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2009 stories
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Belichick is the NFL's 'Zen Master'
16-Jun-2009, Put Up Your Dukes
Jamie Dukes: "Few can argue that Phil Jackson might be the best coach in the history of professional sports. Ten NBA world championships in the modern era speak for themselves. But upon closer examination, I find similarities between Jackson and New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick. [He goes on to list them.] … So I ask you, is Belichick the NFL's Zen Master or are you still holding onto the joke [emphasis mine] that was Spygate?"
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Patriots Hope To Stake Claim As NFL's All-Time Best
11-Jun-2009, Dallas Morning News
"New England joined the 1972 Miami Dolphins as the only teams in NFL history to play a perfect regular season, posting a 16-0 mark in 2007. The Patriots also matched the feat of the 1990s Cowboys by winning three Super Bowls in a span of four years (2001-04). Another Super Bowl in 2009 would allow the Patriots to match the 1970s Steelers and 1980s 49ers with four Lombardi Trophies in a decade. A 12-victory regular season would give New England 114 wins in the decade, breaking the NFL mark of 113 set by the San Francisco 49ers in the 1990s. The Patriots have qualified for the playoffs six times this decade, well short of the record nine postseason appearances by the Cowboys in the 1970s. But New England has posted the best record in its division for eight consecutive years."
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Bill Belichick on the death of Pio Sagapolutele
09-Jun-2009, New England Patriots
"I am very sad to hear the news about Pio. When we drafted him as part of our first draft class in Cleveland, we saw a tough, hard-working, dependable player and that is exactly what Pio brought to his teams on a daily and yearly basis. He was a quiet leader and a significant contributor to the record-setting '94 Browns defense in 1994 and then again with the Patriots '96 AFC Championship season. My prayers are with Yvonne and the entire Sagapolutele family."
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Jimmy Johnson Living In Luxury With Football A Distant Memory
07-Jun-2009, Miami Herald
"Even winners such as Bill Belichick and Andy Reid will call Johnson in the middle of the night, on the way home from another tedious practice and another 17-hour day, and promise Johnson that one day they too will walk into the sunshine the way Johnson did. But they never do…" … "His name and attitude are on a restaurant down the street, here in this land of commerce dotted with bait and bars and boats. Jimmy Johnson's Big Chill, it is called. Belichick, who loves staying in the guest house, away from all the pain and headaches, couldn't make the grand opening a few weeks ago. Too busy with work. So he sent two cases of Dom Perignon instead." … "[S]tudents internalize expectations. Poor expectations, poor student. Positive labels are more likely to equal success…in material measurements, at least. 'Praise is the trap,' Johnson says. 'The way people tell Belichick he's a genius and the best ever, the more he wants to become it.'"
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Manning or Brady? Which QB is better set up for success in 2009
28-May-2009, SI.com
"Ask yourself how far the Colts would have advanced last year if Manning had gone down in the opening quarter of the season. That gives you get a pretty good estimation of how much deeper the Patriots' talent pool goes. And don't forget, the Patriots and Matt Cassel almost beat the Colts in Indy without Brady in Week 9. Without Brady, New England didn't collapse, far from it. It proved once and for all that Bill Belichick's team is built on more than just the remarkable winning talents of No. 12, and that even the most 'irreplaceable' of all their roster's interchangeable parts can be lived without – at least for a time. And while I don't see either team falling off the radar screen in the AFC playoff chase this season, it's the Patriots, with a Brady who in all likelihood will return to his Pro Bowl-level play, who look the most improved."
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Rufus Dawes on the notion that Bill Belichick dislikes the media
28-May-2009, KCChiefs.com
"I have searched far and wide to find any outlandish comments Belichick may have made about the scribes and broadcasters but I couldn't find much in the way of evidence that the coach feels one way or the other about his media followers, and he's sure to have a number of them given his teams' records over the years. … Given that lack of response, it might be more accurate to say that Belichick has no interest in the media in general and, if that is true, ignores them to the extent he can which no doubt angers people who are supposed to cover him and the team. In the face of all these championships, the coverage increases and if he is unwilling to show much in the way of cooperation, beyond a token offering of what the NFL no doubt demands, then the media types aren't going to look on him favorably and one can understand their predicament. The upshot is we know very little about what Belichick thinks about the media or much else and are unlikely to know. But no matter what happens to Bill Belichick he will always be known first and foremost as the winner of multiple Super Bowls, a remarkable judge of talent and we can presume without much of a stretch, as one of the best coaches in league history, with or without media approbation."
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A Well-Crafted Relationship: Patriot owner reflects on time with Belichick
24-May-2009, Boston Globe
"Patriots owner Robert Kraft has used the word 'partnership' when describing the dynamic of his relationship with coach Bill Belichick. It's a partnership that enters its 10th season in 2009, which in NFL years is an eternity. … So what makes the Kraft/Belichick pairing endure? It was a question directed to Kraft during a break in last week's NFL spring meetings, and he responded by highlighting the following points: an appreciation for thoroughness, a like-minded understanding of economic value and long-term thinking, a similar management philosophy, growing trust, and the willingness to be flexible."
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Faceoff: Who Is Boston's Best Coach?
22-May-2009, NECN
"NECN's Chris Collins and Mike Giardi debate the topic on this faceoff. Mike Giardi says Red Sox skipper Terry Francona is the best, because of his two rings, and how he handles his players. Collins disagrees saying Patriots coach Bill Belichick is not only the best in town, but possibly the best football coach of all time." Chris Collins: "Bill Belichick may be the best X's and O's guy the game has ever seen. You go all the way back to his days in New York where those teams, those Giant football teams that won Super Bowls, especially that one that stopped that great K-Gun offense from Buffalo, that was Bill Belichick!"
full transcript + video link |
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2009 Coach Feature – Jim Schwartz
14-May-2009, NFL.com
Video containing rare footage of Bill Belichick's coaching staff in Cleveland, including the first time I've ever seen Belichick wearing a wristwatch. "I got my break in the NFL from Bill Belichick in Cleveland, and it was as low as you could get.' … Schwartz took a scouting job in the Browns' pro personnel department in 1993. His responsibilities, though, were not limited to watching film. 'That was tempered by being able to sit in on meetings with Bill Belichick and Nick Saban and Kirk Ferentz, and the list goes on and on.' Other notable names on that Browns staff included future NFL general managers Scott Pioli, George Kokinis, Phil Savage, Mike Tannenbaum and Ozzie Newsome, as well as future NFL head coach Eric Mangini. 'It was such a great atmosphere, not only to learn but just to maybe even compete – a little bit like going to a great college, you're competing against other good students. I tell people all the time, that Cleveland staff, it was like getting a Ph.D. in footballology. It was all about getting an education and getting that good base, payoff 15, 20 years from now. And it did.'"
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The 10 Best Offseasons In The NFL
07-May-2009, ESPN.com
"Bill Belichick was wrongfully criticized for supposedly not getting great value for quarterback Matt Cassel. The truth is, Belichick parlayed the franchise tag on Cassel into second-round safety Patrick Chung and 11 veterans. After ridding himself of Cassel's $14.6 million salary, Belichick used that room to add halfback Fred Taylor, tight end Chris Baker, wide receivers Greg Lewis and Joey Galloway, center Al Johnson, offensive lineman Damane Duckett, cornerbacks Shawn Springs and Leigh Bodden, linebackers Tully Banta-Cain and Vinny Ciurciu, and long-snapper Nathan Hodel. He threw in tight end Alex Smith and safety Brandon McGowan in the past week."
