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2005 stories: january–june
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Nine Decision-Making Pitfalls & Nine Simple Devices To Beat Them
27-Jun-2005, Fortune Magazine (Special Issue: How To Make Great Decisions)
"Problem: A wily adversary; Device: Clone your opponent. In January 2004
football's New England Patriots were facing a uniquely dangerous
opponent. Peyton Manning, quarterback of the Indianapolis Colts,
couldn't be contained by conventional means. His arm was too
accurate, his feet too quick, his style too different. So a week
before their big game, Patriots coach Bill Belichick gave his backup
quarterback a challenge: Become Peyton Manning."
full story |
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Spurs, Patriots Have Formed A Winning Alliance
26-Jun-2005, Philadelphia Inquirer
"One of the most interesting of alliances is taking place
between two championship organizations, each of which has captured three world
championships in a viciously competitive sport and stands atop its respective
league. Each is run by a no-nonsense coach with a military background who is
much more complex than the martinet image he projects. Each has a
second-in-command of understated brilliance, more than happy to stay in the
shadows and defer to the public leader while creating an organization with a
single voice and philosophy that centers on a 'culture' of shared sacrifice.'"
full story |
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Coach's Corner: Patriots still adjusting to changes
01-Jun-2005, Patriots Football Weekly
"'I would say that I am responsible for all
the things that happen out there on the field. I have the final say on them. If
I want to change them, I can change them and if I don't, then they're out there
with my approval. If they don't go right, I still feel accountable for it. I'm
not trying to put it on anybody else, but that's the way it's been and that's
the way it's going to be. Whatever we've run out there, regardless of who called
it – me, Charlie, someone else suggested it – ultimately, it's my decision and
that's not going to change. It will be the same way on defense.'"
full story (subscribers only) |
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Patriots Have A Familiar Ring
01-Jun-2005, USA TODAY Sports Weekly Special
"On this night, the Patriots head coach was in Boston standing behind a
podium in a slick tan suit with a sparkling blue tie, facing nearly 550
applauding spectators at a Big Brothers of Massachusetts Bay fundraiser. 'There
will be a lot of changes,' Belichick said of the 2005 Patriots toward the end of
his speech. 'Nothing stays the same. We have new coaches, we have new players
and new opponents. It's how you adapt and deal with that change that determines
how successful you'll be. Right now, we're at the bottom with everybody else."
full story |
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Bill Belichick On Troy Brown
24-May-2005, Patriots Football Weekly
"'In this era, it is very unusual for a player to remain with one team for
as long as Troy's career as a Patriot,' Belichick said in a statement released
by the team. 'Troy Brown is a special player and person and we are glad to have
him back.'"
full story |
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Belichick Credits Brown
20-May-2005, Boston Herald
"It's easy to see why certain charities hit home for Bill Belichick. Big
Brothers is one of them, and the Patriots coach had a packed room on its feet
last night when he spoke about mentoring, leadership and attitude. The speech
had meaning because the audience not only recognized those attributes in their
own lives, but also as a part of the Pats' three Super Bowl titles. The most
moving part of Belichick's speech may have related to receiver Troy Brown, who
was released from the Pats in February and remains a free agent."
full story |
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More From O-T-I-S
19-May-2005, Patriots Football Weekly
"His affinity for Bill Belichick also influenced his decision to retire a
Patriot. 'It was what I learned under Bill's tutelage. He taught me how to be a
professional and go about it in a professional manner all the time regardless of
what time of year it is,' Smith said. … 'To retire under Bill's name is
something I think is special not just for me, but for him as well.'"
full story |
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Otis Smith Retires As A Patriot
18-May-2005, New England Patriots
"'When I think about Otis Smith, a few things come to mind immediately:
his incredible work ethic, the respect he earned as a result of the leadership
he brought to the team and his production in some of our biggest games,' said
Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick. 'Otis helped the Patriots win a championship
and he will always be respected and appreciated for that as well as for his
professional approach to his job.'"
full story |
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Belichick Can Coach Offense, Too
12-May-2005, NFL.com
"You don't come up with the many smothering defensive game plans that
Belichick has put together throughout his career without knowing a thing or two
about offense. You don't build the winningest record in NFL postseason history
with only a cursory understanding of what is taking place on the other side of
the ball."
full story |
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A Night For The TIME 100
02-May-2005, TIME
"If you read our latest selection of the world's 100 most influential people two
weeks ago, you know how eclectic the list is. So you would not have been
surprised at who turned out last week when we held a dinner in New York City for
the TIME 100. … More than 50 influentials attended, and several of
them…toasted those who had influenced them."
full story |
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Inside Look At The Pats' Draft Preparation
01-May-2005, MetroWest Daily News
"Dimitroff credits a unique relationship between Belichick and Pioli
for creating the current work environment. 'What I think is so impressive,
unlike any organization I've been with, is those two guys at the top. Their
relationship, friendship and communication is incredible that way. …What it
comes down to is that relationship between the coaching staff and a personnel
staff. I just find that incredible here, unlike any other.'"
full
story |
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Belichick Knows Sound Foundation Key To Success
01-May-2005, Providence Journal
"Even after leading his team to its third Super Bowl title just three
months ago, Belichick transitions easily from teaching pro football in its
highest form to coaching it at its most primitive level. It is not drudgery. It
is not beneath him. It is the process."
full
story |
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Patriots Sign Doug Flutie
29-Apr-2005, New England Patriots
"The New England Patriots signed free agent quarterback Doug Flutie today.
Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. The former Boston College signal
caller returns to New England, where he played in 17 games with 13 starts for
the Patriots from 1987-89. … 'We are pleased with the signing of Doug Flutie,'
said Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick. 'He brings us additional veteran
experience and depth at the quarterback position.'"
full story |
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Complacent? No Way
29-Apr-2005, SI.com
"'I think it's more a function of the team than it is the individual,' said
Belichick, of his team's ability to stay hungry. 'The essence of a team is that
you really want to do something because all your friends and teammates are
counting on you. You don't want to let the other guy down. It's more of a
military philosophy. Any team that's good, that's really where the motivation
is. In the end, when you have a commitment to each other, that's really where
the power is.'"
full
story |
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Patriots Gaming
23-Apr-2005, Boston Globe
"Luck is not the answer. Belichick and Pioli did not sculpt their three
Super Bowl squads by following the herd. They do not subscribe to the two
scouting services most other teams use. They do all their own scouting, they try
to envision how a player may adapt to their system over the long haul, and they
apply criteria peculiar to their Patriot philosophy."
full story |
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Piecing The Patriots Together
22-Apr-2005, USA TODAY
"Belichick has final authority over the draft but is always quick to credit
Pioli, the team's vice president of personnel and the coach's first hire when he
took over the team's football operations in 2000, for his crucial role in the
team's success. Without the right players to plug into the system – a model that heavily weighs a team-first,
football-passionate mentality – the coaching efforts
might backfire."
full story |
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TIME Magazine Celebrates
New 'TIME 100' List Of Most Influential People With Star-Studded Event April 19th
15-Apr-2005, TIME
"Star performances will mark an historic night. Singer Melissa Etheridge,
comedian and Daily Show host Jon Stewart and Colombian rock star, Juanes – three of this year's TIME 100
– will perform for the 350+ guests. Other TIME 100 notables will speak
and toast individuals who influenced them. Some include New England Patriots
Coach Bill Belichick, Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai, New York State Attorney
General Eliot Spitzer, and more."
full story |
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President Congratulates New England Patriots
13-Apr-2005, The White House
"THE PRESIDENT: Well, back again. (Laughter.) I was thinking that Coach
Belichick was so comfortable coming to the Rose Garden that he might just wear
one of those designer sweatshirts. (Laughter.) I'm a little disappointed.
(Laughter.) I'm glad to see you own a tie, though. I want to welcome – COACH BELICHICK: Is this a roast? (Laughter.)"
full transcript + video + photos |
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Write On: 'Belichick's Place In History,' With Steve Sabol
12-Apr-2005, NFL Films
"We begin with Bill Belichick. With his win over the Eagles in the Super
Bowl, Belichick improved to 10-1 in postseason play, and surpassed Vince
Lombardi as the coach with the greatest winning percentage in postseason
history. When I was at the Super Bowl I spent some time on Radio Row. And
everyone, on all the talk shows, was comparing Belichick to Lombardi. I knew
Lombardi. I know Belichick. In my mind, they have very little in common."
full transcript |
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Bill Belichick On Troy Brown
23-Mar-2005, USA TODAY
"'Nobody has more respect for Troy Brown than I do,' Belichick said. 'He's a
good football player, a great leader, he's been a team captain every year. He
sets a tremendous example. He's an inspiration to all of us. I love Troy
Brown. … Is it over? Is it final? No,' he said. 'It's not like he's with
another team. So maybe something will work out.'"
full story |
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Amid Sun And Surf, Fixation On Future
23-Mar-2005, New York Times
"In the N.F.L., where personnel changes and injuries keep teams in constant
flux, there is no time to stand still. That was evident on Tuesday, when a group
of American Football Conference coaches sat with reporters during the annual
owners meetings. Even in this laid-back atmosphere, thoughts never drifted far
from the coming season. … Belichick was looking ahead, too.
'There's change every year,' he said. 'We don't have a game next week, and
neither does anyone else. The goal is to have a team ready to play when the
season starts, and then into the season. That's what we're working toward.'"
full story |
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Inc. 500 Conference Of Nation's Top Business Leaders
18-Mar-2005, Inc. Magazine
"In a survey of more than 100 of the nation's leading entrepreneurs
conducted at the 23rd Annual Inc. 500 Conference & Awards Ceremony it was revealed that … when it comes
to running a company 47% showed the most confidence in Dick Cheney followed by
Oprah Winfrey (16%), Bill Belichick (15%) and Mel Gibson (13%)."
full story |
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Parcells Coaching Tree Casting Increasingly Dark Shadow
09-Mar-2005, CBS SportsLine
"So now we're left with a league populated by coaches from the
Parcells tree, their disdain for the media and the job they do making for a
combative mentality. It might only get worse. New England Patriots coach Bill
Belichick learned this same approach as an assistant under Parcells, and now he
lives by it. He has also won three of the past four Super Bowls, which means in
a league where there is more copying than a Kinkos, it's a style that will
probably live on for a while. What's worse, the tree is still growing."
full story |
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Ty Law Radio Interview
02-Mar-2005, WEEI
Ty Law on Bill Belichick: "Just like he's a great coach, he's a great
motivator. He knows his Xs and Os, but he knows how to push those buttons as far as the team and as far as individuals.
