If you want to gain an idea of how impactful and total Bill Belichick’s authority over the New England Patriots was over the last almost two and a half decades, you must read the two stories told by writer Jeff Benedict in his 2020 sprawling and enthralling best seller The Dynasty.
The first involves a young linebacker named Andy Katzenmoyer. Katzenmoyer was drafted by the Patriots out of Ohio State University by the Pete Carroll regime that Belichick and his staff had replaced. Carroll was a relaxed, laid-back coach, the anthesis was of the approach Belichick wanted. He was also a pampered star at Ohio State, someone who felt he didn’t have to answer to anyone. His play on the field spoke for itself. Imagine Katzenmoyer’s shock when he arrived late to an early season meeting and was chewed out by Belichick and subsequently ejected from the meeting room for his tardiness. His NFL career was toast soon after. Clearly a new tone had been set. Out with the buddy system, in the militaristic mindset.
The second story involves the surprise release of star safety Lawyer Milloy at the end of training camp in 2003. While it was true that Milloy was asked to take cut by the team and refused, the timing of his release was still shocking. He was a team leader, a star, and a wise veteran sage in the locker room. When the Patriots subsequently lost their opening game to the Buffalo Bills, rumors of an organizational mutiny against Belichick abounded. Then ESPN commentator Tom Jackson went as far as to brazenly proclaim that the team hated their coach without any basis in fact. After that, the Patriots won 14 of their next 15 regular season games and eventually won the Super Bowl, after which, a clearly embarrassed Jackson approached the coach for a handshake and was told to go you know what himself.
The above examples illustrate Belichick’s personality and the delicate balance the fans and media struck with him.
There is no denying that Belichick’s Patriots tenure was a smashing success, as the 266 regular season wins 31 playoff wins, nine conference championships and six Super Bowl wins will attest. It is easy to dismiss such success as a byproduct of having Mr. Thomas Edward Brady on your team, but that misses the collective point. Belichick produced the scheme to keep hitting the once unstoppable Marshall Faulk during Super Bowl 36 to knock him off his game. It was Belichick who took on castoffs like Mike Vrabel, Cory Dillion, and Chris Hogan and made them valuable cogs in a well-oiled championship machine. Most of all. It was Belichick’s meticulous attention to detail and willingness to obtain an edge by doing such things as exploiting obscure but legal loopholes in the rule book that set him apart from his peers.
We cannot accurately assess Belichick’s legacy without due regard to the black marks. Yes, Spygate and Deflategate are huge determinants in claiming that he is the greatest coach of all time. He was also a surly and arrogant tyrant whose control over the Patriots organizational structure was about as total and absolute as any NFL coach could hope to receive from their boss. Lastly, Belichick’s curt answers and almost total disdain for the media made you wonder if he had any redeeming qualities at times. If he ever had a nice thing to say about a media member, it should have counted as a charitable contribution on a tax form. Despite these qualities, they were tolerated because he had the mind of a savant and used it to devise great schemes that were designed to do what he was paid for, win.
Belichick’s ultimate downfalls as a coach were his spotty draft record and inability to find an adequate replacement for Brady once he departed. In the end, Belichick the personnel man sabotaged Belichick the coach.
However, 24 years is an eternity to last anywhere, and Patriots fans are eternally grateful for the years of happiness and joy he gave them.
As for what’s next, a paraphrase of a Belichick quote is most appropriate.
“I’m onto retirement.”
Coming next month: A tour around the sports pubs of the emerald hills of Ireland. Does the Irish sports fan follow our sports, and what do they want you to know about the sports they love? Find out in the next View from the Cheap Seats.