Martellus Bennett Loves Bacon -- Just Not Canadian Bacon
By Matthew Geagan, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- Martellus Bennett: NFL Tight End and Bacon Connoisseur.
When Bennett talks, you have to listen. He's turned Thursday into one of the most entertaining days in the New England locker room. The man can break down the game of football with ease, but just as easily veer off into something completely out of this world (he does love NASA, after all). It's part of what makes the outspoken tight end such an enjoyable figure.
The final Thursday of 2016 did not disappoint. Asked about his progress throughout the season, Bennett said he's always trying to get better at everything. As a father. As a husband. As a football player.
"It's just growth. You just keep working at it. You keep digging and eventually you strike gold," he said.
When a reporter followed up on "striking gold," that's when the fun began.
"I like gold," said Bennett. "I tried to get paid in gold one year, but they told me, 'No.' I'll take a check, too, though. As long as it cashes. I don't want no checks that bounce. All money's good money."
If he can't find that gold on the field, Bennett told reporters he grabs his metal detector and looks elsewhere.
"Hopefully, I find gold there. If I don't find gold there, I find another spot and I start digging. That's life. I just keep digging," he said. "I never really get frustrated about finding gold. You don't hit gold every time you dig, otherwise everybody would have stayed west when they went for the Gold Rush. A lot of people went back."
When told that many of those gold seekers went to Canada, that's when Bennett professed his unconditioned love for bacon. But not Canadian bacon. That's unacceptable.
"No one likes Canadian bacon," he said with conviction. "It's [not even bacon]. It's like a different form of ham. I prefer crispy bacon. American bacon. Good, good American bacon. The grease. The kind that crunches when you chew it. You don't even chew it, you just bite it. Crunchy bacon. Bacon's delicious. I haven't met too many who don't [like bacon]. My wife don't even like pork, and she eats bacon.
"Bacon doesn't even count. It's like in its own food category. Bacon is bacon. There's everything else, and then bacon's over here. I like bacon."
The man loves his bacon, and no one will fault him for that. But Bennett was far from done.
"You put bacon around scallops, around other things. Bacon on a burger. Bacon on a pizza. Bacon anytime is good," he continued, causing every reporter around him to salivate uncontrollably (unconfirmed). "I like bacon. I've said that a couple times, but bacon is good. Bacon is delicious."
Yes, 2016 has taken a lot from everyone. But it has also given us some Martellus Bennett gold from the Patriots locker room. Or, in this case, bacon. Crunchy, delicious bacon.