… He isn't all that
uptight as you guys might think he is. He's actually pretty cool sometimes."
full transcript |
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Three-Ring Circus
14-Feb-2005, Sports Illustrated
"Because they do not beat you over the head with their excellence or
beat their chests in triumph, the New England Patriots are forever being
cast as commonplace champions. … What we are slowly but surely learning
from the Pats as they forge the first football dynasty of the 21st century is
that dominance comes in many forms, and that sometimes doing the little things
well can provide the biggest satisfaction of all."
full story |
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A Real Dynasty Takes Time
13-Feb-2005, Providence Journal
"A sports dynasty, by its definition, means multiple
championships. It also means success over a sustained period of time. The Pats
qualify on the multiple-championship count. But has their period of success –
four seasons, from 2001 to 2004 – been long enough to make them a dynasty? My
opinion is no. To me, a dynasty has to go beyond the number of championships won
by one core group of players. It has to extend at least through two generations
of talent, and maybe even different coaches, to reach Webster's definition of a
dynasty."
full story |
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Pats' Coordinators Leaving, But Players Staying
12-Feb-2005, Associated Press
"With the clock ticking down on their third Super Bowl title
together, Belichick and his coordinators put their heads together on the Alltel
Stadium sidelines. 'The three of us kind of looked at each other and knew that
that's the last time we'd be together. (We) kind of thanked each other for what
we'd done,' Belichick said. 'It was just a wonderful moment to be able to share,
sort of a perfect ending.'"
full story |
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More Is Less
10-Feb-2005, Boston Globe
"Anyone about to
spout hyperbole should think of Bill Belichick. The coach of the New England
Patriots is the personification of understatement and could serve as the
standard for sanity in a culture of mushrooming superlatives."
full story |
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New England Patriots Super Bowl XXXIX Victory Parade
08-Feb-2005, WHDH-7 News
"Three silver
Super Bowl trophies and one famous gray sweatshirt worn by the
mastermind who won them all passed by thousands of screaming fans
Monday as the New England Patriots savored yet another championship
ride through the streets of Boston. … In the lead vehicle, coach Bill
Belichick wore his trademark sweat shirt. He was surrounded by team,
owner Robert Kraft, vice chairman Jonathan Kraft and vice president
for player personnel Scott Pioli – all clutching trophies from their
three titles."
full story |
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Destiny, Team Met In St. Louis
08-Feb-2005, Boston Globe
"St. Louis. Draw a
line right there. The line of demarcation in the 2004 Patriots season was the
Nov. 7 game in the Edward Jones Dome. That was the afternoon when the Patriots
advanced from being two-time (and defending) NFL champions into legends."
full story |
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For Pats, Good Things Came In Three
08-Feb-2005, Washington Post
"The Belichick-Crennel-Weis triumvirate has been as much responsible
for the Patriots winning three Super Bowls in the last four years as anyone, and
less than 12 hours after being certified the first dynasty of the 21st century,
they were breaking up after being together in various positions through two
stints with the Patriots as well as with the New York Giants and Jets."
full story |
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Really, It Was Bill Belichick
08-Feb-2005, Howard Stern Show
"Yesterday, three time Super Bowl Champion coach Bill Belichick called in to
grant Howard a rare interview because he's such a huge fan of the show. Bill had
hundreds of interview requests yesterday but made sure to do our show for that
reason and also because Howard knows the Krafts, the family that owns the
Patriots. So Howard said he was a little upset because he received a lot of
email form people claiming that was a fake Belichick."
full story |
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Getting The Genius A Gutsy Move
08-Feb-2005, Boston Herald
"While one need only look at the record – three Super Bowl
championships in four seasons – to understand the impact Belichick has had on
the Patriots, it's important to understand that he, too, showed a lot of guts.
Let's roll back the videotape to the end of the 1999 season, after Bill Parcells
had 'retired' as head coach of the New York Jets. …"
full story |
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The Professor In A Class Of His Own
08-Feb-2005, BBC Sport
"Who's smarter – Bill Belichick or Albert Einstein? So asked a New York
newspaper recently as part of a tribute to the New England Patriots' coach. … By winning the trophy again this weekend he has
joined an elite group of nine coaches whose teams have won at least three NFL
championships – all nine are in the Hall of Fame. His play-off record is even
more impressive. The victory against the Steelers last time out took Belichick's
record to 9-1, and level with the very name that adorns the trophy on offer this
weekend, Vince Lombardi."
full story |
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Peter King Monday Morning QB: Greatest Ever?
07-Feb-2005, SI.com
"'These players, I
can't tell you how proud of them I am,' Belichick said. 'They've just been
awesome. They've faced every team's toughest competition every week. I pushed
them hard. I demanded a lot. They've worked so hard and never made excuses when
they lost or played poorly.' … 'There's a lot of love between us – me, Charlie, Romeo. We've been together with the Giants, the Patriots, the Jets
and the Patriots again. For it to be able to end this way … the only word I
can think of is 'special.'"
full story |
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A New England Pat Trick: Dynasty Is Declared As Patriots Top Eagles
07-Feb-2005, Washington Post
"Coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady improved their record
together in postseason competition to 9-0, and the Patriots finished 17-2 for a
second straight season. They joined the 1990s Dallas Cowboys as the only teams
to win three Super Bowls in four years, and Commissioner Paul Tagliabue said as
he presented the Lombardi Trophy to Patriots owner Robert Kraft: 'You join the
elite teams in the history of the National Football League.'"
full story |
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No Super Night After Super Bowl
07-Feb-2005, Howard Stern Show
"Three time Super Bowl winning coach Bill Belichick called in to talk about
last night's win over the Eagles. It turns out Belichick is a big fan of the
show and listens all the time. He said he's been listening to the show for
years, so Howard asked him for a Super Bowl ring. Belichick laughed and said ok."
full story |
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Super Bowl 39: Three Of A Kind
06-Feb-2005, Sporting News
"The wonder of the Patriots isn't just how they keep winning and
winning and winning these Super Bowls. It is more than the blinding glitter from
all those rings and their secured place among the dominant teams in history.
