Belichick wary of Patriots return to Mexico due to volcanoes and quakes

Guardian sport
Updated

  • New England played Oakland in Mexico City on Sunday

  • Patriots head coach says natural hazards are a concern for team

Bill Belichick’s Patriots are 8-2 after Sunday’s win
Bill Belichick’s Patriots are 8-2 after Sunday’s win. Photograph: David Zalubowski/AP

The New England Patriots got the result they wanted on their trip to Mexico City on Sunday, beating the Oakland Raiders 33-8. Their coach, however, is in no rush to repeat the experience.

“Players did a great job dealing with all the challenges we had to deal with. I think we’re fortunate there was no volcano eruptions or earthquakes, or anything else while we were down there,” Bill Belichick said in an appearance on WEEI on Monday. “You have two NFL franchises in an area that I don’t know how stable the geological plates that were below us [were], but nothing happened, so that was good.”

Belichick’s fears are odd considering he has never voiced concerns about traveling to play any of the NFL teams in California along the San Andreas Fault, an area prone to earthquakes. The Patriots have also played in Seattle twice in the past 10 years; the city sits close to the volcanic Mount Rainier and it is believed an eruption could affect the city.

Belichick did, however, cite other concerns about the Mexico City trip.

“It’s a long way to go for a game,” Belichick said. “There’s a lot to it in terms of all the logistics of it. They are not used to having a NFL team so you have to go in there and handle a lot of the logistics. It took a lot of manpower, a lot of hours, a lot of energy out of our organization to do that. This week, we’re tired. We are exhausted from the trip. It was a good trip, but it took a lot out of us I think.”

Belichick’s statement was seen as insensitive by some in Mexico after hundreds were killed in earthquakes earlier this year. Poncho Vera of ESPN Mexico accused the Patriots coach of “outrageous ignorance”.

The NFL doesn’t share Belichick’s concerns and has said Mexico City will host a regular season game through until 2021. That will be good news for another member of the Patriots, Tom Brady, who said he had enjoyed the trip.

“To be here and play in a different country and to have everyone cheer for our team, cheer for me and cheer for my team-mates is incredible. Hopefully there’s many more games here,” he said. “It’s a great experience. I’ve never been to Mexico City, but I’m definitely coming back. We stayed in a beautiful hotel, I had a beautiful view in my room. Just a very historic stadium. I know there’s been some really important sporting events here.”

The Patriots lead the AFC East with an 8-2 record after the win over the Raiders. Their next game is against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.