The weekend before Thanksgiving always reminds me of my first trip to Foxboro in 2005. Earlier that fall, I had started as a part-time reporter covering high school sports for a newspaper in Gloucester. Like any sports reporter trying to break into the industry, I was working long hours for next to nothing. A few weeks before Thanksgiving, my boss asked me to cover a Thanksgiving Day high school football game. I declined the “opportunity” at first, but soon learned that my boss’ request wasn’t optional. For the first time in 25 years, I would spend Thanksgiving Day away from my family.

As part of the negotiation, my boss agreed to arrange for me to take a trip to Foxboro to cover a Patriots practice on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. He requested two press passes — one for me and one for him — and we agreed to meet in Foxboro. We mapped out our plan in the Gillette Stadium parking lot. I would work the local angle, asking players and coaches about their Thanksgiving Day football experiences even though they weren’t scheduled to play until that Sunday. My boss would write a preview story for that week’s Patriots game.

"I hated every minute of that." (AP)

The morning started with a Bill Belichick press conference. About 30 members of the media filed into a room with rows of tables and chairs and a small podium and projector screen in front. I can’t remember exactly what time the press conference started, but I know that Belichick emerged through a side door on the exact minute he was supposed to be there. He had on white sneakers, white mid-calf socks, gym shorts and a cutoff hooded sweatshirt. I waited through about 25 questions before I mustered up the courage to ask, “From your experience, what is the best part about playing on Thanksgiving Day? And what is the worst?” He stared me down with a confused look on his face, seeming to wonder why I had followed up a question about Larry Izzo with a question about Thanksgiving. He paused for what must have been 10 seconds. It seemed like five minutes. Then he answered, “We’re not playing on Thanksgiving this year. We’re just trying to focus on (whatever team they were playing that week).” In retrospect, I probably would have been disappointed if Belichick hadn’t blown me off during my first trip to Foxboro.

Once that press conference ended, the players’ locker room was opened to the media for about 40 minutes. I planned to find players who had played on Thanksgiving Day in high school, college or the pros. The Pats played the Lions on Thanksgiving in 2002, so I was looking for veterans. Here’s the problem with the 40-minute time span in which the press has access to the players: The players have no obligation to be in the locker room. Most of them lift weights during that time. Others watch film. But for the first 30 minutes of the 40-minute period, there were about three Patriots at their lockers. Two played special teams and one was a rookie who wasn’t really allowed to talk to the press. At that point, I thought I was sunk.

With about 10 minutes left in the media’s allotted time, a group of about 10 Patriots ventured in from the weight room. Tom Brady and Willie McGinest were the big media draws, but I also noticed that Doug Flutie had slipped through the crowd. The former Natick High and Boston College legend had surely played on Thanksgiving. I went over and asked him about 10 questions. Finally, I had a story. Over the next 10 minutes, I interviewed Christian Fauria, Ben Watson, Stephen Neal and Adam Vinatieri. With about one minute left in the media session, Tedy Bruschi strolled through a crowd of about 10 reporters, declared that he wasn’t doing interviews that day and ventured over to his locker. I practically fell on my face racing across the carpeted locker room. In a nervous delivery, I told him why I was there and asked if he could help me out. He said he could. In the final 60 seconds, I interviewed Bruschi, a guy who had returned to the NFL about a month earlier after suffering a stroke following the previous Pro Bowl. He shared that he felt thankful to be alive and playing the sport that he loved given the circumstances of the previous year.

I have never been more excited to write a story. I met my boss outside of the locker room and we traded notes. He had been stonewalled and didn’t have a story for the next day’s paper. I had quotes from several Patriots, but most importantly, Thanksgiving-themed quotes from Tedy Bruschi. I told my boss I would write the best story I’d ever written. He told me to transcribe the quotes and send them to him via e-mail, so he could figure out what to do with them. Feeling a little uneasy about the prospect of passing over all my quotes, I went home and wrote a long feature story about Bruschi’s stroke, his recovery and his thankfulness for the opportunity to be alive for another Thanksgiving. I thought it was the best story I had written to date.

The next day, I woke up and searched for my story on-line, only to find a stripped down version and, even worse, a shared byline with my editor. All of the quotes had been pulled from my story, and he ran it in a Q&A format. He changed the beginning entirely, replacing it with two sentences that read, “Like our football players in Gloucester, many New England Patriots have experience playing on Thanksgiving. Here are some quotes from a trip to Foxboro yesterday.”

I don’t even really remember how the rest of the story played out. I know I called my boss on Thanksgiving morning and delivered a rant that, at no point in the proceedings, included the words, ‘happy’ or ‘Thanksgiving.’ I know I took the rest of the weekend off and seriously considered the idea of not showing up to work on Monday. I know I eventually returned to my office and was rewarded for my understanding with a few other trips to Foxboro over the next two months. But the Tedy Bruschi story? That never ran. You can’t run a Thanksgiving Day-themed story on the day after Thanksgiving. For a while, I held out hope that the story would still be relevant the next year. It turned out I wasn’t even still at the same job by then. So one of the best stories I’ve ever written never saw the light of day. For a while, I worried that there would be no record of my first trip to Foxboro. Now, five years later, I finally have it in writing.

I’m feeling pretty good about today’s Best of the Week. Enjoy.