It's their astonishing consistency, their unflappable composure, the almost
matter-of-fact approach they employ to make the difficulty of what they have
achieved seem so unremarkable."
full story |
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VIDEO: Belichick Comes Into Focus
06-Feb-2005, FOX Sports
"FOX's coach Jimmy Johnson takes a closer look at Bill Belichick." Originally aired during FOX's Super Bowl XXXIX pregame show.
full video |
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The Age Of Belichick?
05-Feb-2005, Portsmouth Herald
"A veteran University of New Hampshire management professor does believe
the Patriots, and Belichick in particular, have presented a fascinating running
seminar about surviving in the 21st-century business world. 'There are a lot of
myths that surround successful coaches,' said Mike Merenda, chairman of the
management department at the Whittemore School of Business and Economics. 'And a
lot of them are in the limelight for a brief time and then fade (when they start
to lose).' Merenda believes Belichick won't be one of the quick faders."
full story |
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Nobody Does It Better Than Belichick
04-Feb-2005, Chicago Sun-Times
"Hooded or not, he can't hide from the praise. What Belichick is doing with
the New England Patriots is supposed to be impossible in today's NFL … When
the Patriots enter the local stadium Sunday and try to win their third
championship in four years, we know Belichick is genuinely defying a structure
designed to level the playing field. Parity? Free agency? A game that's faster
than ever, played by bigger men than ever and, thus, given to more injuries than
ever? He considers those issues to be challenges, not obstacles."
full story |
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Being Bill: Patriots' Belichick remains true to himself at all times
04-Feb-2005, SI.com
"I've been around him a lot over the past 20 years – first as defensive
coordinator of the Giants, then as coach of the Browns, then as an assistant
with the Patriots and Jets and now as the New England coach. Last summer, I had
the chance to go to his home in suburban Boston and saw him hug his sons, pet
his dog and chat up his wife. What I remember is his happiness. Contentment,
maybe. But this is a guy comfortable in his own skin. He's real. The real
Belichick is on display to his team every day."
full story |
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Humble Road Led To Belichick's Dynasty
04-Feb-2005, Washington Post
"A few months before Bill Belichick was to graduate from Wesleyan University
with a degree in economics, he told his father what he planned to do with the
rest of his life. He had been recruited by a large company that wanted him to
join its corporate training program. The money was good, the opportunity for
advancement was even better. But Belichick had something else in mind. He had
decided to be a football coach, just like his father, Steve."
full story |
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Belichick Fulfilling His Destiny
04-Feb-2005, USA TODAY
"In his 30th NFL season, Belichick is still 'thrilled' by every aspect of
what he does. If competing at the highest level means working to the point of
exhaustion, that is not a problem. 'This is a driving job,' said Belichick, 52,
'and I'm driven in it. Football season won't stop in February. That's when you
start with team-building, free agency. It's more than a full-time job. If you
relax too much in the team-building months, it's going to be reflected in your
team in November.'"
full story |
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How Do The Patriots Do It?
03-Feb-2005, Cleveland Browns
"'We don't mean how long their hair is or how much jewelry they wear,'
Pioli said. 'We have certain expectations of guys being in the right place at
the right time and doing things a certain way.' A local television station in
Jacksonville found a bar on Jacksonville Beach that several Patriots visited
Monday night. The TV station interviewed the bartender and waitress, who
revealed the players were well-behaved and polite and were just having fun.
Among them was Brady – who drank only water with lemon in it. That's discipline."
full story |
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Belichick Is A Changed Man, And Change Is Good
03-Feb-2005, Washington Post
"Belichick isn't one of those coaches who believes a record is a complete
reflection of a coach. 'I think the two changes that would be most notable,' he
said, 'would be delegating things to other people in the organization. I am a
detail-oriented person and sometimes that is not good. It's better to let
somebody else worry about the things they can do and let me worry about the
things that only a head coach can do.'"
full story |
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Brain Man: Belichick solves NFL puzzle with analytical approach
03-Feb-2005, Kansas City Star
"Plenty of people know the ins and outs of football. Belichick certainly does;
he began studying game film at age 8. But no one else is designing new ins and
outs like him, from how players are selected to factoring specific probability
of a play's success. The Pats' unique way of doing things defines their recent
success, and it was born inside the talent-laden Andover class of 1971."
full story |
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Goal Of Patriots' Mastermind: Win Big Game Before It Begins
03-Feb-2005, New York Times
"Bill Belichick says football games are won before players ever take the field.
