Aww. When Bill Belichick isn’t putting himself through the grind of an NFL season, he actually seems to have a decent sense of humor, somewhat of a personality, and doesn’t seem like such an insufferable prick.
Alas, we haven’t gotten to see that side of The Hoodie very often over the years. But whatever. You can’t argue with results. Six Super Bowl wins in 24 years as the New England Patriots head coach is probably the best run we’ll ever see out of a head coach. That is, unless Andy Reid keeps kicking in Kansas City with Patrick Mahomes for the rest of his prime.
But that’s neither here nor there. We’re here to celebrate Belichick’s farewell message to New England, posted in Sunday’s edition of The Boston Globe:
Nuts. As far as I can tell, the message cuts off after like two short paragraphs. Transcription incoming…
Nowhere in America are sports fans as passionate as in New England and for 24 years I was blessed to feel your passion and power the Patriots are the only NFL team representing SIX states but in reality Patriots Nation knows no borders.
You were undaunted by weather attended scorching hot training camp practices and braved Foxborough’s coldest wettest snowiest and windiest days.
Your thoughtful letters offered support critique and creative play suggestions you watched on TV the Internet and from your stadium seats.
You traveled from coast to coast and internationally. Numerous times you overtook opposing stadiums and were the last fans standing. We loved it! You gave your precious time resources and energy to our team. We appreciated it!
Six times, you packed Boston by the millions for parades that were truly a two-way expression of gratitude and love. The images from those days are burned in my memory
You may even have enjoyed my fashion sense and press conferences, or maybe you just tolerated them.
I loved coaching here and, together, we experienced some amazing moments.
THANK YOU ALL.
With respect and admiration,
Bill Belichick
The product on the field might’ve suffered by the end, and many might’ve soured on Belichick once Tom Brady went to win a Super Bowl with Tampa Bay while the Pats fell way short of their championship standard in the ensuing years, but Belichick went out with a bang here. During the Brady-Belichick heyday, it got to the point where it was legitimately surprising when New England didn’t make it to the Super Bowl. In addition to those six wins, the Pats lost three other times in the Big Game.
One of those defeats came at the hands of the Philadelphia Eagles. Today happens to be the anniversary of the Philly Special — one of many plays on which the Pats’ vaunted defense, coordinated by Matt Patricia, was outfoxed on.
Tough look to blow a Super Bowl in which Brady threw for over 500 yards. I’ll put that more on Patricia than Belichick, because the latter has proven he can coach defense in the ensuing years. Patricia can’t hack it on defense or offense.
Let’s not dwell on negativity or have Matt Patricia catching too many strays, tempting as it is to put him on blast at the faintest opportunity. We shall celebrate Bill Belichick from here on out and also look toward his future a bit. How about that fashion sense? When it wasn’t a beat-up hoodie, Belichick actually cleaned up pretty well.
And how about a valid point raised by a fan regarding the last time Belichick lifted the Lombardi Trophy?
Again, the only man who can catch Belichick as the GOAT coach, in my opinion, is Reid with the Chiefs. A win on Super Bowl Sunday over the 49ers would give him three Lombardi Trophies and also go a long way in building Mahomes’ GOAT case as he chases the record-setting specter of Brady.
Belichick interviewed with the Atlanta Falcons before they hired Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris instead. Given that Belichick struggled in his post as a GM, especially when it came to signing and drafting offensive personnel, it’s not a total shock nobody wanted to give him final say on the roster.
If he wants to get back into coaching in 2025, Belichick should consider a more collaborative approach with another executive when it comes to drafting and team building. Sure, give him plenty of input when it comes to defensive players, but let the scouting department and a savvy GM take care of the other side of the ball. For the love of all that is holy, nobody wants to watch anything resembling the awful offense New England put on the field over the past couple of seasons.
So yeah Bill, just cede some control over personnel on offense, and you should be golden to kill it at your next gig. PS, even if you had some gaffes as a GM, at least you and your pup gave us some of the most wholesome draft moments of all-time.
