Any who knows me is aware of how much I dislike the New England Patriots.
Well, maybe dislike is a weak word. I loathe them. Their players are regarded as indentured servants, they treat the injury report like it’s a Tom Clancy novel, and they are so over-covered by the sports media that my TV gets upset when it shows Tedy Bruschi. And it all starts with their sneaky media-toying genius of a coach. Or is he? (Well, he’s definitely sneaky and loves to toy with the media, but is he a genius?)
We’re about to find out.
With mega-star quarterback Tom Brady done for the season, what better time is there to examine Belichick’s brilliance? (Excuse the alliteration; it’ll happen quite a bit.) Let’s face it, his tenure as head coach of the Cleveland Browns wasn’t exactly worthy of the hall of fame. His real success began in 2002 when the Patriots won Super Bowl XXXVI. That was ironically the same season that sixth-round nobody Tom Brady made his NFL starting debut. In only the second game of the season, all-pro Drew Bledsoe went down to an injury, and Brady was called up to center. He shocked the league with his poise and accuracy in the pocket. Belichick controversially stayed with Brady all the way to the Super Bowl, even when Bledsoe was fully recovered. The Patriots beat the Rams, Bledsoe was released, and the rest is history.
This season Bill has to re-earn his genius title. He is labeled as the best coach in the game and one of the smartest football minds of our generation. All these accolades are for a man who didn’t coach a Super Bowl winner until he lucked into arguably the greatest quarterback of all time. With no Tom Brady, he’ll be forced to rely on Matt Cassel at the helm if they stay firm on their free agent stance. On a team full of holes, Tom Brady was the all-purpose plug. Honestly, if YOU had Tom Brady on your team, you’d have a good shot at winning a title. The Patriots running game is lacking, their offensive line is shaky, their linebackers are smart but old, and their secondary is suspect at best. I’ve haven’t give Belichick credit for much of anything, but I will (possibly) if he manages Patriot-level success without Mr. Brady.
Was it MJ’s sheer will that won six rings; or was it Phil’s master plan? Did Kobe’s outside game net three titles; or did Shaq’s dominance down-low obtain the hardware? In all of these types of sports quandaries, there is often evidence to support either conclusion, with the answer usually residing somewhere in the middle. This season, Bill Belichick gets to provide his own answer.
Keywords: Bill Belichick, New England Patriots, NFL, Tom Brady