An opponent's weakness should be exploited. Preparation can make victory a
self-fulfilling prophecy. Those statements are nods to Sun Tzu's military
treatise, 'The Art of War,' a book that shapes Belichick's coaching philosophy,
and to the influence a head coach can wield in the National Football League."
full story |
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'Mad Scientist' Belichick Has Created A Super Bowl Monster
03-Feb-2005, REUTERS
"Hailed as a genius by his peers, Belichick has been discussed in the same
revered terms in Jacksonville as the legendary Vince Lombardi, one of the NFL's
all-time coaching greats. 'He's like a mad scientist with some of these guys,'
Gene Upshaw, the head of the NFL Players Association told the Washington Post.
'Most coaches will correct mistakes after they see the film of the game. Hell,
he corrects mistakes on the field right away.'"
full story |
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Media Declare Bill Of Wrongs: When sizing up outgoing HC, we blew it
02-Feb-2005, New York Daily News
"When Bill Belichick quit the Jets on Jan. 4, 2000, during a tumultuous
press conference in Hempstead, some moron in the New York media wrote the next
day that it was no big deal. … If ever there was proof that the media know
next to nothing about the layered vagaries and trade secrets of professional
football, it was their nasty farewell to a future Hall of Fame coach."
full story |
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Meeting Of The Minds
02-Feb-2005, Sports Illustrated (February 7, 2005 issue)
"Look for this Sunday's NFL championship game in Jacksonville, between the
New England Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles, to be the Coaches'
Super Bowl. What makes the title game intriguing is that it matches
coaching staffs – headed by Bill Belichick in New England and Andy Reid in Philadelphia
– that are equally self-assured and creative."
full story |
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All For One And One For All On The Good Ship Patriot
02-Feb-2005, New York Times
"Who is this cult's leader? The genius under the hoodie? It is true that
Belichick is the tireless salesman of selfless acts and the grim reaper for the
whiners within his locker room. Lawyer Milloy, for one, is no more. As [Troy]
Brown noted, 'Bill always says the best thing we can do for our careers is to
win games.'"
full story |
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Belichick's Record Speaking For Itself
31-Jan-2005, SuperBowl.com
"As Bill Belichick begins his third tour of Super Bowl Week duty, the
Patriots head coach is intent on disguising more than just his defensive schemes
and offensive strategies. Amid man-to-man coverages, blitz packages and
four-receiver sets, Belichick is trying to camouflage his touch with greatness."
full story |
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Belichick Insinuating Himself With All-Time Coaching Greats
30-Jan-2005, San Diego Union-Tribune
"Roman numerals, the symbols of kings, mark the years of the Super Bowl,
but even these figures are inadequate to measure where Bill Belichick is in his
career. As he prepares to deliver the New England Patriots into XXXIX next
Sunday, Belichick is creating a place for himself among the greatest coaches of
the NFL's 85-year history – Paul Brown, Tom Landry, Vince Lombardi and the other
giants of the game."
full story |
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Best And Brightest: Jerry Magee ranks his top 12 NFL coaches
30-Jan-2005, San Diego Union-Tribune
"4. BILL BELICHICK – Record: 98-72 (.576), NFL
titles: Two (2001, 2003). In his past four seasons, the Patriots have won 56
games, three division titles, three conference titles and are positioned to
claim a third Super Bowl title. His reputation has been earned through a 30-year
coaching tenure, all in the NFL."
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Belichick Compared To Coaching Legend
30-Jan-2005, Providence Journal
"Like Lombardi, the one coach Belichick believes is the measuring stick, the
ideal and the father of professional football is the late Paul Brown. And to
understand why Belichick is Belichick, to understand his style, philosophy and
innovation, one has to see the thread that runs from 2005 back to 1946 when
Brown's Cleveland Browns started play in the All American Football Conference."
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Patriots Win Economically
30-Jan-2005, Associated Press
"Tom Brady threw 28 touchdown passes this season, barely more than half the 49
Peyton Manning threw for the Colts in setting an NFL single-season record. But
the only numbers the New England Patriots care about are these: Brady has two
Super Bowl rings and a chance for a third, and Manning never has gotten to the
game. One reason: The total value of Brady's current contract (around $30
million) is less than the signing bonus Manning received from the Colts last
summer, giving the Patriots far more salary cap room to pay a supporting cast."
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Patriots Winning On The Cheap: Chemistry comes before money
30-Jan-2005, Washington Post
"Its decision-making triumvirate of owner Robert Kraft, Coach Bill
Belichick and front-office chief Scott Pioli has built what qualifies as a
dynasty in this era of free agency and the salary cap by proving again and again
that it's not how much you spend on players, it's how well you
spend. The Patriots are playing in their third Super Bowl in four years because
they drafted well, signed the right free agents and got more out of their
players than anyone else thought possible."
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Curiously, Belichick Made It Happen, But Elsewhere
30-Jan-2005, New York Times
"'It's not like you're saying, 'What am I going to be doing in 20 years?''
Belichick said Friday, adding, 'You just take care of the glare in the
headlights, and then you do the next thing.' The next glare in the headlights
will be in Jacksonville next Sunday when Belichick's Patriots take on the Eagles
in the Super Bowl."
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Coach Went To School: Belichick versed in ways of Brown
29-Jan-2005, Boston Globe
"Paul Brown lives. The great man passed on to the football coaches' Home in the
Sky in 1991, but there is no doubt his spirit lives on in the mind and body of
our own Bill Belichick, who took a good question from the Providence Journal's
Tom Curran and knocked it a Mantle-esque 575 feet into the journalistic
bleachers at his daily briefing yesterday morning."
