In Celebration Of Tom Brady, Bill Belichick & The New England Patriots

BB steps out of football talk during his conference call for the Texans game to urge the US to stop the ethnic cleansing going on against Armenia & Artsakh.
As a proud Armenian, Karen Guregian was overwhelmed by BB's speech.


Very cool. It's a complete and utter travesty. Serj Tarkanian, the lead singer of System Of A Down, who is Armenian has been on this for a good long time.
 
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Monday marks the 20th anniversary of the day Bill Belichick was hired as the Patriots head coach.


The NFL’s longest-tenured head coach has piled up a boatload of accomplishments over these two decades. A record six Super Bowl titles. Seventeen AFC East titles. A total record of 267-94 (.739 winning percentage).


To commemorate this anniversary, The Athletic spoke to a number of players and coaches who have worked with Belichick over the years, from the Giants to the Browns and present and former Pats.


The question for each was simple: What’s your favorite Bill Belichick story?


They told tales of practice fights, disciplinary measures, hard coaching tactics and a hilarious usage of a “Cops” episode in the team meeting room.


They surely didn’t disappoint.


Former Patriots linebacker Willie McGinest​


He was working our asses off in camp. We had a preseason game the next day, and he wanted to go half pads. We didn’t want to put the pads on anymore, so we were going to revolt. Everybody went in and we all got together, like, “Nobody take your pads out. Just take your helmets and your shells.” So we all did that and went out there (to practice) except for one guy. I think Larry Izzo was the only guy who didn’t do it. We all went out there with no pads. He was like, “What the fuck is going on?” We were like, “Man, you’re beating us down. We’re tired.” He called us up to talk to everybody. It was a calm atmosphere. He explained the reason why he wanted us to put the pads on. We were going to end up taking them off (during practice), but he wanted us to put them on for one particular period. So everybody went back in, all the way back in, put our pads on and our helmets. We played the game and thought it was over and done with. Well, the following week, he beat our ass in practice. Without us knowing it, he kicked our butts – long days, padded practices, kicked our butt. Without saying anything, we knew that was our punishment for what we did. He was still the Jedi in knowing how to get what he wanted out of us without saying much.


Former Giants and Browns linebacker Carl Banks​


My best story was our first work week meeting of the Super Bowl (XXV, against the Bills) when (Belichick, then the Giants defensive coordinator) stood up in front of the team and insulted us. He told us we were going to let Thurman Thomas get 100 rushing yards, and the room erupted. I mean, literally, the room erupted. We were a defensive team, and that was the last thing we wanted to hear from him. Then he gave us his reasoning behind it, and it made sense. We had the ultimate faith in him, but that moment when he stood in front of the team and said that, I think we all lost our minds. The reason he said it was that they don’t run the ball anymore. He said the swing pass was essentially their run game, then he gave us an eight-game case study. He went through eight games including the playoffs when they didn’t deviate from it. They had one running play, and it was a draw. Everything else was a swing pass to Thurman Thomas. He was like, “We’re going to play the pass, and if they get 100 yards running, we’re going to win this game anyway.” That was the genius of Bill. He could give you a plan and the data behind it to prove where the tendencies hold up. We live in a world of analytics now, but he was doing that type of stuff long before the analytical movement. It’s football instincts. He told us this was how we were going to do it, and we’re going to punish their receivers. Because if we play our basic defense, we won’t be back in our zone fast enough, so we’re going to line up here, wait and put as many speed bumps in their crossing routes as possible, and we’re going to punish them every time they throw a crossing route. And that’s what we did.

Former Browns running back and wide receiver Eric Metcalf​


One time I was late to practice. I had been hanging out all night, and I was late because I was riding with someone who turns out their license was suspended. So they got stopped, and this was why I’m late. So I call into the office and tell them to tell Bill (who was then the head coach in Cleveland) that I’m going to be late. So I walk into the meeting room, and Bill is like, “Eric, why don’t you tell the team what happened? Why are you late?” So I start telling the story, and he slips on the screen a version of “Cops” that is so similar to it. It’s playing behind me at the same time. He had it all cued up and ready the time I got there. People don’t realize Bill is actually funnier than people think. I also saw him at a Super Bowl party one time, and he had a couple, which is OK. It was after the season. I had a buddy with me. He’s like, “I don’t care what you do, you tell some free agents to come to Cleveland.” My buddy always talks about how he was looking.


