WESTFORD, Mass. — A silver 2006 Toyota 4Runner. Mint condition. Only 12,000 miles on the odometer. This is what the car dealer in East Providence, R.I., had to offer an up-and-coming star with the New England Patriots when he arrived at the lot in 2010.
There’s a long tradition of businessmen hooking up with professional athletes for an exchange of goods — a quid pro quo for tickets, access to social outings, memorabilia. In this case, the car dealer, Jack Fox, would receive tickets to Patriots games and signed jerseys and footballs, and the player would make promotional appearances for the dealership.