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During his 24 seasons with the Patriots, the coach’s press conferences were often, but not always, a master of suppressing information.
Bill Belichick’s press conferences during his 24 seasons as Patriots coach were often masters of suppressing information. Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff
Dear University of North Carolina football media, fans, and Tar Heels who will now have to live with Bill Belichick.
First, my New England colleagues for sending Drake Maye our way and then preparing him to play at a significant talent disadvantage in the huddle, not with any offensive intent. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to them.
You see, this kid QB is serious, genuine, preternaturally poised, and full of raw talent. We will try to keep him healthy physically and mentally, but we cannot promise anything on behalf of his offensive line.
The symmetry of Belichick taking a job at Maye’s alma mater after a year-long coaching hiatus is as funny as it is surprising here in New England. But it’s also a chance for a legendary coach and a seasoned grump to cover and offer advice to each other on how to deal with each other.
You may already know some of this from watching his press conferences over his 24 seasons as Patriots coach. Press conferences were often, but not always, disciplined masterclasses in information suppression.
You ask him, oh, if he’s considering changing quarterbacks after a tough loss, and you ask him again, and the answer is, “I’m going to Tallahassee,” or whoever happens to be the next Atlantic Coast Conference opponent. It will be so. schedule.
Some people may snort at such a press conference. Lots of snorting. There may be a lot of complaining and an awkward silence. Usually it’s out of disdain for what you’re asking, but sometimes it’s just because he seems nervous.
He’s a world-class mocker. He’s the best stonewaller since Jackson. Did I mention snorting?
Sometimes, when you’re exhausted and frustrated and fed up with the way he treats you like you can’t pick a football out of a sports equipment lineup, you might want to write something like this: If you look up the word “misanthrope” in the dictionary, you’ll see a picture of Bill Belichick. ”
Please don’t write like that. You are better than a tattered cliché. And he’ll probably see it — I don’t know if this applies later in his career with the Patriots, but while he was here, his assistant would send him a clip file of what was written every morning. It was delivered to me. And he respects people who write about football with knowledge and passion. That could lead to an aside after the press conference to further explain the basics of a key play in the game or confirm a personnel decision that other reporters are following.
You won’t just snort, grimace, or sigh. It’s going to be a fun and insightful day covering Belichick, and I hope you all get more of that experience than we did because being a friendly face at a college game is a benefit for Belichick. It will be.
Some weeks, when the game plan is established and Belichick is feeling confident, Belichick’s Friday media appearances can turn into a Ph.D.-level football history course, where he explains the benefits of left-footed punters and why. You might hear an eight-minute monologue about whether your player is going to play. Lawrence Taylor is the greatest defensive player of all time.
My colleague John Powers wrote a book about this phenomenon in 2018 called Fridays with Bill: Bill Belichick’s Football Mind. You’ll find yourself hoping that Belichick himself will actually write a few books sharing his wealth of historical and tactical knowledge.
Occasionally, Belichick will drop pop culture references we’ve never seen before, when it’s best to be charming (i.e., when we’re dealing with something with the suffix -gate). In this context, it doesn’t hurt to learn about “My Cousin Vinny.”
This may be the most important thing about covering and understanding Bill Belichick. It’s okay to be skeptical about how the 72-year-old will fare in the wild west of college football. It should be. But don’t underestimate him. Also, don’t prematurely dismiss the possibility of success in Chapel Hill, as some prominent territory college football writers have already done.
NIL (name, image, likeness) and the transfer portal have made college football more professional than pro football in some ways. Players are not required to honor a contract in the college game and are essentially free to bounce from program to program in search of more money and more opportunities.
Rumors abound that Belichick may not be ready for this. That’s unreasonable. Everything from coming up with a game plan to thwart the so-called “Greatest Show on the Turf” to preparing a 400-page manifesto on how to build a college football program before meeting with Tar Heels officials. His preparation for the race is perhaps the most extraordinary feature of his success.
Don’t you think he put all of his thoughts, joys, and frustrations from his time at the University of Alabama into Nick Saban’s brain? During an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday, Belichick expressed his enthusiasm for his new path. He also spoke openly about NIL spending and its similarities to NFL free agency.
As you know, Belichick already has one four-star recruit in quarterback Bryce Baker. And we all know it’s no coincidence that Clemson coach Dabo Swinney suddenly decided to jump into the talent transfer window. Belichick is already in the minds of his fellow ACC coaches.
Sure, some 18-year-olds with dollar signs in their eyes might not be interested in playing for Belichick, or would rather deal with his gruff personality every day. But his sales pitch to players looking to present themselves to the NFL as best they can is breathtakingly simple.
I’m the best quarterback and best tight end in NFL history, Hall of Fame defensive lineman Richard Seymour, plus Vince Wilfork, Julian Edelman, Devin McCourty, Deion Branch, Dont’a Hightower, David -Andrews, Matt Wright, Ty Warren , Logan Mankins, James White, Joe Thuney, David Givens, Jerod Mayo, Christian Gonzalez…oh, and I signed Randy Moss, Rodney Harrison, Wes Welker, Mike Vrabel, Corey… Dillon, Stephon Gilmore, Darrelle Revis, and more. I know talent, I know what it takes, and I will help you realize your dreams. Please sign here. Congratulations, you’re a Tar Heel.
It may be hard to believe from afar, but there is a vocal segment of Patriots fans who are hesitant to give Belichick the credit he deserves for his 20-year dynasty. It will be replaced by an endless loop of Sam Howell crushing the Patriots in 2023.
That’s ridiculous. The ugly final two seasons of Belichick’s tenure led some to conclude that success was largely due to Tom Brady. Believe me, it was both a collaboration between coaches and players and a total team effort. And if you have any doubts, I encourage you to head over to YouTube and revisit the Patriots’ dynasty Super Bowl win over the Rams…Pete Carroll in the final seconds of Super Bowl 49 Staring… 28 Mastering the calculus of coming back from a loss 3 behind the Falcons in Super Bowl LI… And so on.
The news that Belichick became Chapel Bill…sure, it surprised all of us here. But you are certainly lucky to have him. He’s older now and his reputation took some of the dip after Brady, but he’s as good, ready and motivated as ever, better than any coach ever. are able and motivated.
Those of us in New England who never forget to thank him for all he has done here know this to be true. For his doubters, he has the last laugh. Yes, that last snort too.
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