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For Belichick, Father Truly Knew Best
28-Jan-2005, Washington Post
"'I had never encouraged him to be a coach, but when he told me what he wanted to do, I never discouraged him, either,' Steve Belichick said this week from his home in Annapolis, where he and his wife Jeannette settled in 1957. A 33-year career as an assistant coach at Navy was just fine for Steve, whose responsibilities were scouting the next opponent, breaking down films and preparing meticulous reports every week for the coaching staff and players. Little did Steve Belichick, 86, know that his work would be the foundation on which his only child would build a career – and become the most successful NFL coach of his generation."
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Belichick's Deferential Style Helps Make Patriots True Team
28-Jan-2005, San Francisco Chronicle
"If the Patriots defeat Philadelphia in the Super Bowl for their third title in
four years, Belichick would join a select circle of nine other coaches whose
teams won at least three NFL championships; all nine are in the Hall of Fame.
But when it was pointed out to him that his 9-1 playoff record now matches Vince
Lombardi for the best postseason winning percentage in league history, Belichick
was typically disinterested. 'It's very flattering to have my name mentioned
with his name,' he said. 'I don't really think I'm deserving of that. I think
it's really stretching it a little bit.'"
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Patriots Get Bang For Their Buck
28-Jan-2005, Washington Post
"The Philadelphia Eagles spent lavishly to get to Jacksonville, Fla. The
New England Patriots got there on a budget. The 2004 season proved, once again,
that there's more than one way to win in the NFL. It's not necessarily how much
you spend on players. It's how well you spend. … The Patriots ranked 24th among
the 32 NFL clubs with a payroll of just less than $77 million. The Patriots, who
are playing in their third Super Bowl in four seasons, have been known for their
wise spending under the direction of Coach Bill Belichick and front-office chief
Scott Pioli."
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Belichick Plays The Role Of Master Coach
27-Jan-2005, Philadelphia Inquirer
"This guy knows his stuff. So it was fascinating to listen to him talk about the
Eagles, about what he has seen in breaking down film of the team that stands
between him and coaching immortality. Of course, Belichick said nice things.
Like every coach in history, he understands the value of talking up your
opponents, as well as the danger of saying something negative that can motivate
them. But even with that qualifier, Belichick's take on the Eagles was
illuminating."
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Boston's Latest Legend
27-Jan-2005, Newsweek
"New England Patriots Coach Bill Belichick may be the smartest coach in the
league. Our columnist dutifully records his winning strategies. … It does not
appear to be simply the winning, but the way of the winning that has propelled
this coach to the highest pedestal in his profession. In back-to-back romps over
NFL powerhouses, Belichick's Pats held the league's record-setting offense to
just 3 points, then rang up 41 points against its stingiest defense. Such
results have given Belichick a mystique that is singular in the game."
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Belichick Has A Fan In NFL Great Brown
27-Jan-2005, Providence Journal
"Hall of Famer Jim Brown, the former Cleveland Browns running back and
longtime friend of head coach Bill Belichick was asked yesterday where the
Patriots fit in the conversation of the greatest teams ever. … Belichick and
Brown first struck a friendship when Belichick took over the Cleveland Browns in
1991 and Brown was still very involved with his former team. Their chemistry,
Brown said, was rare. 'I have friends I speak to for 20 years who don't
understand me. Bill understood in five minutes.'"
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Figures Add Up For Pats: Salary balance a strength
27-Jan-2005, Boston Herald
"The fact is that the Patriots pay to the salary cap every year, and they've
spent $79.3 million of the $80.5 million available cap dollars for the 2004
season. Where they differ from most teams…is that they spread more of their
money to the middle and bottom of the roster than the top. In other words, the
Pats have a strong 'middle class.' That's the term Bill Belichick used in 2000
when he looked at the salary cap he inherited and was horrified to find a
top-heavy roster filled with players who provided little 'value' for the room
they were taking on the cap. It's taken five years, but the transformation is
nearly complete."
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Browns Tinted Belichick's View
27-Jan-2005, USA TODAY
"Tony Grossi, who covers the Browns and the NFL for The Plain Dealer,
said this was a running joke during the Belichick years in Cleveland: 'If this
guy ever does get the team to the Super Bowl, he'll break out in hives because
of the media.' … But now reporters will be clued into every Belichick
syllable. 'At the Super Bowl, he's at his best,' Grossi said. 'He's blossomed as
a coach and also blossomed with his public side.'"
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Dad Taught Belichick To Run A Tight Ship
26-Jan-2005, Boston Globe
"The dad of the coach was a coach. More than most, he can appreciate what
he's been watching almost every Sunday of the NFL season for the last few years.
'This is what you strive for,' said 86-year-old Steve Belichick, who retired in
1989 after 33 years of scouting and assistant coaching at the Naval Academy.
'That's what you've got when you have everybody on the same page, with the same
objective, and they don't care who gets the credit.'"
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Patriots' Flexibility Is Source Of Strength
25-Jan-2005, Washington Post
"New England Patriots Coach Bill Belichick seemed to turn a brighter shade
of red late Sunday night when someone mentioned that his team's 41-27 victory
over the Pittsburgh Steelers had moved him into a tie with Vince Lombardi as the
most successful playoff coach in NFL history. 'It's very flattering to have my
name mentioned with his name,' said Belichick, who is 8-0 in the postseason with
the Patriots. Overall, he is 9-1, as is Lombardi. 'I really don't think I'm
deserving of that. I think it's stretching it a bit.'"
