Eh, while I hate to comment on something that is, at this point, "my sources tell me..." in regards to the Bourne v. Patricia talk, I only have 30 minutes to kill at work right now so, better now than ever:
If (and please, remember, I'm just entertaining the discussion and don't have a firm clue on the subject) it is related to such, I think Patricia needs to acknowledge a few things:
- You gotta speak to your player's interests, especially the ones that intersect with all the other players before you demand something. Just benching someone for being late and then holding them out until the end is stupid, it's an overbearing level of discipline. Patricia has never worked with Bourne and probably has not spent enough time earning his respect.
- Belichick needs to put a coach in their place if that is happening. It provides a conduit for humility on behalf of the assistant, which is a great opportunity for an assistant to speak to the player's frustrations of being a bit in the dark on treatment. It isn't too late, at all, to do that. If Bourne is not receptive to a humble moment from Patricia at that point, then you can start to tell Bourne to grow up.
- I think Belichick would be wise to pass on wisdom on how to handle player egos to Patricia. It's what makes the best, well, the best. Walsh said it best: "Strength of will - is essential to your survival and success. The competitor who won't go away, who won't stay down, has one of the most formidable competitive advantages of all. In evaluating people, I prize ego. It often translates into a fierce desire to do their best and an inner confidence that stands them in good stead when things really get rough. Psychologists suggest that there is a strong link between ego and competitiveness. All the great performers I've ever coached had ego to spare."
At the end of the day, whatever is going on, don't hold out a player for the entirety of a game just to prove a point, if that player is also integral to your success. You set aside your ego, manage theirs, and maintain a level of confidence throughout your entire team by giving them a chance to get that win back. The amount of chemistry building that could allow has so much more benefit than dog housing the one dude who really opens up the middle of the field. This isn't a binary, you can both prove your point and let your player have more than two snaps to help your team. The only damage is found in the extremes of this: just allowing them to play and never having repercussions vs. benching them all game.
