BBuddies

"I'm a La Russa fan like I'm a Francona fan. Billy Donovan, Pat Riley … just good people." –Bill Belichick, Oct. 10, 2006


Tony La Russa Manager St. Louis Cardinals 2006 World Series Champions	Peter Gammons Weblog "Taking in two hours of Bill Belichick with Tony La Russa watching simple spring training drills was fascinating. Belichick asked La Russa to explain almost every drill. 'Bill has one of the greatest minds of anyone I've ever known,' says La Russa."

	Postcard From Florida "New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick, a member of Cardinals manager Tony La Russa's lengthy all-star roster of friends, was supposed to be in Jupiter on Wednesday. Sure enough, two limousines pulled into the players/staff/media parking lot and out stepped … no one I recognized. No Belichick sighting, a far cry from last year when the media-friendly coach…spent a good amount of time in La Russa's office after a game, surrounded by reporters. Asked whether Belichick would be interested in a brief meeting with the writers, La Russa said: 'If you do anything to discourage him from coming back, I'll never forgive you.'"

	Just A Night Out, Hanging With Sports Boys "It was my dinner with Andrade … and Ernie and Tony. In cross-networking that only spring training can provide, three stars of the sports world were sharing their stories and strategies. … The first discussion was about Bill Belichick. La Russa told Accorsi that he and Belichick had become close friends. Tony said he admired that Belichick is 'a coach, a great coach, not an entertainer.'"

	Belichick Says Nothing—Except When It Comes To La Russa "While no one in the Testosterone Club will declare their own individual greatness, they are generous in proclaiming the brilliance of their pals. Perhaps they've made so many enemies and rivals along the way, they save the love for each other. Or maybe they can only understand each other. La Russa and Belichick frequently text-message each other, just like two high school kids. They leave voice mails. They offer encouragement. For vacation, Belichick makes an annual visit to the Cardinals' camp in spring training, to hang with Tony. … For his part, La Russa says that Belichick is misunderstood. 'Bill only shows one side to the media,' La Russa said. 'But with his friends, he's warm and personable. He has a sense of humor. We've had great conversations. And if you're a friend, he's there for you. He's a caring person.'"

	Friends Inspire Cardinals "Bill Belichick knows something about winning championships. So when the New England Patriots coach started working himself into a frenzy in the St. Louis Cardinals clubhouse, he got the players' attention. 'He was talking normal, he hit one sentence and he turned it to a different gear,' pitcher Adam Wainwright said. 'He was a different guy completely. It was intense. It was sweet.' Manager Tony La Russa's A-list of celebrity friends to visit Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter this spring was red-carpet worthy. And when his Cardinals begin defense of their World Series title tonight against the New York Mets, the players have plenty of inspiration from which to draw."

	A Meeting Of The Minds "This Belichick-La Russa bond is a friendship rooted in Belichick's insatiable intellectual curiosity. Your coach simply wants to know a lot about everything. It is one of the things that make him so good at what he does. Belichick, you might remember, once arranged to watch a surgery just so he could better understand the O.R. process. … He also went to prison – as an observer – to find out what it's like on the inside. Jon Bon Jovi has introduced Belichick to the world of rock 'n' roll, and last winter Coach Bill hung out with Pat Riley when the Heat came to Boston."

	Manager La Russa, Coach Belichick Form Friendship "St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa recently formed a fast friendship with another big-name coach ... La Russa said Thursday he was introduced to Belichick this spring by Buzz Bissinger, whose book Three Nights In August is about La Russa. 'He was so down to earth,' La Russa said. 'I was interested in what he was doing, he was very forthcoming and he would ask questions about our sport and said, 'I'd like to visit.'' La Russa said he and Belichick had dinner twice during spring training and hit it off."

	Bill Belichick on Tony La Russa "I'm a Tony La Russa fan. I was in training camp with him this year for a couple of days. It was a lot of fun. It was a great experience. I learned a lot … Tony is a great leader and manager and tactician, just the way he handles the team. Sitting in the dugout with him down there and watching him manage the game and all, it was pretty enlightening. … He's been a great supporter. He's been a good friend and a good guy to know. I really enjoyed being with him. I enjoyed getting his perspective on just being a coach, handling a team, playing in a lot of big games, making decisions, all of those kinds of things. I'm a La Russa fan like I'm a [Terry] Francona fan, Billy Donovan, Pat Riley. Just good people. … Tony is just totally consumed by baseball. That's his thing. He's into baseball like I'm into football, like Billy Donovan and Pat Riley are into basketball. It's different, but there are some common threads there and it's interesting."