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Patriots Fit Best For Navy's NFL Prospects
07-May-2009, The Capital
"Agent Chad Wiestling spoke to several National Football League teams about his three clients from the Naval Academy. … After several rounds of discussion, it became clear to Wiestling that the New England Patriots were the best fit for all three Midshipmen, due solely to the presence of head coach Bill Belichick. 'Most NFL teams just don't understand how the Naval Academy works. I had general managers and coaches ask me questions which made that very clear,' said Wiestling, who works for Integrated Sports Management. 'Coach Belichick has a unique insight into the Naval Academy and what it's all about. He was willing to work with these players. He gave me his word that he would.'"
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Eddie White on Bill Belichick
06-May-2009, 1070 The Fan
"He does not do many radio interviews. Especially locally. So it was a pleasure and a surprise to have Peyton Manning on our show last week. … It's funny. We received some of the same feedback about Peyton that we heard after Bill Belichick (Colts nemesis and Pats head coach) came on our show in October. Colts fans called then and said that Belichick seemed 'nice.' He said things they never heard before. That they kinda went from 'hating him to just kinda not liking him.' Basically we humanized him. We made him real. (And he's NOT a bad guy. He's a great guy). We try to show different sides of folks on the show. I don't think you get that a lot of places."
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Laurence Maroney: I will prove my worth
06-May-2009, Boston Herald
"Maroney has heard that Pats coach Belichick continues to publicly say he has confidence in him. 'Even though you don't listen to the media, it still finds a way to get back to you,' Maroney said. 'You try your hardest not to listen to it, but when you have a coach on your side, and a coach you really want to play for, you're going to work hard to be that guy for him. Just to know he trusts you, and still has confidence in you, it makes you feel a lot better.'"
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Michael Lombardi: Bill Belichick Notes
03-May-2009, National Football Post
Bill Belichick and Jon Gruden were the featured speakers at this year's annual Florida Gators coaching clinic April 17-18. Michael Lombardi's "Sunday At The Post" column has a complete outline of Belichick's notes from the clinic: "Get people in your program that you can trust. … Have a strong core. … Coach the team every week. … There is no I in Team. … Always start with special teams. … Uses plays to show his players – your team, other teams. … Expect and Demand. … Emphasizing Fundamentals. … The Patriots do not beat themselves. … Your team has to be adaptable. … When putting in a play he asks these two questions…"
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From the Webmaster:
Saturday, May 2, 2009
There is a story on Pro Football Weekly's website that states the New England Patriots flew Percy Harvin in for a private workout "the day before the draft" and told him "to keep hush about the trip." That is a serious accusation and it simply isn't true. I know for a fact that Percy Harvin was not flown in by the team the day before the draft. They also claim that the relationship between Minnesota Vikings head coach Brad Childress and Bill Belichick "reportedly remains icy." Where has that been "reported"? It sounds more like an exaggeration or an assumption to me, as I've seen no evidence of it. This is Pro Football Weekly, a source of information I thought we could trust. Apparently we can't. |
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Patriots Gamble Wisely On Draft Picks
28-Apr-2009, Boston Herald
"[F]or roughly $4 million less than what the average first-round pick got a year ago, the Patriots got four second-round players. That is cost effectiveness and smart business. Who can know what Patrick Chung, Ron Brace, Darius Butler or Sebastian Vollmer will do? Same would have been true if Belichick grabbed a more expensive player in the first round, but what he accomplished was to quadruple his chance of success while reducing the amount of money at risk. The guy wasn't an economics major for nothing."
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Ellis Hobbs on Bill Belichick
28-Apr-2009, ESPN First Take
Ellis Hobbs, who is set to graduate on May 9th with a Fine Arts degree in animation from Iowa State University, has said his alternate vocation choice would be an animator for Disney. Dana Jacobson: "If Bill Belichick was a Disney character, which would he be?" Hobbs: [Laughter] "Bill gets a very hard time amongst the media, amongst you guys, and just around in the public. If anything, I would say he's like the Hunchback of Notre Dame without the face and the hunchback. He [has a] rough exterior, but has a kind heart and he means well. He just goes about it very differently." Jacobson: "I like that. Or maybe the Beast from Beauty and The Beast? Would that fit too." Hobbs: "Yeah, something like that. Everybody has him all wrong."
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Draft Grades
27-Apr-2009, Pro Football Weekly
New England Patriots: "Not seeing any value in the first round, Bill Belichick traded down multiple times, slipping out of the first round entirely. Receiving two additional 2010 second-round picks, from the Titans and Jaguars, is a big plus and could bring two future starters. Belichick was very savvy moving up and down the draft board, which he does as well as anyone in the NFL, executing a league-high seven trades over the weekend. He had also picked up a second-round pick for QB Matt Cassel. S Patrick Chung, DT Ron Brace and CB Darius Butler all have starter potential, as does Hawaii LS Jake Ingram. OT Sebastian Vollmer and WR Brandon Tate were reaches with pressing injury concerns, but both fit the Patriots' offense very well, and LB Tyrone McKenzie could become a solid pro. With one of the NFL's deepest rosters, Round Five on likely will not provide any value. The acquisition of future picks and the ability to wheel and deal make this draft a win for Belichick, player personnel director Nick Caserio and senior football advisor Floyd Reese. The Patriots also added WR Greg Lewis before the draft and dealt starting CB Ellis Hobbs to the Eagles. Grade: Outstanding."
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In Draft, It's Back To The Future For Patriots
24-Apr-2009, Boston Globe
"When it comes to the draft, coach Bill Belichick and the Patriots have been futures traders. Like Dillon, nose tackle Vince Wilfork, wide receiver Randy Moss, and linebacker Jerod Mayo, the reigning NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, were acquired from deals in which the Patriots flipped picks forward into future years. With a surplus of picks this season – the Patriots own 11, including three in the second round – it's a safe bet that Belichick, who touted his team's flexibility, could swap a selection or two for future picks in hopes of cashing them in at a later date. An analysis of information provided by the NFL on draft-day deals since 2000, Belichick's first year with the Patriots, shows that 41 trades have been made in which a team got a future pick in return. During that span, no team has done it more than the Patriots, who made 11."
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Best and Worst Draft Decision-Makers
22-Apr-2009, FOX Sports
By Pro Football Hall of Fame selector John Czarnecki "Top 5 Draft Minds: 1. Bill Belichick, Patriots head coach – Belichick is the Jimmy Johnson of his era. Like Johnson, who built the Dallas Super Bowl teams of the 1990s, Belichick loves the draft and knows personnel better than any NFL head coach. He is not afraid to trade down in order to acquire more picks, confident in his draft board. The big unknown this season is how much will he lean on Nick Caserio, the team's new personnel director, now with long-time friend and right-hand man Scott Pioli running Kansas City. Belichick loves to focus on instinctive football players. He took a chance on guys like Mike Vrabel and Tedy Bruschi … and don't forget that Tom Brady was a sixth-round pick. After losing Adam Vinatieri – the best clutch kicker ever – to free agency in 2006 to the Colts, Belichick drafted a very able replacement in Stephen Gostkowski during the middle rounds."
