family matter.  Bennett gained even more respect for head coach Bill Belichick for seeing him as a human.  “It’s nice when you have a coach that sees you as a human, sees you as a human being, not just a number and you’re able to go talk to him, tell him what’s going on, and you’re able to go take care of it,” Bennett told reporters. “That just makes you want to play harder for a coach. When he believes in you, and lets you take care of your family first.”

Now I know all of you who read this are just as much a Patriots fan as us.  I know you've heard the stories of how lucky we are to be witnessing the greatness of a Super Bowl contender year after year.  Can you imagine being a Lions fan?  Shoot me in the face.  We have come to expect it because we see it so often.  When a veteran over 30 signs with any other team, people think that's the twilight of their career.  Not when the Patriots sign them and most certainly Bilichick.  He has the uncanny ability to get out of players what they never thought they could do.  He sees value in every player the Patriots sign.  Bryan Cox, Roman Phifer, Bobby Hamilton.  Ok, maybe all weren't over 30, but you get the idea.  With Michael Bennett's addition to an already talented defensive core, it's hard to imagine the Patriots not succeeding.

Now, just waiting on Martellus to come back.  We had the McCourty twins win together last year, is it too much to ask to have another family celebrate?  Nah, not in New England.  We win here.  Bennett also jokingly said he won't listen to linebackers coach, Jerod Mayo because they are the same age, but later added seriously that he has more respect for Mayo because he played on the field and in the same defense and knows what to expect out of players in a Bilichick system.  I don't listen to anyone, hearings going, getting old.  I blame it on allergies, wear headphones in the neighborhood all the time so I don't have to talk to anyone.  Maybe it's not my hearing after all?  Hmm, I'll get back to that later.

I tell myself every year, it's only preseason, doesn't count.  Then I watch the first game, bust out my Bruschi jersey, headbutt my car and yell to the heavens, "It's bone crunchin weathaaa!"  Shout out to Ron Simmons.  Has ESPN become the tabloid of sports or what?  Total trash.

Pissa!

TC - follow me on twitter @tc1three