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It got here to mild that there was some pressure between Tom Brady and Invoice Belichick forward of the 2018 NFL playoffs. The Patriots’ quarterback and head coach have been working by means of some points together with proprietor Robert Kraft.
Nothing got here of the story instantly. Nevertheless, it did function the start of the top of Brady’s time with the Patriots, and a part of the difficulty was associated to certainly one of his private mates and trainers, Alex Guerrero.
Guerrero wasn’t employed by the Patriots, however he labored carefully with Brady and had a presence inside the group. Nevertheless, Belichick sought to reduce that presence in 2017 as some points cropped up round his staff, and that was a contributing issue to his fraying relationship with Brady.
What was the TB12-related drama that got here to a head in the course of the 2017 Patriots season? Here is all the things to learn about Guerrero and why he and Belichick butted heads throughout that season.
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Who’s Alex Guerrero?
Alex Guerrero is Brady’s “religious information, counselor, pal, vitamin advisor, coach, therapeutic massage therapist and member of the family,” in keeping with a narrative by The New York Instances. He’s the godfather of Brady’s son Ben.
Guerrero reportedly has a grasp’s diploma in conventional Chinese language medication from SAMRA College in Los Angeles. The college closed in 2010.
Guerrero now helps run TB12 with Brady. He has labored with quite a lot of skilled athletes throughout his profession, together with LaDanian Tomlinson, T.J. Houshmandzadeh and a number of other members of the Patriots.
His profession has not been with out controversy. Guerrero is barred from being known as a health care provider by the The Federal Commerce Fee. This got here after he claimed a complement known as “Supreme Greens” might function an “efficient remedy, remedy and preventative for most cancers, coronary heart illness, arthritis and diabetes, and as a method of reaching substantial weight lack of as much as 80 kilos in eight months,” per Boston Journal. Supreme Greens is a mix of greens, herbs, vitamin-rich grasses and MSM.
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What was the drama between Invoice Belichick and Alex Guerrero?
The Belichick and Guerrero drama got here to a head in the course of the 2017 season. The coach stripped Guerrero of staff privileges the Patriots had beforehand granted him.
This included the next, in keeping with The Boston Globe:
- Guerrero was banned from boarding the Patriots’ staff jet.
- Guerrero had his game-day sideline entry revoked.
- Guerrero might not deal with gamers apart from Brady at his Gillette Stadium workplace.
Guerrero was by no means an worker of the Patriots, however he had served as a staff marketing consultant and was given “free rein” across the constructing, per ESPN. Nonetheless, this example created some pressure between Belichick and the TB12 tag-team of Brady and Guerrero.
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Why did Invoice Belichick strip Alex Guerrero’s staff privileges?
Belichick’s choice to strip Guerrero’s staff privileges was basically a part of an influence wrestle. Belichick wished to “completely make clear Guerrero’s function” and “draw sharp boundaries” round him, as ESPN detailed.
What led to that call? In line with the ESPN story, it needed to do with mounting stress to work with Guerrero to earn Brady’s belief.
New gamers felt the surest technique to earn Brady’s belief was to affix Rob Gronkowski, Danny Amendola and others by searching for recommendation from Guerrero at his TB12 clinic — and never staff docs, which Belichick most popular. Guerrero says he wasn’t pressuring gamers to undertake his method. “Gamers have all the time determined to come back or not come on their very own,” he says now. However in keeping with a number of sources, gamers brazenly mentioned with Patriots coaches, employees and trusted advisers whether or not to observe Brady or the staff, leaving them trapped: Will we threat alienating the NFL’s strongest coach or threat alienating the NFL’s strongest quarterback?
Guerrero additionally started instructing sure gamers to not observe the recommendation of the Patriots’ medical staff. That led to him turning into a robust however “divisive pressure” within the Patriots’ constructing.
Belichick determined to nip that within the bud by revoking his entry to the ability in an effort to “restore a measure of custom to the staff’s medical and coaching operation,” per The Boston Globe.
Belichick made it clear that Guerrero might nonetheless deal with Patriots gamers that sought out the TB12 technique; it simply needed to be on the TB12 facility.
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How did Tom Brady react to Invoice Belichick’s choice?
Brady did not say a lot about Belichick’s choice till earlier than the 2018 NFL season. He was requested concerning the scenario with Guerrero in an interview with radio station WEEI. He hung up after then-host Kirk Minihane requested a number of questions on Guerrero.
Brady had beforehand been requested about Guerrero, who had flown with the staff and stayed on the Patriots’ lodge in the course of the 2018 NFL preseason. The quarterback did not need to talk about the stress that took place in 2017.
“I don’t need to convey on any drama this 12 months,” Brady mentioned to reporters. “I’m simply centered on what I need to do, be an incredible soccer participant for this staff. Attempt to be instance within the locker room. Present nice management. That’s the place my focus is. I do know we need to typically deal with a number of different issues, however I simply need to stick with soccer and deal with being the very best I will be for this staff.”
Brady was additionally requested if he was pleased with the preparations the Patriots and Guerrero had forward of the 2018 season. Apparently, all events have been pleased with the plan.
“Yeah. I’m a reasonably mentally powerful man,” Brady mentioned. “I’ve handled a number of circumstances over a protracted time frame — 18, 19 years. I’m excited for this season. I’m actually excited the place we’re at.”
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