So with the lockout eight days old and the calendar well into the time of year that players would be working out at their teams’ facilities, the men of the NFL are currently left to their own devices.
Pats linebacker Jerod Mayo tells Ian Rapoport of the Boston Herald that the New England defensive captain has taken to his home gym.
“Yeah, I’m working on the Bowflex, just trying to get better, trying to stay in shape, waiting for the phone call, to be honest with you,” Mayo said. “All this uncertainty is there. At the same time, you have to prepare like it’s going to be a season, and that’s what I’m doing.”
Mayo apparently was joking about the Bowflex. (Maybe he actually has the Chuck Norris Total Gym.)
The Patriots have not yet organized group lockout workouts. “As a captain of the team, I’m going to try to hold everybody accountable and try to do something later on,” Mayo said. “I’m not sure when, but we’ll probably try to do something. It’s all about beating the lockout at this point. Whatever team can beat the lockout has a good chance of success in the upcoming season. So we’re going to do the most we can. Whether it’s on the phone, or on Skype, whatever we have to do, we have to do a lot of stuff.”
Quarterback Tom Brady, another team leader, occupies an unusual position, since he’s one of the named plaintiffs in the class-action lawsuit against the league seeking to lift the lockout. Also, last year Brady didn’t spend much time working out with his teammates in New England.
“You have to hold everybody accountable,” Mayo said, “and make sure everybody’s minding their Ps and Qs and ready to come back to work when it’s time.”
By “everybody,” Mayo clearly is including Brady. And the first step on the road to accountability should be telling him to get a damn haircut.