Story of the Week: University of Kansas football coach Mark Mangino received plenty of negative publicity this week on the heels of his team’s five-game losing streak. That’s not to suggest Mangino’s past behavior would have been acceptable had his team continued to win games. Mangino was accused of physical and verbal abuse by more than five former or current players this week. One player, whose brother had recently been shot, claims that when he dropped a pass in a game, Mangino threatened to send him back to St. Louis so he could get “shot up with (his) homies.” Another player said that, during a team meeting, he admitted that his father was an alcoholic. Mangino later used the information against his athlete by asking, “Are you going to be a lawyer or are you going to be an alcoholic like your dad?” Mangino will likely volunteer to visit sensitivity training so he can keep his job. Or he’ll issue a public apology. Or not …

Quote of the Week: Mangino addressed the accusations last evening during a radio interview. Rather than try to diffuse the situation, Mangino said this:

“We are sending kids out into the world prepared,” Mangino told the radio station. “But I can’t do the work of some parents, what they should have done before [the players] got to me. Some of these guys are bitter, they are bitter and [the allegations] are about that.

“There are some things that happen for 18 years of their lives that I can’t change in four years of college. Can’t do it. Can’t change their behaviors, can’t change their attitudes.”

E-mail of the Week: This one was sent by KD earlier this week.

“From the Onion. Couldn’t put it better myself.

“Regards, JRussFan#2Oakland”

Comment of the Week: Yesterday, I ran Favre Superfan’s response to Samuel Grozalsky’s claim that he’d take his Patriots clock and stadium picture down from his wall following Sunday’s loss to the Colts. Today, I’ll share KD’s advice to Samuel.

“Samuel – Take down that Pats clock and put up a McNabb Fathead! As the unofficial spokesman for Philadelphia Eagles fans, we would love another whiny, overreacting, half-supporter in our corner! And after reading your rant today, we know you’ve got what it takes! Just make sure you sign the petition to fire Andy Reid every week and you’re in.”

Tip of the Week: I’m taking my cue from Coach Belichick on this. Any time you know people want to pummel you with questions, show up in sweatpant shorts. It’s completely disarming! I know I’m buying a pair this weekend specifically for the next time my wife tells me, ”We need to talk.” That will be my cue to get the sweatpant shorts out and defend myself.

Conversation Starter of the Week: Explain to people that they need to cheer for the Redskins on the week of Thanksgiving. “Is there any better way to support our Native American ancestors than pulling for those Redskins?!”

What Would Belichick Do? Pretend you’re talking to a girl later tonight and you’re confronted by a guy of Sebastian Vollmer’s size. He tells you you’re talking to his girlfriend. What would Coach Bill do? He’d calmly go in for a kiss in hopes that he’d win over the girl without having to go through the small talk.

Stat of the Week: 150,000 — According to ESPN.com, that’s how many fantasy outcomes were affected by Maurice Jones-Drew’s slide at the 1-yard-line last week. So if you were affected by this, and you’ve been whining all week, please be quiet. You’re not alone. Plus, it could be worse. Some of us owned Ronnie Brown in two different leagues.

Video of the Week: If you enjoyed the HBO series, The Wire, this video is for you. It’s the top 100 quotes from the five-season series chopped into 10 minutes.

Take note, commenters: “You come at the king, you best not miss.”

10 Comments for “Thanksgiving memories in Foxboro”

1. KD Says:
   November 20th, 2009 at 11:32 am

   Email & Comment of the week?! It feels like I just got “face time” on Around the Horn AND got to co-host PTI all in the same day.

   Suck on that, Gravy. Your book is horrible.

2. TheGravy Says:
   November 20th, 2009 at 12:42 pm

   TheGravy will not dignify that with a response.
   TheGravy is not in competition with other commenters.
   TheGravy is not a role model to be emulated.
   TheGravy is THE role model to be emulated.
   TheGravy measures his greatness by others’ jealousy.
   TheGravy is as great today as all other days.
   TheGravy’s book is $9.99 plus S/H.

3. The Rock Says:
   November 20th, 2009 at 3:47 pm

   Is your book hard back or soft back?

4. TheGravy Says:
   November 20th, 2009 at 3:47 pm

   TheGravy’s book is—–

5. The Rock Says:
   November 20th, 2009 at 3:49 pm

   It doesn’t matter what your book is! All I want you to do is take your book, open it up, put a 10 dollar bill in the fold, close the book. Then turn it sideways, and ship that thing straight up your candy ass!

6. AhmedJohnson Says:
   November 20th, 2009 at 3:57 pm

   HA HA HA HA HA!!!!!!!!! Know your damn role.

7. Crickets Says:
   November 20th, 2009 at 4:16 pm

   …chirp…chirp…chirp…

8. TheGravy Says:
   November 20th, 2009 at 4:17 pm

   TheGravy is not impressed. TheGravy is not interested in your offer of sodomy. He believes four consecutive posts to tell a joke is trying too hard. Laughing at your own joke is equally pathetic. Invoking “The Rock” to do so is subhuman.

9. Macho Man Randy Savage Says:
   November 20th, 2009 at 4:18 pm

   OHHH YEAH!!! Ahmed’s got a slim jim!! OH YEAH!!!

10. Because I Can Says:
    November 21st, 2009 at 2:30 pm

    Oh, if they were Sean Jean sweatpants it would be no problem, but because they were Costco brand, it’s the worst thing I could do.

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