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Droning His Way To Immortality
25-Jan-2005, New York Post
"'The term 'genius' does [Belichick] a disservice,' [Phil] Simms said. 'He
is able to coach the finer points, the techniques of football, and he gets it
across to his players, because he has created an environment up in New England
where it all takes hold. I've never been around anything like it. The players,
the coaches, the ballboys, the locker room attendants, the p.r. department – everybody toes the company line, and they never break the company line. Never. I
never have players tell me something off the record. They never whisper to me.
They don't complain to me about their playing time. Never, and never's a long
time.'"
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Pat Answer
24-Jan-2005, Sports Illustrated
"Speaking of the mammoth challenge that awaited his injury-depleted defense
on Sunday…Belichick bluntly dismissed that popular storyline. 'Look,'
he said, 'one guy can't stop the Colts. That was pretty obvious last
week [in Indy's wild-card-round blowout of the Denver Broncos]. … No, you
have to do it as a team."
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A Beautiful Mind Trumps A Steel Chin Every Time
24-Jan-2005, New York Times
"Beautiful mind or cruel mind? Here in the hometown of Fred Rogers and Bill
Cowher, where a retro-franchise values its own, where a community has survived
Big Steel abandonment, Bill Belichick outsmarted the city's throwback heart and
outwitted its quaint romance last night. Such is the harsh power of Belichick's
methodical detachment. If Belichick were not able to separate himself from
emotion, if he could not inspect his flaws with the clinical eye of a forensics
expert, he would not be able to correct his faults."
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Stop Of Bettis Sets Tone For Pats
23-Jan-2005, ESPN.com
"For a man who had been so lavish in heaping praise on the team that the
Patriots had just vanquished, so generous in his assessment of the club New
England is favored to defeat to earn a third Super Bowl win in four years,
Belichick, who raised his personal playoff record to a sterling 9-1, became all
but tongue-tied as he tried to analyze the assemblage quietly celebrating in the
visitor's locker room. Even in a quick follow-up query, when Belichick was
gently prodded about the attributes of his own team, he wasn't about to confer
greatness upon it."
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Patriots Rout Steelers In AFC Title Game
23-Jan-2005, NFL.com
"The New England Patriots are going back to the Super Bowl for the third
time in four seasons because they simply overwhelmed Big Ben, stopping him and
the Pittsburgh Steelers cold. … 'He said he had the most
confidence in this team. I think that was huge for us to hear from our leader,
from our coach,' Patriots linebacker Ted Johnson said. 'I don't think I've ever
heard him say that. … He just has it, whatever it is. He just finds a way.'"
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Belichick Already Is One Of The All-Time Best Coaches
23-Jan-2005, Miami Herald
"Right now, without delay, not another triumph necessary, Bill Belichick must be
put in the pantheon with the all-time greatest football coaches. Chisel his face
right up there on the Coaching Mount Rushmore with Don Shula, Vince Lombardi,
Joe Gibbs, Tom Landry, Bill Walsh, Chuck Noll and Bill Parcells. (We just etched
more faces on that mountain than are allowed, didn't we?)"
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High School Coaches Point To Patriots As Role Models
21-Jan-2005, Akron Beacon Journal
"'You've got to hand it to them, they play as a team,' Narducci said of the
Patriots. 'They are the essence of what high school football is all about.' In
an age when blue-chip college recruits are making oral commitments live on ESPN,
the defending Super Bowl champions are an astonishing collection of
selflessness. The Patriots embody prep ideals more than some prep teams."
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Bill Belichick: The Mastermind of New England
21-Jan-2005, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Bill Belichick purposefully dresses this way, for his success. He prefers
bulky gray sweatshirts and knit caps [sic] on an NFL sideline. The Mastermind is
unadorned, unfettered and unmoved by it all. And he is adored from Maine to
Connecticut as a result, because of his football brilliance, his Patriots'
predominance, his Everyman values in his adoptive New England."
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Model Team Has Been Worth The Wait
21-Jan-2005, Boston Globe
"The New England Patriots are more than a winning football team in our
midst. They are a true role model for coaches and players everywhere in every
sport. … We can't pretend to know all of the admirable or detestable qualities
of these mastodons of Gillette or any other professional sports team. Richard
Seymour, Troy Brown, Tom Brady, and Tedy Bruschi all seem like great guys, but
we don't really know them. Fine. That's not our job and it's not their job. But
what we do know is that these Patriots at this hour do everything a team is
supposed to do, which includes winning but involves so much more than scoring
more points than the other team every week."
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Belichick Laughs Last And Loudest
21-Jan-2005, (NE Ohio) News-Herald
"An ESPN.com poll this week asked where the Patriots should rank all-time if
they win the Super Bowl. One of the possible answers was the best team ever,
which received the most votes – 43.2 percent of the
approximately 50,000 responses. Two other questions asked where Belichick ranked
among the game's best coaches – now and ever. A whopping 97.5 percent said Belichick is the NFL's
best coach. Almost 57 percent believe he's the best coach of all-time.
Apparently, that gray hooded sweatshirt and pained expression on the sideline
really have made their mark."