Terry Francona Manager Boston Red Sox 2004 & 2007 World Series Champions	Managing To Thrive "'If it's true, then it's unfortunate, because what Terry has done is so special,' Belichick said of Francona not receiving his due. 'They went so long without winning and now they have won two [World Series]. But that's the way it is in sports. For a certain element, whatever you do is not good enough, whether you've won 18 straight games, won a World Series or an MVP. Instead, they'll talk about a bad pass or a bad game. But that's sports, and I don't begrudge it. That's the way it is. I'm sure Terry is very comfortable with himself and the job he's done. What someone else thinks, what are you going to do about it? If you spent all your time worrying about that, you couldn't do your job. The guy that has to be satisfied with you is your owner.'"

	Coaches' Corner "Manager Terry Francona has heard from coaching counterparts Bill Belichick of the Patriots and Doc Rivers of the Celtics. 'Bill's e-mailed me twice,' Francona said. 'Very nice. …' Francona has also heard from Patriots vice president of player personnel Scott Pioli, a close friend, and Boston College athletic director Gene DeFilippo. 'We can't start a series without him calling, and I mean that really good,' said Francona. 'He's got a lot going on himself. It's appreciated.'"

	Belichick Enjoys His Time On New Turf "He sat beside Terry Francona in the Red Sox dugout, wearing shorts, not a hoodie. … Can anyone tell it's spring training? 'It was fun,' Francona said of his time visiting with the coach of the Patriots… 'We talked about the culture of the game, which is interesting. Just the different culture. They're 16 games. We're every day. We talked about sending guys down, cuts, that type of stuff. It was interesting. Spring training is relaxed, and he's relaxed. It was fun. He came and sat for about three innings and we BS'd around."

	'Super' Guest Visits Red Sox "Red Sox manager Terry Francona had more than just his regular staff of coaches in the dugout for the first few innings of Sunday's exhibition game against the Orioles. For it's not every day you can have the coach of the defending Super Bowl champions on your bench. When Francona saw Bill Belichick sitting in the dugout before the game, he made sure the Patriots' coach knew there was no time limit on his visit. 'When I walked out, he was in the dugout and someone introduced me to him and we were just kind of talking and I asked him if he was going to stay for the game,' Francona said. 'And I said, Hey, this is Spring Training, you're more than welcome to sit here. I think he kind of enjoyed it.'"



Dave Pietramala Head Coach Men's Lacrosse Johns Hopkins University 2005 & 2007 National Champions	Jays Have Big Fan in Pats' Belichick "[Y]es, that was New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick on the Johns Hopkins sideline yesterday at the Face-Off Classic, attempting to look anonymous in a black Blue Jays hoodie sweatshirt and a head warmer. Belichick, who grew up in Annapolis and is a big lacrosse fan, was a guest of Hopkins coach Dave Pietramala. The coaches have become friends in recent years, and Belichick pulled aside Blue Jays midfielder Paul Rabil last week for a pep talk on leadership. 'What can you say? The man is a winner and he's been a champion at the highest level,' Pietramala said. 'He's been awful nice to allow our staff to take a peek inside his house. He was here today as a friend, as a fan and as a supporter of lacrosse. When you're around [somebody] like that, you can't not draw from his experience. You hope if you touch him enough, maybe some of it will rub off on you.'" Meeting a Mastermind "[H]is friendship with Pietramala…started at the '04 NCAA championship weekend. Pietramala had worked with current Patriots tight ends coach Pete Mangurian at Cornell, so Belichick remembered Pietramala and called him a year later to congratulate him on his own championship Now, they visit each other's practices – the Hopkins staff spent a couple of days with the Patriots in late August – and regularly exchange phone calls and emails. As you might expect, Pietramala has picked up some things from Belichick, like how to handle winning or how to be more efficient with practice and film sessions. Other things, like letting the guy who practices the hardest one day pick the music the next, help promote a work ethic and build chemistry. 'He allowed us to sit in on their meetings and it was fabulous,' Pietramala says of his staff trip to Foxboro."



Billy Donovan Head Coach Men's Basketball University of Florida 2006 & 2007 NCAA Champions	Gators Repeat As National Champs "With Bill Belichick, Donovan's close friend, watching from the stands, these Gators again personified the team concept that Belichick's Patriots brought to the National Football League. Florida is the first team to win the N.C.A.A. football and men's basketball championships in the same academic year. The Gators defeated Ohio State to win the football title in January."

	Men's NCAA Tournament: Gators coach Billy Donovan pulls out all the stops to inspire his team "Belichick made an encore appearance two weeks ago after Florida won a third consecutive conference tournament. This time, he provided a video lesson. 'He showed us a horse race from 1973,' Noah said. 'This horse, at the beginning of the race, it's all close. Toward the end of the race, he wins by like a quarter of a mile. It was just like an unbelievable race, and (Belichick) was just saying, 'Never looking back.' And that's our motto – just never looking back, just looking forward and being the best that you can be.'"

	Pats Coach Lends Gators Super Lecture "Bill Belichick stood in front of the Florida basketball team just days before the start of the NCAA Tournament at the request of his friend, coach Billy Donovan, and spoke to the players not of hoops, but about something he knows a great deal about: winning. 'I told them I don't know anything about basketball,' Belichick recalled to me in an interview. 'I wouldn't know a low post from a pick and roll. What I talked to them about was winning big games.'"

