Willie McGinest spoke at length in a telephone interview about how a lack of leadership impacted the 2009 Patriots. “When teams and organizations start getting arrogant, and think, ’Oh, it’s all about our system, and it’s all about us,’ and they start getting rid of those players, or those key players in the locker room, they aren’t going to be winning the same. Things aren’t the same. The locker room changes. And the kids that are coming in now are a little different than what we were when we came in. There’s nothing wrong with that. That’s fine. But you need those leaders in the locker room to guide them to where they need to go.†According to McGinest, during his time there weren’t any episodes with players being late for meetings or challenging coach Bill Belichick because there was accountability in the room. “I think when I left (in 2006), that was the start of Adalius (Thomas) and some of those guys coming in. I don’t think we would have had that issue,†McGinest said, referring to Thomas lashing out at Belichick over being sent home with three others players after being late for a meeting on a snowy, December morning. “He’s a grown man, he’s entitled to his opinion and whatnot. But those rules have been in place since I’ve been there." Source: Boston Herald
