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Fairbanks in house
FOXBOROUGH -- Former Patriots coach Chuck Fairbanks was present at today's practice inside the Dana-Farber Field House. Fairbanks is in town for a Gridiron Club dinner and he stood with Patriots owner Robert Kraft as the team stretched.
After the stretching, the team was called up to midfield and Fairbanks walked toward the group with Kraft and former Patriots punter/quarterback Tom Yewcic (1961-66). Fairbanks appeared to be addressing the players for about five minutes and at one point, the group was laughing and clapping.
That seemed to set an energetic tone to practice, as players sprinted to their individual positional drills. Patriots coach Bill Belichick was seen speaking with Fairbanks and Kraft as the practice progressed.
Fairbanks was head coach of the Patriots from 1973-1978.
As for the practice itself, players were in shorts and shells. For the second day in a row, S Mel Mitchell (groin) and OL Wesley Britt (personal) were not present for the media-access portion of the workout.
RB Laurence Maroney looked to be moving well as he made his way through passing drills, but whether that's good enough to play Sunday remains to be seen.
Your comments
(17)That guy has some serious stones showing up in Foxboro after pulling that act in 1978.
I wonder how Steve Grogan would react to this.
Mike,
i think most of your readers may be too young to remember how Fairbank's left the Pats and how Billy Sullivan responded.
It is amazing looking back at the history of this franchise and the Fairbanks's debacle. I feel that both sides were at fault in this issue. This would never happen with the current ownereship.
I still remember the 1976 Patriots. Chuck Fairbanks had assembled a great team, and, except for Ben Dreith, they probably would have gone to the Super Bowl.
Mike,
People forget that Coack Fairbanks had an agreement with Howard Slusher on contracts for John Hannah and Leon Gray who were holding out. This agreement was overturned by Bill Sullivan. If you were a coach and didn't have the full support of ownership, would you want to stay?
The only thing worse than what Fairbanks pulled was what Parcells pulled...2 peas in a pod...good riddence to both of those guys - may they never return....
1978 might as well be 1778, there's no comparison to then vs now. Sure Fairbanks timing was poor but what led to the decision? Investment in the team, facilities, etc back then was totally inadequate. Univ of Colorado was better off in all those areas and were willing to pay more to boot. Let's see, more control, better environment, more pay, work less. Who wouldn't have done it? Recruiting for CO though while working for the Patriots was pretty low!
There's nothing but animosity towards Fairbanks. He let us down when we had the possibility of achieving a Super Bowl run in the late seventies. Our running game was one of the best in the NFL and we almost ran the table in 1976 when the officiating gave the Raiders the Play-off game in Oakland. Our Snow / Tuck Rule game evened the score.
I remember very well the Fairbanks regime and I have mixed emotions.While I did not like his exit it must be remembered what Fairbanks did.After the debacle of Clive Rush,Phil Bengston and John Mazur he brought stability ,professionalism and excellence to a team that was in shambles.The roughing the passer call against Ray Hamilton was simply awful.That team (and we fans) deserved better.When Raiders fans piss and moan about the tuck rule I remind them about that call.
Fairbanks departure from the Patriots had everything to do with control. The Sullivans simply didn't want Fairbanks to have full control (sound familiar to why Parcells left?). The point on the the 77 holdouts of Gray and Hannah was a good one. It resulted in the Pats not making the playoffs that year. Recall they went 9-5 that year finishing 2nd to the colts for the division title with some early losses while Gray and Hannah were on the sidelines. Blame the Sullivans not Fairbanks for that lost year. It was the Sullivan's decision as well for relieving Fairbanks of his coaching duties prior to the playoff game against the Oilers. That assured the team of a major distraction and loss. Also, it should be noted that the Fairbank's draftees (Morgan, Grogan, Clayborn, Nelson, J. Adams, etc.) formed the nucleus of the 85/86 Super Bowl run.
it is amazing that how the Sullivan Era was supplanted by the Jacob's Era in this town. At least Billy and his family loved their team.
Mr. Fairbanks assembled what I believe was one of the best Pat teams - The 1976 Patriots! It had great skill players and probable the most physical and dominating offense line I ever saw play. I'll never forget how they destroyed the Raiders duriing the regular season and how they lost that playoff game after that awful call against Sugar Bear on the 4th down! Yikes! The pain of watching that playoff game unravel was so very painful. It was the Bucky Dent moment for us Pat fans. And boy was Chuck Fairbanks upset! I'll never forget his anger, cussing and kicking on the sidelines! Just as the Red Sox fans were redeemed after what occurred in 2004, Pat fans were redeemed by the tuck rule game and the winning of the Super Bowl in 2002. Wow! Who would have guessed all that happening? There is a God afterall!
You've got to be kidding me? After the way he left the Patriots and Mr. Kraft holds court with him? Arggh, He's no better than Parcells. Creep
Fairbanks should be remembered for the great teams he assembled in the 70's. The 1974 team had a '67 Red Sox feel to it with Jim Plunkett, Randy Vataha, Mini Mack Herron, and Sam Hunt, until they were decimated by injuries. I say, "Thanks, Chuck! It's good to see you!"
i forgot all about fairbanks, i love mosi tatupu
Fairbanks met with Belichick? I bet he was jacked & pumped!
Fairbanks took the worst team in football and made it relavent again. He worked for bad managers and most people would have done the same thing.
I worry that Chuckie's visit is a jinx.