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Bill Belichick Pre-NFL Draft Press Conference
21-Apr-2009, Patriots.com
From the webmaster: Bill Belichick shattered more than a couple of popular myths about himself Tuesday, the first one being that he never says much during his annual pre-NFL draft press conference. He in fact spent a total of 37 minutes answering 27 different questions that covered a wide variety of topics, preceded by close to five minutes of extemporaneous introduction – lots of detail, lots of history, lots of discussion. For those of you who still think he doesn't say much, check out the length of this transcript! And while you're doing that, notice the injury update (on Tom Brady) he gave at the end. Thought he evaded injury information, didn't you? How about taking note of the nice, crisp, clean button-down dress shirt which is, in reality, nothing new for him. Open your eyes, people. There's more to this man than the ridiculous myths that continue to be perpetuated.
full transcript + video link |
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Top Drafters Have Staying Power
21-Apr-2009, ESPN.com
John Clayton examines the five-best draft evaluators "Of all the coaches in the league, Belichick has the best eye for talent. He knows how to get the most out of players, and he's able to find players who fit his system. Over the past couple of years, New England's drafts have been criticized because several picks either didn't make the team or didn't emerge as starters. That criticism is unfair. There aren't many openings on most Patriots teams. Belichick loads his roster with veteran role players, so there aren't going to be many spots available when training camp begins. His rosters are usually set, and if he does make changes, he's going to lean toward veteran role players. Belichick's strengths have been finding defensive and offensive linemen, and obviously, Tom Brady was the steal of the decade."
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Belichick Heads Into Draft Without Key Assistant
21-Apr-2009, Yahoo! Sports
Bill Belichick spoke one-on-one with Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports "'Last year, we lost Thomas Dimitroff in December prior to the draft and kept ourselves, so this is really nothing new,' Belichick said Monday. 'Really, all the people who are here have been here for awhile now and have a pretty good understanding of the system. The only person we have who is new is [veteran NFL personnel man] Floyd [Reese]. We're just trying to make sure we're all on the same page. It's all part of a normal offseason.' For Belichick, changes to the front office and staff are hardly new."
Cole also points out: "From 2001 to 2005, the Patriots selected [defensive lineman Richard] Seymour, tight end Daniel Graham, defensive lineman Ty Warren, nose tackle Vince Wilfork, tight end Ben Watson and guard Logan Mankins in the first round. Throw in the later-round picks such as Deion Branch, David Givens, Asante Samuel and Matt Cassel and you have one of the great draft runs in NFL history."
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Man With Plans: Belichick Set For Anything at Draft
20-Apr-2009, Boston Globe
Bill Belichick spoke one-on-one with the Globe's Chris Gasper "'We traded for Corey Dillon prior to the draft in '04. We traded for Randy Moss during the draft two years ago, so I wouldn't rule anything out, any players that we would or wouldn't be interested in,' said Belichick when asked if the draft was now the sole focus for adding players. 'I can't answer that question other than to say it's an ongoing process of roster building. It doesn't stop or start at any particular moment. It started at the end of the season, and it will continue to the final game of the '09 season, whenever that is.'"
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Ravens Form NFL Draft Team That Has Game Plan
19-Apr-2009, New York Times
"One reason [Baltimore Ravens GM Ozzie] Newsome has such faith in his system is because he has trained almost everybody who works in it. In a program Newsome borrowed from Belichick, the Ravens rarely hire a scout from outside the organization. Rather, Newsome has his 20-20 club. He pays 20-somethings who hope to rise through the personnel department $20,000 a year. They work 20 hours a day filing tapes, picking up free agents at the airport and cleaning out the refrigerators of released players who have abandoned their apartments. In 1996, Coach Ted Marchibroda used to give DeCosta $100 and ask him to get an oil change for his car and keep the change. DeCosta dutifully scouted out the places that would do an oil change for $9."
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Hall at Patriot Place Has Something For Fans Of All Ages
14-Apr-2009, Providence Journal
"The woman walking out of the Hall at Patriot Place was wearing a Patriots sweatshirt and a smile as wide as the crossbar on a goal post. 'It's like Disney World for a football fan!' she said, beaming enthusiastically. The team's new hall of fame – it opened only last September – is, indeed, a magical kingdom for Patriots fans of all ages. … A particularly interesting exhibit is one featuring Bill Belichick, who explains, with the help of video, plays that fans can select from a Patriots playbook. 'I can't tell you how much effort and input Bill put into that,' [Hall director Bryan] Morry said. 'He really wanted it to work well. It's great for serious, X-and-O guys. But kids who play Madden video games love it, too.'"
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Patriots 2009 Schedule Announced
14-Apr-2009, Patriots.com
"The National Football League announced the 2009 regular season schedule tonight and the New England Patriots and their fans learned that the team will be featured in at least five nationally televised games in 2009, including the preseason, and three of CBS's marquee matchups airing at 4:15 p.m. ET. The Patriots' 2009 opponents had an aggregate record of 151-105 (.590) in 2008, which ranks as the third most difficult schedule in 2009 and the most difficult lineup the Patriots have had since Bill Belichick became head coach in 2000. Thirteen of the Patriots' 16 games this year will be against teams that finished 2008 with a winning percentage of .500 or better, including seven games against opponents who won at least 11 games last season. Of the eight opponents the Patriots will host at Gillette Stadium this year, five of them qualified for the playoffs in 2008."
full story | full schedule |
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Draft Will Make a Strong Contender Stronger
13-Apr-2009, Boston Globe
"It has become an annual trip for the head coach of the New England Patriots, heading to the Florida Keys to visit his pal Jimmy Johnson. One of them casts a line in hopes of his next great catch. The other is fishing for something else – football insight. Any guesses as to which category Bill Belichick falls into? Johnson laughs when he tells the story of how these visits started. It was 2003, the Patriots had traded safety Tebucky Jones to the New Orleans Saints for two draft choices, and Belichick was uneasy about owning a whopping total of 13 picks in that draft. So Belichick called Johnson, who seemed to have a knack for accumulating picks and making the right selections in his head coaching stints with the Dallas Cowboys and Miami Dolphins."
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Q&A With 49ers QB Damon Huard
09-Apr-2009, San Francisco 49ers
Q: "When you played with the New England Patriots (2001-2003), coach Belichick credited you with helping the team get past the Indianapolis Colts in the playoffs in 2001 because of your Peyton Manning impersonation during the week of practice leading up to that game, what did that praise from him mean to you?" Huard: "Bill was always great at making everybody feel involved and he understood the importance and the role of the team. That was kind of my role that year as the backup quarterback. It was to run the scout team and do different things like that. I enjoyed doing whatever I could to help win football games and those were some special seasons winning a couple of Super Bowls. That was cool how he pointed me out in front of the team, even though I didn't play in the game."