Former Browns running back Leroy Hoard​


I used to golf with him in the offseason. It was me, him and Steve Crosby, the running back coach. We play a hole and look over. Bill says, “What’d you get?” I say I made bogey. Bill said, “I made 5.” Steve goes, “I made 5.” Bill looks over and says, “Hmm, you seem to be having trouble counting.” That was just everything that he was. Football was football with him. Anytime he gets in public arenas, he seems awkward. Him yelling “No days off” was the funniest thing I’ve ever seen in my life. Right? When you think of Bill Belichick, you don’t think of him yelling something like that at a rally. That just isn’t him. But he is comfortable in his environment. If you think he talks in code to the media, you should see the hints he used to drop to the players. Same thing, but you knew where he was coming from. He would just say it, and it wasn’t that big of a deal. I remember one time we were at practice, and two guys get into a fight. He goes in there, blows the whistle, stands there in between them and, boom, he gets hit. So guess what, he says, “Fellas, I’m not stopping any more fights. But if you get hurt, I’m fining the both of you every day one of you guys is out.” That was it. I’ll always remember him jumping in there to stop the fight, getting clocked and then, hey, I’ve got a solution for this. When you know how he is, there’s no one story that stands out. It just all fits together. I remember at least 20 times a day, he would just yell out, “Eric” and “Scott.” Eric Mangini, Scott Pioli. When you look at where they came from and how they grew, you’d think, hey, I have an opportunity to learn and grow, too. That’s how he is.

Former Patriots running back Kevin Faulk​


It’s just one of those things where you knew Bill was a quiet person when he first got there. He didn’t speak to hardly anyone. You would be walking in the hallway and say good morning, and he wouldn’t say anything for a while to me. Then after a while, you’re like, “Good morning,” and he’s like, “Good morning.” And I’m like, “Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold up, coach. What’s going on?” I’m like, “You know you haven’t told me good morning for a while, and today, and today you just up and say good morning back?” He’s like, “Oh, no, don’t worry about it.” You know who he is as a person and as an individual, but it’s a funny story.

 

Former Patriots cornerback Ty Law​


Everybody has Bill-isms and how he approaches things. Probably his commentary on the lowlights, if I could say anything, he’d come in and you’d think that he’s about to put up the highlights. Belichick is famous for the lowlights and his commentary behind it, which is not made for print. It’s just funny as shit, though. Hopefully, you don’t find yourself on the lowlights, but I do look forward to when he gets up there and shows you what you’re not supposed to do – his commentary behind it and the language behind it is hilarious. Those are my favorite Belichick moments that I can share. I probably looked forward to the lowlights more than anybody because you never know what he’s going to say or how he’s going to call you out, or if he’s going to put it in slow motion to make it look funnier. He hits the right slow motion to show how you’re getting your ass kicked in front of the whole team, and that’s pretty awesome. I think everybody had their moment on the lowlights. I think coach Belichick is smart enough to – if you weren’t part of that at some point, he’s going to find something to talk about. He’s going to make sure everybody will get a piece of that at some point. I know I have at some point, even if it was a loaf. He’s going to let you know that you didn’t hustle to the ball or something like that. That’s Bill for you. That’s what makes him great.


Former Patriots safety Rodney Harrison​


I appreciate coach, and I appreciate his candor. He is a very honest guy. He walks in every year and puts up a depth chart and says, “Hey, you guys make your own depth chart.” He’ll rip Tom Brady in front of everyone, “What the hell? A seventh-grader could make this throw.” He’d do that all the time. That’s what I loved about him, the fact that he was so open. Nobody was caught off guard. He’d test you in the hallway and ask you a question. He’d give you a quiz. He is just a guy that knows everything about every single position. The thing I love about him most is his honesty, and no one is off guard because he always said, “I don’t care how many Pro Bowls. I don’t care how many All-Pros. You’ve got to earn your spot here.” That’s pretty cool from him.

