Belichick a Mystery? Not Quite!
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
He has been has been here for the last 11 years yet he remains somewhat of a mystery man to all of us. He has been called everything from a genius to duplicitous pond scum. His name is Bill Belichick.
Many of us think that we know Bill Belichick, but the truth is that none of us really do. He is a man of few words and what words he does decide to utter, he chooses them very carefully. His inner circle is smaller than an atom.
There are many members of the media that cover the team that do not like him because he is not a walking quote machine. TV and radio personalities want that perfect sound bite while the sports writers want his words to write their story for them. Sorry, that’s not Bill Belichick.
Bill Parcells may have been that type of charismatic coach, much the way that Rex Ryan is today. Both are very good coaches in their own right and listening to them speak can be quite entertaining.
Belichick’s press conferences are nothing more than a cure for insomnia. But that’s okay with him. Belichick is not concerned about winning the press conference. He only cares about winning games. That’s all you need to know about Bill Belichick.
People wonder why Belichick is so secretive when it comes to disclosing injuries to the public. Simple. He sees no benefit in disclosing any more details about a player’s injury than the league mandates. Why, you ask? So as not to give his opponents any type of edge be it real or perceived.
The same goes for his robotic approach to each opponent during the season. Unlike the loud-mouthed Ryan and his Jets, Belichick and the Patriots talk about every opponent as if they were the second coming of the Joe Montana-led 49ers. If his opponents are looking for bulletin board material, it won’t be coming out of Foxboro.
Personnel decisions are also dictated by Belichick’s unquenched thirst for victories. In 2001 he benched his most talented wide receiver Terry Glenn for showing up late for practices and meetings. Those who covered the team questioned the move which worked out perfectly for the Pats.
How about the trade which sent franchise quarterback Drew Bledsoe to division rival Buffalo? No problem. He had seen enough in less than one full season to realize that Tom Brady was the better man for the job.
The 2003 release of Lawyer Milloy prior to the season opener at Buffalo? He was roundly criticized by both the media and fans for that move. ESPN’s Tom Jackson went so far as to say that his players “hated” him. They went on to win the Super Bowl that year.
There have been many other personnel decisions we have questioned. Most recently it was his decision to trade Randy Moss. How has that worked out for the Patriots?
The man clearly knows what it takes to win. Sunday’s win in Chicago clinched a playoff spot for Belichick’s Patriots for the 8th time in the last 10 seasons. What’s even more impressive is that his team has finished with the best record in the AFC East in each of the last 10 seasons.
In the only two non-playoff years - 2002 and 2008, New England finished tied for the division lead but lost the division title on tie-breakers.
In 2002 New England went (9-7) finishing tied with New York and Miami atop the division standings. The Jets won it on a three-way tie-breaker.
In 2008, Belichick’s Patriots finished (11-5) with Matt Cassel at QB and lost the division on a tie-breaker with the Dolphins.
If you’re a football junkie, there’s nothing better than to listen to Belichick breakdown the X’s and O’s. It’s like giving Picasso a blank canvas and a paint brush.
And I’m sure if the Patriots coach invited you to spend some time with him in Nantucket when he gets away from football ever so briefly each summer you would find that he is a very interesting man.
You can think what you want about the man and call him whatever name you would like to because I’m quite sure that he doesn’t care. He cares only about winning football games and will do whatever he can to that end.
And I’d say he’s done a pretty damn good job of it since taking over the Patriots 11 years ago.
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