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NFL Total Access: Coach McGinest
09-Apr-2009, NFL Network
Mike Mayock: "Willie, when I heard you were coming in today I decided to place a phone call to our former coach, Bill Belichick. I got a hold of him today and I said, 'What can you tell me about McGinest, because I need to talk to him today.' And he said, 'You know what, he was the hardest guy I ever had to scout coming out of college, because when he was at USC and they had John Robinson, every week he played a different position. One game he'd be a defensive end, then he'd be a middle linebacker.' Do you remember playing all those roles?"
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Belichick's Moves Revive New England
07-Apr-2009, Dallas Morning News
"The return of Tom Brady automatically makes the New England Patriots a Super Bowl contender in 2009. But it's the off-season machinations of Bill Belichick that again make the Patriots the favorite. If quarterback alone could deliver a championship, the Miami Dolphins would have six Lombardi Trophies to show for the Dan Marino era. Instead, they have none. That's what makes Belichick the best in the business right now. Tom Brady takes up only one roster spot. It's what Belichick has done with those other 52 roster spots that have forged the Patriots into the NFL's team of the decade."
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James Sanders Glad To Be Back
31-Mar-2009, Boston Herald
"In the back of his mind, the safety always figured Belichick appreciated him as a player. He just never quite heard the coach express it the way he did when the two met and chatted several times before Sanders re-upped with the Pats for three years. 'I told him things I had never told him before, and he told me things he's never told me before,' Sanders said following a workout at Gillette Stadium last week. 'For me, it just solidified our relationship. It made me feel like … I was already comfortable being here, being in the system, being on the team a couple years, but to know that he really wanted me here, and that he really trusts me, and he loves having me on the team, it meant a lot more.'"
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Tony La Russa, Bill Belichick Kindred Spirits
28-Mar-2009, Boston Herald
"'A lot of what we talk about is how to keep guys focused and Bill [Belichick is] a master. He keeps that club hungry year in and year out.' When La Russa speaks, he sounds genuinely awed. 'I'm just blown away that I can call him or that he calls me to ask my opinion on things,' La Russa said. 'This is a real man of status. If he says you're OK, you think, 'Damn, maybe I'm OK.'' Like many close to Belichick, La Russa wishes public perception of the coach more accurately depicted the reality he sees personally. 'I've gotten to know quite a few football guys – (Bill) Parcells, Ron Wolf – and everyone you talk to says Bill is a person of the highest esteem,' La Russa said. 'In getting to know him, here's what I've learned about Bill: He loves to coach football. I don't think the media and some fans always understand that. He doesn't want anything getting in the way of his team being as good as it can.' … 'The essence is he's a coach. If he gives in to that other stuff, then he becomes a media guy, he becomes the focus of the team, and he doesn't want that. He'd be the first to say it's the players, players, players.'"
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Belichick Wheeling And Dealing To Improve Pats
25-Mar-2009, FOX Sports
"Belichick said he wanted to jettison Cassel and Vrabel at the start of the free-agent signing period because their salaries were weighing heavily against the salary cap, greatly limiting New England's personnel options. Negotiations with Kansas City were far along by the time Tampa Bay and Denver became involved. 'It was not just about getting new players but players we wanted to re-sign,' Belichick said. 'We could have gambled and maybe gotten a little more [in trade value] by waiting, but we also would have lost time. This was a good trade for us.' The Patriots wasted little time using their newfound cap space to try and better Belichick's first non-playoff squad since 2002. New England has signed seven free agents, re-signed six veterans and acquired wide receiver Greg Lewis in a trade with Philadelphia."
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Wright Can't Go Wrong Here
22-Mar-2009, Boston Globe
"It was neat to experience [free agency] and know what my value was, but at the same time I knew I was still wanted here. That felt better than everything. It was awesome. … [W]hen it comes down to it, everybody is trying to do what the Patriots are doing. I don't blame them, and to know I had an opportunity to go back to that, I'd be a fool to leave this place. To have Bill Belichick and Pepper Johnson and Dean Pees guiding me, I felt it was best for me and my career to stay here. … My decision was based off the interest of Coach Belichick and his staff. I felt I was wanted."
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Replicating NE's System Tough for ex-Patriots
19-Mar-2009, NBC Sports
Former personnel pay high price in importing Pats' principles to new teams "[W]hether it's the tone they try to establish, the talent of the teams they take over or simple bad luck, none have succeeded at the level expected when they left Foxboro, Mass. … This is a phenomenon that doesn't stop with former Patriots assistants. Almost none of the players New England has jettisoned since the Belichick regime started in 2000 have had a greater impact elsewhere. … 'Bill Belichick is the only constant,' says our NFL source. 'He brings a style of leadership and everyone falls in line. But it's also tied to the success he's had. When you take a coach out of that system and they don't have the same players in their new job, it's a lot different.'"
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Belichick Piecing Together Title Team
18-Mar-2009, FOX Sports
"It's Bill Belichick's world. Tom Brady is on target for a full, healthy season. The New England Patriots have had the best free agency period of any team. Bill Belichick is the best coach in football. It adds up to the Pats clearly being the team to beat in the NFL this year. And we haven't even hit April. … [I]n classic Bill Belichick fashion, the Pats cleared cap space in the Matt Cassel and Mike Vrabel trades. And they got their fourth Day 1 draft pick in the process by obtaining Kansas City's second-rounder. It gives Belichick options. … And Randy Moss and Wes Welker still collect paychecks. Oh – did I mention the Pats still have the best defensive line in football and linebacker Jerod Mayo is a star after just one season? Scary, isn't it."
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The Draw Of Playing In New England
17-Mar-2009, National Football Post
"What is the attraction with Foxborough, Mass.? And why does it seem that every offseason, high-profile free agents are drawn to play for Bill Belichick and the Patriots? Today, we try to answer these questions and show that the Patriots are indeed the ultimate destination for NFL players who want to win championships. … Before you start to call me a Belichick supporter, or someone who's trying to put down the rest of the AFC East, look at the facts because that's all I'm doing. I've been in locker rooms, and in film rooms across the league, and I can tell you that every player wants to run out of the tunnel in the Super Bowl. We have to realize that veteran players look to one place for that to happen when they're picking teams, and that place is settled between Boston and Providence. Players are drawn to New England because of the coach, the wins, the 'team' idea that seems to exist there compared to every other dysfunctional NFL franchise."
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Mike & Mike In The Morning
16-Mar-2009, ESPN Radio
Greenie & Golic gave a rundown of the Hannah & Friends benefit last Thursday night in New York City. They told the story of exactly how Jon Bon Jovi got Bill Belichick and Charlie Weis to sing with him, and what happened when Greenie saw Belichick earlier that day in the hotel gym then met later that night for the first time. Mike Greenberg on meeting Bill Belichick: "Could not have been friendlier, could not have been nicer. I introduced him to my wife, he could not have been nicer to Stace… It was a learning experience for me. You know, you see people and you build people up in your own mind… But I must say, I liked him. He could not have been more pleasant, friendly, nice. … All in all, it was a very pleasant experience."