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The Top Five: The best and brightest defensive minds in the NFL
20-Jan-2005, SI.com
"'The great thing Belichick does,' Bill Cowher told me, 'is he figures it
out. Somehow, he figures it out.' Belichick, of course, leads my selection of
today's top five defensive minds. 1. Bill Belichick, head coach, New England:
Through 57 minutes last week against the Colts, the Patriots had held the
greatest offense since the turn-of-the-century Rams to 206 yards in the AFC
divisional playoffs. Without three vital opening-day starters. Belichick sets a
plan and his players go out and execute it every single week. The strength of
the offense they're facing doesn't matter. He'll find a way to beat it."
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Time With Browns Helps Belichick Do Better Job With Patriots
18-Jan-2005, Akron Beacon Journal
"While talking to Bernie Kosar, we hit on the subject of Bill Belichick, as
he goes for his third Super Bowl title as coach of the New England Patriots.
Kosar quickly said, 'Bill and I made up a few years ago.' The former Browns
coach also has made peace with many writers and others who were not exactly on
his Christmas card list several years ago. 'Bill is real positive about his time
in Cleveland, and he means it,' said Michael Holley, author of Patriot Reign, a
book about Belichick and the Patriots."
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Perfect Fit: Corey Dillon
17-Jan-2005, ESPN The Magazine
"Belichick hadn't chastised him, he'd coached him. 'It dawned on me, he
was right!' Dillon says. 'Coach tells the truth. And I love the guy to
death for that. My wife will tell you. She says if Bill was in my age
bracket, we might be best friends. I've bought in. I trust him.' The
whole New England experience has lit up his life. Every time Dillon sees
[Scott] Pioli in a stadium corridor, he tugs on his sleeve and says,
'Thanks for believing in me.'"
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Belichick 'The Bobby Fischer Of Football'?
17-Jan-2005, Associated Press
"Curtis Martin of the New York Jets led the NFL in rushing but in two games
against the Patriots this season, both losses, he totaled just 103 yards on 33
carries with no touchdowns. His longest run covered 9 yards. 'Belichick is like
the Bobby Fischer of football,' the running back said. 'When you give that guy
time to plan for you and prepare for you, he's going to dissect you. He's going
to take your whole strategy apart. And no matter what you do, he has an answer
for it. That's why Pittsburgh is going to have a hard time.'"
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Belichick No Genius, He's Just The Best
14-Jan-2005, Washington Post
"Annette Moser-Wellman, a former ad exec who writes about business geniuses,
theorizes that there are five forms: seers, observers, alchemists, fools, and
sages. The last type, sages, 'use the power of simplification as the primary
means to inspiration.' … Belichick's penchant for understatement and
simplification imbues the whole franchise. It's a team built on simple, solid
valuations."
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Belichick Keeps The Secret Of His Success To Himself
13-Jan-2005, Providence Journal
"In many ways, Belichick is not what we expect an NFL coaching supernova to be.
Not charismatic. Not someone who throws a lot of one-liners at you. Not one of
those fiery personalities we've come to associate with great coaches. Yet he's
the one everyone now wants to emulate. So we sit and listen to Belichick and we
wait to hear the secret, as if he talks enough and we listen hard enough it will
all become clear. We sit and we listen."
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For Pats' Fans, It's Not the Clothes That Make 'The Man'
11-Jan-2005, Projo.com
"The guy we turn to for faith and hope in times like these isn't the
Hollywood-handsome quarterback with the lightning-bolt arm. And it's not the
brash, hard-nosed safety who makes wide receivers wonder if selling used cars
isn't such a bad way to make a living after all. The guy we worship in times
like these never wears a uniform and knows he couldn't chase down Edgerrin James
on a bicycle. After two Super Bowls here, Patriots Coach Bill Belichick has
generated a cult following among Patriots' fans. He has the charisma of an
accountant, yet we hang on every word and follow him with the fervor of true
believers."
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Saban and Belichick: Friends Draw Line In Sand
09-Jan-2005, Palm Beach Post
"The sharing of information will stop now. Belichick coaching the Patriots
and Saban coaching the Dolphins will have such an effect. … 'Bill isn't looking
forward to this, I know,' Steve Belichick said. 'Bill has great respect for
Miami's defense, for Nick, and for Jim Bates, who was running that defense. We
just wish Nick would have gone to the damn NFC West or something.'"
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Road to NFL Success Goes Through Cleveland
04-Jan-2005, NFL.com
"Go back to the mid-1990s, when the Cleveland Browns assembled a coaching
staff that has benefited other teams. … Serving under then Browns head
coach Bill Belichick was a veritable dream team… Nick Saban… Kirk Ferentz…
Pat Hill… Ozzie Newsome… Jim Bates… Phil Savage… Scott Pioli… Jim
Schwartz… Mike Tannenbaum… Eric Mangini… All on the same team.
Which is amazing. Cleveland once lost its football team. But it also lost the
best and the brightest."
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Belichick Fits the Bill, In More Ways Than One
02-Jan-2005, San Francisco Chronicle
"Belichick, whose 13-2 team plays the 2-13 49ers in Foxboro, Mass., today, might
be the most enterprising and effective coach since Bill Walsh. As Walsh did when
he was coach, Belichick runs the show in New England with say over everything
from the draft to calling the defensive front in the red zone. Like Walsh, he
has trusted sergeants who are steeped in NFL experience. And like Walsh,
Belichick seems to know exactly what to tell his team at exactly the right
time."
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