You’ve got to understand, those Super Bowls and those experiences are a huge part of who I am as a person and why I’m in this position to be on Sunday Night Football for my 11th season. If I don’t go to the Patriots, if I take more money and go to Denver, guess what, I’m never here. I don’t win Super Bowls. Making that decision to come to the Patriots, taking a little less money and being part of something special, I just sit back and shake my head. At that time, when I had a chance to sit down and meet with coach Belichick, he convinced me (to sign as a free agent). He remembered everything. He said, I remember when you were in warmups and you tackled a guy and knocked his helmet off. What coach remembers that? Once he told me that, I looked at my agent and said, hey, we need to go make a deal. I’m meant to be here. It was great. It was just great.


Former Browns defensive coordinator Nick Saban​


I just learned more from the guy than anybody that I’ve ever worked with probably. Really, not just football. Really, more about organization, how to build an organization, how to build a team, how to hold people accountable by defining what exactly the expectation was for everybody. And people like it better that way because they know what’s expected. I don’t really have a story. We worked really hard in Cleveland to build a really good team, and it’s just unfortunate that things wound up the way they did.


Former Browns offensive line coach Kirk Ferentz​


When I came here (to Iowa) in 1981, Hayden Fry had an opening. Iowa was awful. They had two years of no winning, all losing seasons, 19 straight years of losing futility. I didn’t even know where Iowa was. I grew up in Pittsburgh, went to school in Worcester. So when I came out here and met with coach Fry for the first time, he’s one of those guys that after 5-10 minutes, you feel like you’ve known him 15 years. Everything was warm and congenial. I was totally relaxed throughout the whole thing, plus I wasn’t all that fired up about going to Iowa. I didn’t know anything about it. When I interviewed with coach Belichick – and I’m still not sure how he got my name, I really don’t know – about seven other guys turned the job down, but he interviewed me in Cleveland. Oh my god, I died a thousand deaths. I just felt like I bombed. I felt terrible the entire time. I got sent home and thought that was it. I got called back a couple days later for a second interview. Same thing, we sat down for a couple hours and I thought there was no way I’m going to get this job. For whatever reason, he hired me. The interview was awful. I felt like I hadn’t done anything right. The three years I was with him, I feel very, very appreciative. Those were three unbelievable years to learn. In my mind, he was a Hall of Fame coach back in the 1990s.


Patriots safety Devin McCourty​


Mine was in college when he sat down with me, question after question, and the dude gave me no response, no anything. “What could you do better?” I answered it. You’re trying to impress, so I would give this long answer trying to hit everything I knew about the defense, and he would just say, “OK,” and watch the next play. We did it for like 45 minutes to an hour. You can imagine going through a whole game in an hour, and you think you’re giving this coach what you think is your best stuff. My agent called me, and I’m like, “I don’t know how it went, but I doubt I’m a Patriot.” Then you find out he thought it was a really good interview. To me, that’s him – consistency, getting the same thing no matter what, and I learned that as soon as I got here.


Former Patriots defensive end Chandler Jones​


When he makes all the rookies slide into the water, I love it. That’s my favorite. It’s like, “Welcome to the NFL.”


Former Browns safety Louis Riddick​


It wasn’t good for me at the time, but it kind of typifies why he is able to sustain the level of success that he’s had now and what he can manage from his players, why they’re so good. That (Jan. 1, 1995) playoff game against the Patriots, I had like 10 tackles, a couple pass breakups and the interception. So I go into the team meeting Monday, and you’re feeling pretty damn good about yourself. Everybody is happy, just waiting for the coaches to come in to talk about good things from the game, what we need to clean up, what the schedule is going to be for the next week to get ready for Pittsburgh, set the tone for that. I come in there thinking, man, I’m going to get a game ball. I’m like, shit, I can’t wait to get in there and have him toss me mine. For the defensive side, Eric Turner and I had very similar stats for that game. So (Belichick) is reading the stats and I’m thinking, wow, this is definitely my ball. He goes, “Defensive player of the game goes to,” and I literally started standing out of my seat to catch the ball. And he goes, “Eric Turner,” and he tossed the ball to Eric. I remember sitting back down like, you’ve got to be fucking kidding me. For like 5-10 seconds, I was crushed. Eric, as soon as he caught the ball, he didn’t sit down and goes, “No, Bill, nah, Louis should get this ball for how he played.” And he tossed it to me and everybody applauded. Guys are patting me on the back and blah, blah, blah. The team meeting breaks up, and I’m happy Eric gave me the ball because I earned the respect of my teammates. So we’re walking out of the theater to break out into individual meetings, and Bill stops me, looks me right in the face and goes, “That’s great. Let’s see if you can do it again this week.” That’s it. That’s all he said. He has no rear-view mirror. Everything is about what’s ahead of him. For me, that was a sign of it doesn’t matter what you’ve done. It’s about what you’re going to do. I’ve never forgotten about that, and I’ve talked to him about that. I remember telling him that story and he just snickered at me the way he does. That never left me, though. That’s how I am now. It really doesn’t matter what I did five minutes ago. It’s what you’re doing forward. That’s how he drives his football teams.
 