	Team Motivation Comes With NFL Twist "Donovan, always looking for something to motivate his players, called Belichick and asked him if he would speak to his team. So as the Gators gathered in a room at the practice facility to watch tape, the man who has made hooded sweatshirts famous entered the room. His message was simple – congratulations on winning the SEC Tournament, guys, but it won't matter if you lay an egg in the NCAAs. 'You might be able to beat South Alabama nine times out of 10,' Belichick told the team, 'but if you let Thursday be that one time, you'll never forget it.'"



Urban Meyer Head Coach Football University of Florida 2006 BCS Champions	ESPN College GameDay Wendi Nix: "Florida head coach Urban Meyer runs one of the most innovative offensive systems in college football. A fact not lost on Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, who last spring traveled to Florida to workout a number of Gator players in advance of the NFL Draft." Meyer: "I think it shows what kind of guy he is, that he spent five hours working the guys out himself, interviewing them himself and asking the head coach and the position coaches about them. There's almost zero chance of error if you do it the right way, and that's why I really admire the way he does things."

	UF's Meyer A True Patriot "Like most coaches, Meyer says the Patriots embody the qualities he wants from his team. He credits Belichick and his staff for setting that standard. 'They're the only team in professional sports that doesn't deal with any [off-field] issues,' Meyer said this spring. 'They're into development up there. I'm not sure how many teams are like that.'"

	Utah's Devastating Offense Proliferates And Evolves "Belichick…flew to Florida and spent four hours discussing and dissecting the offense in the film room with [Gators head coach Urban] Meyer. He later dispatched his quarterbacks coach, Josh McDaniels, to Gainesville for two days to learn from Meyer and Dan Mullen, the Florida offensive coordinator, who was Meyer's quarterbacks coach at Bowling Green and Utah. 'Some of the concepts they have are good,' Belichick said in a recent interview. 'I think a couple of them complement something we do or could do.'"

	Urban Renewal "How hot is Meyer? Consider this: Before the NFL Draft in April, Patriots coach Bill Belichick traveled to Gainesville to talk offensive strategies with Meyer. Meyer was almost in awe of a coach who had won three Super Bowls in the last four years, wanting to pick his brain. They talked for five hours. But Belichick's message to Meyer was clear: Control your environment and things will work out if you get players who have as much character and discipline as they do talent."



Greg Schiano Head Coach Football Rutgers University 2006 Coach of the Year	Greg Schiano in the House Wednesday "Rutgers Head Coach Greg Schiano will be present for Wednesday's mini-camp practice. Schiano led the Scarlet Knights to an 11-2 record and 12th overall ranking last season. College coaches attending a Patriots practice is nothing new. In the past, Urban Meyer, Tom O'Brien, Al Groh, among others, have been seen roaming the Patriots sideline and addressing the team following practice. Could Schiano be the latest college coach to join the Bill Belichick pipeline? It's possible. The man who rebuilt the Rutgers program has said on more than one occasion that he respects Belichick and the way he runs his football team."



Pat Riley President Miami Heat 2006 NBA Champions	Basketball Notes: Bill Belichick on Pat Riley "Last week, we offered Miami Heat coach Pat Riley's version of his power lunch with Patriots coach Bill Belichick. Well, Belichick checked in and, basically, rhapsodized about Riley, whom he said he has followed for some time. 'I've read his books and have a lot of respect for him,' Belichick said. 'It's always good to sit down and talk with someone like that and get the perspective of another coach. Obviously, we are in different sports, but you can still learn an awful lot in terms of how you deal with the locker room, with players, with certain situations. It's good to get a different point of view.'"

	Leaders Hold Summit Meeting "There must have been a few heads turned last Wednesday during lunchtime at the Ritz on the Common. In what qualifies as a power lunch under any circumstances, Heat coach Pat Riley and Patriots coach Bill Belichick broke bread and chatted about life on the sidelines. 'He's a good man,' said Riley. 'I believe in his philosophy, about not letting certain things beat you. He's got it all together.'"



Bill Cowher Head Coach Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl XL Champions	Cowher Prepares For Challenge To Keep Steelers On Super Level "'When they've won, they've done it with humility and they've done it with class,' Cowher said of Belichick's Patriots, who won two AFC championship games in Heinz Field. 'I think that's why they've been able to play at a very consistent level – they've kept a very simple approach to the game. They've never taken themselves very seriously. They realize it's done through a lot of hard work and a lot of good fortune. I learned a lot just watching them handle that and hopefully we can emulate what they've done. Three in four years is not easy. We've done it once; nobody can take that away from you, but now the challenge is to be able to maintain that same level.'"

BBuddies

Tony La Russa

Terry Francona

Dave Pietramala

Billy Donovan

Urban Meyer

Greg Schiano

Pat Riley

Bill Cowher