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Belichick's Genius
10-Mar-2009, NFL Total Access
Mike Mayock: "Let's start with the 'genius' word, OK? Because having worked in the business world and the football world, this guy [Belichick] as a CEO in any business would be unbelievable. He's that intelligent. That's number one. Number two: Rich [Eisen], you mentioned the attention to detail. I think they're the most prepared team on a weekly basis in that league. And lastly, and it almost sounds counterintuitive, even though he is so detail oriented, he also thinks outside the box. This is a conservative guy by nature. A couple years ago he wants to run the football on offense, but what did he do? He blew up his entire offense, he went and got [Randy Moss], he went and got the slot receiver [Wes] Welker, and he changed everything he did. … He blew up everything he did offensively. He said I'm going to hand the football to maybe the greatest quarterback of all time and let him make decisions at the line of scrimmage and we're going to throw it all over the lot."
full transcript + video link |
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Leyland Reflects On Dinner With Belichick, La Russa
10-Mar-2009, Detroit Free Press
"Old friends Jim Leyland and Tony La Russa are in opposing dugouts this afternoon, as the Tigers and St. Louis Cardinals play at Roger Dean Stadium. … La Russa and Leyland met for dinner Monday night. Their group also included New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick. 'A big thrill for me,' Leyland said. 'I really enjoyed that. I had a nice, long talk with him. We compared notes about what we do, how we do it, how many meetings we have. He's a brilliant guy, so down-to-earth. He seems to have that star – like (Tom) Brady – but he seems to have some dirtballs that really play the game right. They're winners, you know? He seems to know how to get those guys. I thought that was very interesting.'"
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2009 United Way/NFL Players Weekend
07-Mar-2009, Record-Journal
"Fifteen pro players from 10 NFL teams kicked off a weekend of fun and fundraising for the United Way that is expected to be the organization's largest money maker of the year. Several of the players have ties to the United Way, including Vince Redd, a linebacker for the New England Patriots. Redd, who is from Tennessee, said he grew up attending a Boys & Girls Club. 'It helped me a whole lot. It keeps kids out of trouble,' he said. … The event held at Zandri's Stillwood Inn in Wallingford offered live and silent auction items at pre-recession prices. Attendees didn't seem to mind the high minimum bids because it's all for a worthy cause. One of the most expensive of the live auction items came from Patriots' coach Bill Belichick, who donated a signed Patriots helmet and a Belichick hoodie sweatshirt. The starting bid was $500."
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Ray's Rapid Ramblings
06-Mar-2009, National Football Post
"I believe there are vast, far-flung conspiracies that threaten the integrity of the NFL. But the Matt Cassel trade isn't one of them. Bill Belichick is a middle-aged Little Ivy alum who enjoys gray clothes and lacrosse. In this respect, he's pretty much like every teacher I ever had at prep school. The only difference, really, is that the Internet message boards do not accuse my prep school teachers of spending every waking moment trying to undermine the integrity of professional football. Belichick ignores the press, treats tenured veterans as dispensable and doesn't write books that give all the credit to Jesus. He's like a character in a Hopper painting, or Robert De Niro's bank robber character in 'Heat.' A needle going back to zero, a double blank. This is of no help at all when it comes to our national obsession with finding out what people are Really Like. And that's the whole point – like the best horror filmmakers, Belichick is keenly aware of just how unnerving the unknown can be."
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Heath Evans Discusses Decision To Leave
06-Mar-2009, The Point After
"The decision to leave the Patriots was a tough one for fullback Heath Evans, who reflected on the events leading up to his move to New Orleans, as well as his time in New England during a phone conversation this morning. … 'I found a home [with the Patriots] for four years, and a coach that pulled me off the street when no one else wanted me, and made me a household name in certain areas of the country. To that, I'm forever indebted to Bill Belichick, and Scott Pioli and (running backs coach) Ivan Fears. It was really a dream come true, playing for the class of the league, learning how to win at a different level, learning how to practice, and to learn how to run a business through Mr. and Mrs. Kraft. There's so many different angles. I've learned so much, and it wasn't all about football.'"
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Clearing The Air
05-Mar-2009, Reiss's Pieces
"ESPN's Chris Mortensen … speculated that the Patriots leaked information to The Boston Globe about the Broncos' interest in Matt Cassel (which was far off the mark) to mess with McDaniels. Mortensen has since publicly reprimanded himself, editing an ESPN.com piece originally published Feb. 26. 'I speculated about the Cassel deal, including the source of the leaks. I framed it as speculation without real foundation, but it seemingly has mushroomed into fact when it is not,' he wrote. '…Bottom line, it isn't fair to Belichick or McDaniels to speculate how something confidential became public. I could have speculated more logically, if you really think about it.'"
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Patriots Today: Belichick speaks
04-Mar-2009, Patriots.com
"Following last weekend's blockbuster trade, Bill Belichick checks in with Patriots Today to give his thoughts on bidding adieu to Matt Cassel and Mike Vrabel, plus we examine the next phase of offseason team-building. We catch up with Heath Evans at his charity softball game in Florida and with Troy Brown at a local breakfast benefit. You'll hear what each of them have to say. And a look back to two years ago this week when Wes Welker was acquired, and plenty more as we enter the month of March."
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Ask Reiss: Separating Fact From Fiction on the Cassel Deal
03-Mar-2009, Boston Globe
On the story that Bill Belichick turned down a possible pick at No. 12 to take No. 34: "That trade was never on the table before the Patriots consummated the deal with the Chiefs, or until the deal with the Chiefs reached a point that there was no turning back. In this case, I think context is everything. It makes it sound like the Patriots turned down a better offer from the Broncos in an apples-to-apples type of situation. I believe that is far from the truth. It sounds to me like the Broncos, who had at least a full week to get something together if they wanted to get in on Cassel, tried to get on the plane while it was taxiing on the runway. Unfortunately for them, the jet-bridge was closed. I don't think there are any issues between Josh McDaniels and Bill Belichick."
On ESPN's insinuation that the Patriots … what? Come on. "I was pretty surprised to see that ESPN was speculating that the Patriots leaked the Broncos' supposed interest to the Boston Globe. That information printed by ESPN is not correct. Not even close. No one from ESPN contacted me before printing that, and I don't believe they contacted my colleague Christopher L. Gasper either. Christopher reported the information about the Broncos' interest on Sunday. In the Saturday night chat, I was simply referencing what had been out there Saturday – I believe from Adam Schefter of NFL Network. In terms of what ESPN was 'reporting', I spoke/e-mailed with the people involved with printing/posting of the insinuation that the Patriots leaked the information to the Globe – which couldn't have been further from the truth. I think there was a consensus that the guess about a leak was in poor taste. I'm not sure what good that does two days after the fact, but that was the story."
full mailbag |
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Machiavelli of Foxborough
03-Mar-2009, Boston Globe
"The conspiracy theories sparked by the Patriots' trade of quarterback Matt Cassel and linebacker Mike Vrabel to Kansas City for a high second-round draft choice are worthy of downtown Beirut. If the Securities and Exchange Commission had examined Bernard Madoff with a fraction of the skepticism being lavished on coach Bill Belichick's juggling of the Pats' roster, the con man's fleeced investors would still have title to their yachts and Palm Beach estates. But the intensely competitive Belichick did not attain his professional preeminence by peddling talented players at discount prices."
full editorial |
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On Cassel, Pats Weren't Waiting Around
01-Mar-2009, NBC Sports
"In February 2002, Steve Belichick stood in the lobby of a New Orleans hotel and said of his son, 'Bill is one of the most decisive people you could meet. When he makes his mind up on something, it is done. And he's not looking back and wondering if it was the right thing to do.' This helps explain why, just a dozen hours into the 2009 free agent period, a deal for Matt Cassel was already going down. Every team in the league knew Cassel, franchised but expendable because of Tom Brady, was there to be had. One team – the Kansas City Chiefs – made a play. And when no other team took a number and got in line behind the Chiefs, New England took their order. No waiting around. No hand-wringing and flipping a ball off the war room wall trying to decide what to do. Be decisive."
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Patriots Hire Receivers Coach, Director of Pro Personnel
25-Feb-2009, New England Patriots
"The New England Patriots have hired Chad O'Shea as receivers coach and Jason Licht as director of pro personnel. Chad O'Shea is entering his 14th coaching season and his seventh NFL season. He spent the last three seasons as offensive assistant/wide receivers for the Minnesota Vikings (2006-08)… Jason Licht (pronounced LIGHT) is entering his 14th NFL season and re-joins the Patriots personnel department after previously spending four seasons (1999-2002) with New England. Last season, Licht served as a personnel executive for the NFC Champion Arizona Cardinals after spending five seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles as vice president of player personnel (2006-07) and assistant director of player personnel (2003-05)."
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Clay Matthews Fits Mold: Elder Matthews thinks Belichick right for son
25-Feb-2009, Boston Herald
"Clay Matthews Sr. surely wouldn't mind if his kid got picked up by the man who coached him in Cleveland during the early '90s – Bill Belichick. The elder Matthews, also a linebacker and four-time Pro Bowler, spent two years under Belichick in Cleveland before finishing his career in Atlanta. … 'You could pretty much expect that what was stressed in Day One would be stressed in Day 100 and Day 200. They were time-proven things that worked and gave you an opportunity to win. And if I'm looking for a system for my son, and a coach, somebody who's going to put him in a position to be successful … I know with (Belichick) he's going to be put in a position where he can succeed.'"
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Patriots Now! Belichick Interview
23-Feb-2009, Patriots.com
"Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick spent a few minutes with Patriots Today's Brian Lowe at the Scouting Combine in Indianapolis to discuss his role at the annual pre-draft event. Catch the one-on-one interview right here on Patriots Now!"
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Life Lessons From The New England Patriots
23-Feb-2009, The Rush Limbaugh Show
"Now, I want to read some excerpts from this book. In the National Football League right now there are two teams that all the other teams want to be like. One team is the Pittsburgh Steelers; the other is the New England Patriots. … [T]hose two teams are the model franchises. … 'This is how a segment of the [P]atriots program works. It's driven by a concept that is rare not only in sports but in America society. The idea in a country full of social and entertainment options is that the obligations of the job and the devotion to and mastery of the job are an employee's top priority. The Patriots are attempting to stack their roster with productive players who either think that way now or are on the cusp of a conversion. They don't want to be paternalistic figures asking the players, 'Did you put in extra film time?' They want the players to do it without being asked."
full transcript + audio | Patriot Reign |
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Combine Winners, Losers
23-Feb-2009, Yahoo! Sports
"WINNERS … New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick: Anytime he talks, it's a winning situation. And Sunday was an all-time classic. In what could only be described as a ship roaming the open sea, Belichick opened his meeting with the media – the first time in my eight years at the combine I can recall him meeting with the media – with a 12-minute statement. It touched on seemingly all things … his coaching tree … the coaches whom he's surprised aren't in the league right now … the combine in general … even a story about the time he watched William 'Refrigerator' Perry do his vertical jump many, many years ago. And all of this came before a single member of the media could ask a question. Thank goodness someone finally did, or Belichick would probably be getting to his thoughts on the economic stimulus plan right about now."
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Bill Belichick at the Combine
22-Feb-2009, NFL.com
"Patriots coach Bill Belichick spoke Sunday in the media room and spent the first several minutes of his press conference sending well-wishes to many of his former associates now scattered throughout the league. Sustained excellence, like the Patriots have exhibited this decade, tends to garner attention, and New England has been hit hard in the past few years as other clubs have looked to pluck their assistant coaches and front-office members. Belichick made a point of lauding all of his past colleagues and showing his appreciation for their work in New England. Later, Belichick spoke about how strange it is to be at the combine with several familiar coaching competitors being out of the league."
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Bill Belichick Press Conference – NFL Scouting Combine
22-Feb-2009, Patriots.com
"It's kind of interesting to be here at this stadium. As the Combine has moved along, it's come a long way. I remember being at Arizona State. It was getting dark, standing out there, watching 'The Fridge' do his vertical jump. That was quite a sight to see. Of course, coming to The Dome, and now coming in here, it's amazing how the Combine has grown at every turn, the media, the agents, the players, and the preparation for it. And all these guys who spend months preparing for it. So it's become quite an event. But it's fun to be a part of it. It's good to see the college players."
full video + transcript |
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Patriots Name Tight Ends Coach, Dir. of College Scouting, National Scout
12-Feb-2009, New England Patriots
"The New England Patriots have named Shane Waldron as tight ends coach, Jon Robinson as director of college scouting and Monti Ossenfort as a national scout. Shane Waldron will enter his second season as a member of the Patriots coaching staff and his fifth season with the organization in 2009. … Jon Robinson will enter his eighth season in the Patriots' personnel department and served as the assistant director of college scouting in 2008. … Monti Ossenfort will enter his eighth season in the NFL and his fifth year with the Patriots, joining Bob Quinn as a Patriots national scout."
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Eight Successful People Grateful They Got Canned
12-Feb-2009, CNN.com
After five years in Cleveland, Belichick had a 36-44 record. Owner Art Modell decided he'd seen enough and kicked his coach to the curb, then moved the franchise to Baltimore. Belichick latched on with Bill Parcells again and became the Big Tuna's assistant head coach in New England and then for the New York Jets. He was better prepared for his next shot at a head coaching gig, which came with the Patriots in 2000. Since then he's rung up a 102-42 record with an otherworldly 14-3 playoff record. Not bad for a guy even the Cleveland Browns didn't want."
full story | We Got Fired! |
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NFL's Oscar Season: Handing out awards for the year's best
11-Feb-2009, USA Today
"Like the 2008 movie calendar, another NFL season is in the books. With the Feb. 22 Oscars drawing near, USA TODAY nominates some of the most deserving winners from the 2008 football season. … BEST SUPPORTING PLAYER – Matt Cassel: Tom Brady's understudy was a quick study. Lady Luck hurt the 11-win New England Patriots far more than Cassel did. … BEST DIRECTOR – Bill Belichick: Brady didn't last a quarter and the defense was banged up, but the team deserved a playoff berth."
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Post-Pro Bowl Thoughts & Observations
09-Feb-2009, Daily News
On this reporter's only Pro Bowl appearance, following the 1998 season: "After the first AFC practice, I walked up to Bill Belichick, the Jets' 'head coach' for the week and the designated heir apparent to [Bill] Parcells. Because of the Parcells gag order on assistants, Belichick hadn't given an interview in several months. This was my big chance. Needless to say, it was deflating when Belichick informed me that he couldn't talk about anything other than the Pro Bowl game. 'But, Bill, I just traveled 6,000 miles,' I pleaded. Belichick paused for a moment and told me to meet him in 15 minutes outside the locker room. I did, and he sat down for a terrific interview."
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Coached Every Step Of The Way
08-Feb-2009, Boston Globe
"So what did [Josh] McDaniels learn most from Belichick? 'It's hard to really narrow it down to one, because this guy has meant so much to me, not only professionally but personally,' he said. 'I know people won't really understand that, and it's hard to explain that to some people outside of that building. But he's really mentored me, taught me how to be a good coach, taught me how to identify a way to win each week, taught me how to evaluate players, taught me how to be a part of the draft. He was a mentor in other ways, a very big influence in my life, from off-the-field things, decisions you had to make, those kinds of things. There was nothing that he turned me away for. He would always be there to give me his advice. To me, that's the greatest thing I got from him – he was willing to help me in any way to become a good coach and a good person.'"
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'All Access' Stripped
06-Feb-2009, Boston Globe
"On Channel 5, [Mike] Lynch became a fixture as host of 'Patriots All Access.' He developed an on-air rapport with former coaches Pete Carroll and Bill Parcells and current coach Bill Belichick, with whom Lynch seemed to cement a particular bond: They both have fathers who were coaches. The cultivation of that relationship led to the development of 'The Belestrator,' in which Belichick used a telestrator to break down opponents. 'Belichick was great with the Belestrator,' Lynch said. 'He had a theme every week. An opponent could have a great punt return team and he'd show you why, or a great group of linebackers, and he'd break them down. It appealed to a wide range of football fans. Many times he'd mention to me, 'Do you think that's something the viewers wanted to hear?' He cared about it,' Lynch said. 'I never got the feeling that it was drudgery for him. He looked forward to it.'"
full story | Patriots All Access |
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Patriots Designate Cassel As Franchise Player
05-Feb-2009, New England Patriots
"The New England Patriots announced today that they have utilized their 2009 franchise designation on quarterback Matt Cassel. He becomes the first offensive player and just the fourth Patriot to be franchised by the team, joining Adam Vinatieri (2002 and 2005), Tebucky Jones (2003) and Asante Samuel (2007). 'Matt has been a pleasure to coach his entire career and last season in particular, when his years of hard work and commitment resulted in a most impressive performance,' said Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick. 'We look forward to working with Matt again in 2009.'"
–New England Patriots |
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Patriots Hire Special Teams Coach, Name QBs Coach, Defensive Backs Coach
03-Feb-2009, New England Patriots
"The New England Patriots have announced new appointments on their coaching staff. Scott O'Brien has been hired as special teams coach, Bill O'Brien has been named quarterbacks coach and Josh Boyer has been named defensive backs coach. Scott O'Brien will enter his 19th NFL season in 2009, and spent the last two seasons as the Denver Broncos' special teams coordinator. He served as the special teams coach on Head Coach Bill Belichick's staff with the Cleveland Browns from 1991-95. … Bill O'Brien, who served as New England's wide receivers coach last season, will enter his third season with the Patriots in 2009. … Josh Boyer will enter his fourth season with the Patriots in 2009. Boyer spent the last three seasons (2006-08) as a defensive coaching assistant for New England."
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Belichick's Breakdown
01-Feb-2009, Reiss's Pieces
"Patriots coach Bill Belichick's pregame segment on NBC included some of the following thoughts on Super Bowl XLIII: Steelers' zone blitz – limited time to react. Belichick showed film of the Steelers' defense outnumbering the offense 7 to 6 at the line of scrimmage, and the Steelers sending their extra player on a blitz. 'Everybody has to be picked up, and then you have to stand up to him and block him,' Belichick said on NBC. 'If there is a free guy, the quarterback has to get rid of the ball. That's the passing game – you don't have all day back there.' At one point, Belichick showed film of Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell being sacked as the outside linebackers closed on him from both sides. "A Campbell sandwich,' Belichick said."
Reiss's Pieces |
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NFL Head Coaches Have Decisions To Make On Play-Calling Duties
01-Feb-2009, Chicago Tribune
"It makes sense for the head coach to be involved with play calling at some level. … Belichick says there are different ways to do it, but coaches should look at what's best for their particular team. 'I feel with my experience as a coach – I've coached special teams for eight years, defense and offense, I can go in an area and not feel lost,' he said. 'So if there is something that needs to be said, I can do that. Or I can tell a coach to say it or we can have a meeting and say it. I don't feel out of my element.' The danger in having the head coach call plays is he runs the risk of becoming so engrossed in play-calling duties that he misses something in another element of the game. 'It's fair to say you might lose a little track of something if you are calling plays,' Belichick said. 'I don't necessarily think you lose track of game management, but it's possible.'"
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Belichick Behind The Scenes
30-Jan-2009, Patriots Today
"As Bill Belichick hits the 9-year anniversary of his hire as Patriots head coach, he preps for a stint on NBC's pregame coverage of Sunday's Super Bowl. We've got a behind-the-scenes look at Belichick's appearance and we go inside the vault to hear what he said upon taking over the Pats in 2000. Cris Collinsworth stops by for a chat about the Super Bowl and about how the Patriots will rebound from losses in the coaching and personnel departments. And we analyze the Pats' secondary heading into the offseason. All that, plus a special brotherly surprise involving running back Sammy Morris. It's a can't-miss feature on a jam-packed edition of Patriots Today."
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Patriots Hire Floyd Reese as Senior Football Advisor
27-Jan-2009, New England Patriots
"The New England Patriots have hired Floyd Reese as senior football advisor. Reese, whose 30-plus years of NFL experience have included a wide range of responsibilities in football operations, will be involved with various football-related assignments, including contracts. Nick Caserio, as director of player personnel, will manage the daily operations of the personnel department, continuing to work closely with Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick on all personnel matters. … 'Floyd and I go back a long way, practically to the beginning for both of us,' said Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick. 'He has handled as much as one person can possibly handle in this league and to a certain extent, so has Nick. In Nick and Floyd, we have two outstanding men who each bring a wealth of knowledge and flexibility to this organization. I look forward to joining with both of them and working toward the common goal of our team's improvement and success.'"
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Tickets To Next Season's Patriots-Bucs Game In London Go Fast
27-Jan-2009, Patriots.com
"The first 70,000 tickets for the NFL game between the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Wembley Stadium this October 25 have been sold – including 20,000 tickets in the first seven minutes of sales – the NFL announced today. After selling out the initial allocation of 70,000 seats, a limited number of additional tickets have been made available to the general public at www.ticketmaster.co.uk through this Sunday's Super Bowl."
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Patriots Prepare For 50th Anniversary
23-Jan-2009, New England Patriots
"The New England Patriots will be celebrating their 50th season in 2009 and are already preparing for another exciting year. Today, the team unveiled an anniversary logo that will be used throughout the year to brand all of the team's anniversary activities, publications and press announcements in 2009. The anniversary logo will be utilized throughout the year on the Patriots' many media platforms and will commemorate each of the season tickets issued in 2009."
full story | full logo |
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Belichick's Insight Into Super Bowl Foes
22-Jan-2009, FOX Sports
"Pittsburgh was the last team to defeat New England, posting a 33-10 road victory in late November. The Patriots won their final four games and could very well have kept rolling in the postseason. New England instead finished as the first 11-5 squad to miss the playoffs since 1985. … 'We turned the ball over six times,' Belichick said. 'It was 10-10 at the half and we missed a (27-yard) field goal. It's about as competitive a game as you would want but we turned the ball over five times in the second half. You're never going to win like that.' Belichick believes that same principal holds true when analyzing the Super Bowl XLIII matchup between Pittsburgh and Arizona."
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Annual All-Joe Team: Honoring those who won little acclaim
21-Jan-2009, USA Today
"The NFL's stars wouldn't succeed without the adjacent All-Joes. They would never make the Pro Bowl minus those who perform the grittier tasks. That's one reason the All-Joe team doesn't allow Pro Bowl picks on its roster and it lends bitter truth to its motto: If you work hard, good things will happen – to someone else. The All-Joe team, however, has become a springboard to the Pro Bowl. … AFC All-Joe Team: Offense –
Coach: Bill Belichick, N.E. – Might have been his finest coaching job, with no playoff berth to show for it."
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Four Reasons Why The Pats Demise Has Been Greatly Exaggerated
20-Jan-2009, SI.com
"1) We've seen this movie before. Nobody – and we mean nobody – adapts to defections and departures like New England. The whole next-man-up thing isn't just a pithy slogan, it's a organizational-wide mindset. … 2) With apologies to Tennessee, Baltimore, Pittsburgh and San Diego, the AFC has no obvious ascending superpower at the moment. And don't forget that the conference's coaching ranks just lost Tony Dungy in Indianapolis and Mike Shanahan in Denver, the two guys who, this decade, have given Belichick and his Patriots the most trouble. … 3) The Patriots still have the game's best player in Tom Brady. … 4) The Patriots still have Belichick. That means they still have at their disposal the league's best all-in-one package of coaching skill and personnel evaluation."
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Peter King: Monday Morning QB
19-Jan-2009, SI.com
"The power tree in the NFL is the Belichick Tree, and no other coach has branches nearly as strong or expansive. But this isn't just a coaching tree, it's an overall football tree. … Just look at the seeds Belichick – along with former Browns general managers Ernie Accorsi and Mike Lombardi and college scouting director Dom Anile – planted in Cleveland in the first half of the '90s. 'The public doesn't realize what a great teacher Bill is,' said Lombardi. 'He'd rather bring in young people and train them in his way rather than bring in experienced guys who say, 'Well, this is always the way I've done it,' and wouldn't be as open to new ideas.' Belichick went only 37-45 in his five years as coach, but check out who was in the football-knowledge incubator during that time."
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Belichick's Coaching Tree Fruitful
18-Jan-2009, Denver Post
"Josh McDaniels was hired to coach the Broncos primarily because for the past eight seasons, his boss was Bill Belichick. Scott Pioli was hired to run the Kansas City Chiefs' front office in no small part because for the past nine seasons, he took orders from Belichick. The Cleveland Browns gave Eric Mangini a second chance at becoming an NFL coach just a few days after his first try was deemed a failure. Second chances are given to those who once coached for Belichick. Jim Schwartz just got his first head coaching job, with Detroit. It couldn't have hurt that he broke in under Bill Belichick in the 1990s. … There is no going out on a limb when picking from the Belichick tree."
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The 'What If' Showdown: Are Ravens proof of old Browns' greatness in waiting?
18-Jan-2009, Plain Dealer
"The old Browns lost their last six meetings against the Steelers, including the first-ever postseason game between the two rivals following the 1994 season. Those were the Bill Belichick Browns, who somehow sowed the seeds of the now-famed Belichick Tree while [former Browns owner Art] Modell was secretly careening toward personal bankruptcy. It turned out that Belichick had a better team off the field than the one on it. At various levels in his organization Belichick was nurturing future head coaches Nick Saban (Alabama), Kirk Ferentz (Iowa), Al Groh (Virginia), Pat Hill (Fresno State) and Jim Schwartz (Detroit Lions); and future NFL executives Newsome (Baltimore), Scott Pioli (Kansas City), Phil Savage (formerly Browns GM) and Mike Tannenbaum (Jets)."
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Schwartz Quick To Align Self With Patriots Coach
16-Jan-2009, Detroit Free Press
"When you're the newest unknown asked to achieve the football impossible in Detroit, it certainly helps your argument if you continually repeat one name – Bill Belichick. Jim Schwartz reminded everyone at almost every turn Friday that he learned from the Hooded Master. He must have mentioned the New England Patriots' coach at least a dozen times during his introductory news conference and other media interviews at Ford Field. Belichick was one of the first people Schwartz thanked. 'I've been very fortunate … to have seen the way that a Bill Belichick has done things,' Schwartz said. Schwartz has an economics degree from Georgetown and he quickly reminded everyone that Belichick possesses an economics degree as well."
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Amid Turnover, Pats Should Not Worry
15-Jan-2009, ESPN The Magazine
"Belichick's system doesn't boast a fancy name – like the 'West Coast offense.' But it has four Super Bowl visits, three rings and a slew of records (single-season marks for touchdown passes and TD receptions). It works when quarterbacked by a sixth-round draft pick (Tom Brady) or a seventh-rounder in Matt Cassel who hadn't started since high school. It's a beautifully conceived structure, and ex-Pats who attempt to run it elsewhere haven't been able to duplicate its success for one reason: They can't copy how Belichick thinks."
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Exclusive: Bill Belichick on Broncos Head Coach Josh McDaniels
15-Jan-2009, DenverBroncos.com
"On if there was a moment he realized McDaniels would be a head coach... 'Whether an assistant coach becomes a head coach or not, that's a decision that's made by another organization and another owner or general manager, whoever is making the decision. So I don't really think too much about what everybody else is doing. But there were definitely a lot of times when I've been impressed with the way Josh has handled a game or handled a situation or called plays. That's from the fast starts we got off to against Denver or Arizona or Oakland, or the way that the team came back against the Jets and took them into overtime, scored on the next-to-last play of the game to tie it up – times like that. Josh has got a long resume of doing a great job. I think he's shown it many times – he's really showed it week after week.'"
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Vote For Belichick Was Cast By Bob Costas
06-Jan-2009, Boston Globe
"When the Associated Press announced its annual Coach of the Year award on Sunday, the breakdown of votes went like this: Mike Smith 23.5, Tony Sparano 22.5, Jeff Fisher 3 and Bill Belichick 1. From a New England perspective, that led to the following question: Which one of the 50 voters selected Belichick? Turns out it was Bob Costas. In a phone interview with the Globe, Costas was asked about the vote. … 'I didn't think he would win, but I thought he deserved a nod for what might have been the best, or certainly one of the best coaching jobs of his career,' Costas said. He loses [Tom] Brady, and it's not just losing Brady, but also that [Matt] Cassel basically never played. It's not the same thing as losing Johnny Unitas and you have Earl Morrall. He brought the kid along.'"
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