Patriots special teams captain Matthew Slater​


My second year in the league in the preseason, there were two weeks in a row when I had kick-catch interference. The first week, it was kind of like, all right, close call. The second week, I ran into the guy. As soon as I ran into him, I laid down and I was like, this could be it for me as a Patriot. I come over to the bench. I’m at the numbers. I’m not even at the sideline, and there is Bill essentially letting me know, yes, you ran into him. His voice may or may not have been raised. I can’t repeat what he said. I walked by him and said, “Yes sir.” I went and sat on the bench, and he followed me over to the bench. He made sure to coach me up hard on that. At the time, I didn’t know how to feel about that. But in hindsight, I think coach has always believed in me, had a lot of faith in me, has kept me around. I think at the time he had more belief in my ability than I did. He expected more out of me than I expected out of myself. He has always pushed me to be better, to do more, to be consistent. I think it started there at a time when I thought I was definitely going to be out of here. I appreciate him pushing me. I appreciate his belief in me. I’m certainly thankful for everything he has done for me individually over the course of my career.

Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore​


I’ll never forget in a meeting one time after the New Orleans game, my first year there, I got picked off a route. He got on me. It was the first time a coach actually got on me like that. Ever since then, my game went up to a higher level. I never let it happen again. Things like that where a coach can come at a player no matter who you are, coaching everybody the same, expecting the best out of them, that’s what makes him so great. He treats everybody the same.


Former Patriots running back LeGarrette Blount​


I’ve got some good ones, but I don’t know if I want to tell them. There’s a story, but I don’t know if I want to tell it. We were playing a game and were up by 10 or more points. One of our guys – I won’t call out names – caught a pass, and I don’t know if he fumbled the ball out bounds or stepped out of bounds in time. But we watched the film the next day. (Belichick) was like, “Hey, I know it’s all about you. I know this is what you want to do. Everything is about you.” Then he pointed to the football with the (laser) light and was like, “This is a team sport. Think about everyone else on the team besides yourself for once. You’re being a …” I’ll cut it short there. That’s the PG-rated story. That’s the best part I can give you. Bill is my guy.
 
Thanks chevss!
Those were great.
They show a little bit of why i cut BB slack in picking players. a guy has to be willing to be coached as those guys describe and as the generations progress, that is getting harder to find. it's harder just in the regular workplace finding good employees who will be accountable and reliable. So since WRs and CBs are already 2 of the most diva-ish positions, BB's coaching style/expectations are part of his difficulty in drafting them.
 
Great stories there about Bill. For all the tough coaching he gives, the spiky personality, very few players seem to walk away from the team hating him. Like 49er players like Ronnie Lott used to say about Bill Walsh, they knew he could be a pain the ass and he'd infuriate them so many times, but what it all came down to was this, Walsh would put them in the best possible position to win each week. Nothing else matters really.
 

Turn it back towards chevss's point. These stories each serve as examples of how Bill creates and supports his players. It shows WHY bill wins all those games.

He's not in these stories because he was lucky and won some games. Winning doesn't do that. Bill Belichick does that.




.
 
For anyone interested...Mahomes hasn't reached the top echelon of QBs just yet.
BEST PASS OFFENSE DVOA, 1985-2020
YEARTEAMPASS DVOA
2007NE73.7%
2011GB67.8%
2004IND67.5%
2010NE66.3%
2018KC63.5%
1991WAS63.1%
2020KC*60.7%
2013DEN59.6%
1992SF59.4%
2009SD59.2%
2006IND56.6%
1987SF**56.3%
 
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