Brandon Meriweather: Super Bowl Loss Will Sting Falcons 'Forever'
BOSTON (CBS) -- Brandon Meriweather knows what it's like to suffer a heartbreaking loss in the Super Bowl. He was a rookie safety for the Patriots during the 2007 season, when they lost to the New York Giants to lose the perfect season. So he feels the Falcons' pain after the way they lost to the Patriots in Super Bowl LI.
Speaking to 98.5 The Sports Hub's Toucher & Rich in his final appearance of the season on Wednesday, Meriweather described how badly the Falcons' Super Bowl loss stings now - and how much it will affect the players for a long time.
"You ever had to get over somebody that you love? That's what it's like," said Meriweather. "Honestly, [the pain] doesn't ever go away. When I think about it, I still get upset about how we lost [in Super Bowl XLII]. I think about all the plays I could have made that could have sealed the game. I think about a lot of small stuff. That's why everybody says your opportunity only comes once for you to be the hero.
"Honestly, [the Falcons] are going to think about this forever ... they actually, really had a chance to win this game."
The Super Bowl celebration continued on Tuesday at the team's parade and impromptu rally, in which Bill Belichick got a chant of "No days off!" going. Belichick has become notorious for his strict treatment of players when it comes to getting to work on time; Meriweather was there when Adalius Thomas and Gary Guyton got punished for being late in 2009.
In light of the insanity with Boston's icy roads on Wednesday morning, T&R asked Meriweather about Belichick's harsh discipline when players ran late due to weather. He said that it was normal for Belichick to warn players about weather conditions before practice to ensure that they make it to Gillette Stadium on time - and that there are no excuses.
"The day before, he'll tell you, 'Look, the weather is going to be terrible,'" said Meriweather. "He'd tell you that. 'Leave an hour and a half earlier than when you normally leave, because when you're late, that's no excuse.'
"He told you the night before, 'Look, I expect everybody to be here. Come sleep here if you need to, but I expect everybody to be here.'"
Meriweather also talked about some other goings-on at the Patriots parade and answered the final round of "5 Questions" of the season. Listen to the full podcast below:
