Stampede Blue: An SB Nation Community

Navigation: Jump to content areas:



Around SBN: Dolphins vs Patriots: The Biggest Game in Years for Miami Bar-right-arrows



Bill Belichick, gutless punk

Bill Belichick could care less about how he conducts himself
I'll start this by saying I have nothing but the utmost respect for the Patriots and how they win football games. Scott Pioli is a marvelous GM. Pioli, Bill Polian, and Rich McKay are the pinnacle of GMs in pro football. Nobody is better than those guys in the modern salary cap era. Pioli is able to find talented players that conduct themselves well on and off the field, guys like Tom Brady, Troy Brown, Mike Vrabel, Matt Light, Kevin Faulk, Laurence Maroney, the list goes on and on.

Sadly, the head coach of the Patriots, Bill Belichick, does not reflect the class and professionalism exhibited by his players. Belichick is a spineless, gutless turd, and he conducts himself in an unprofessional manner that often embarrasses himself and his team.

If any of you watched HBO's Inside the NFL last night, you saw Bob Costas rip Belichick a new one, questioning Bill's professionalism and conduct especially around members of the media. Costas trashed Belichick for his half-assed congratulations of Peyton Manning after the Colts won the AFC Championship Game. Costas later went on to cite Belichick insulting Solomon Wilcotts, and his surreal post-game press conference where the man looked as if he was going to break down and throw a hissy fit. There was also the incident where Belichick assaulted a cameraman after New England's victory over the Jets in the playoffs. Yes, that was assault, folks. When you take a man, grab him, and throw him out of the way, that's assault. Belichick does that on any street corner in America, the dude he shoves decks Bill and knocks him out cold. Belichick did it to a cameraman because he knew the cameraman wasn't going to retaliate. The cameraman didn't. He acted professional. Belichick didn't.

I know the excuse Patriots fans will make: he lost and he's upset. I'd be upset if I lost, and so would you. I like the fact that he was pissed. It shows fire! Take this excuse from a Belichick apologist over at AOL Fanhouse:

It's hard to blame Belichick, though. What's he supposed to do? Break into a rendition of Peyton Paradise?

No, I don't expect Belichick to start singing Manning's praises or name his next kid Peyton Elisa Belichick. I expect Belichick to act like the friggin' professional and not an 8-year-old who just lost a kick ball game on a playground. In pro football, there is always a certain degree of losing that comes with the territory. You are going to lose. You shouldn't like losing, but, at the same time, you should conduct yourself like a professional when you do lose. How many times have Dungy and Manning stood up before the press and handled dumb question after dumb question with class after a loss? After all those heartbreaking loses in Foxboro, Manning always made it a point to congratulate the other team. He always stood there and answered every question as best he could.

I find it amazing that the same people that tolerate Belichick's behavior are often the same people that berate guys like Shawn Merriman for his "Lights Out" dance, or Terrell Owens for his antics.

Bottom line here, Belichick's attitude and his antics have shown him to be nothing but a gutless punk. He's like a bully, and after he gets slapped in the face by one of the kids he's bullying, he runs away crying into the sleeve of his gray hoodie. I do not question his coaching or his ability to win games. I question his character. Most fans would say character means nothing. Only wins matter. Belichick can do what he wants because he wins.

Sorry. Not true.

Ohio State's Woody Hayes is not remembered as a winning head coach with a long tradition of football dominance at Ohio State. He's remembered for his antics at the Gator Bowl in 1978, when he struck a Clemson player after he intercepted an pass. The incident got Hayes fired. Belichick hasn't done anything like that, but he is getting close. When you don't conduct yourself with class, history has a way of remembering that more than any number of championships you won.

0 recs | Comment 7 comments

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

Display:

"woody hayes not remembeed as
a winning head coach". really? Have you followed college football at all the last half century. Hayes is canonized and immortalized in college football annals, adn he remains a veritable god at osu-from the dead schembechlers to the guy at osu games dressed like hays. His legacy continues to envelope osu and, to some extent, the rest of college football. The incident with charlie baumann, the clemson player he slugged, is rarely if ever brought up. In fact, I know a lot of college football fans who have heard of hayes the coaching legend, but had never heard about the ignominious end of his coaching carreer. It has, over time, become  a small footnote. Football fans just want to win. I know a lot of bears fans who, while not exactly thrilled about tank johnson's arrests, are glad he's playing because they just want to win. That's how we are as a society; if someone wins, we more readily forgive their transgressions and charcater flaws are simply seen as quaint endearing qualities. If someone doesnt win, they have a much smaller margin for error, in terms of how they are publicly percieved.  

by mento on Jan 25, 2007 1:33 PM EST   0 recs

I diagree.
When someone talks about a "Woody Hayes moment," they aren't talking about championship football.  They are talking about someone losing his temper and costing himself his career (as in, "will Bob Knight have a Woody Hayes moment someday?)."  It's not surprising that OSU fans focus on his positive accomplishments and don't bring up that painful episode, but I think that to the extent he is known by modern fans of other football programs, he is "the guy who punched the player," as surely as Bob Knight is "the guy who threw the chair."

by JohnM on Jan 26, 2007 11:10 AM EST to parent up   0 recs

Two things
*It is a bit hypocritical to say Belicheck is wrong for assaulting a cameraman when Polian alledgedly "assaulted" a member of the Jets organization. Although, I do think Belicheck's face belongs on a horses ass.

*Sites like Deadspin and AOL Fanhouse are always bashing Manning. They are not going to stop. Let them continue. One thing is certain, the teams they are rooting for are definately not in the SB.

by Playoff Pride on Jan 25, 2007 3:07 PM EST   0 recs

Two responses
  • Polian never assaulted anyone of the Jets. The Report from Jay Glazer at Fox Sports was completely false. Polian never attacked, pushed, or shoved any member of the Jets organization.
  • Of course they can bash Manning all they want. And I can bash them. I have no intention of stopping them from doing anything. However, if they are going to bash my guy for no good reason, I am going to bash them for the simple-minded morons they are.
Please make an account and post a diary, add some comments, and make some noise. Accounts are free, and only require an email address.

by BigBlueShoe on Jan 26, 2007 10:22 AM EST to parent up   0 recs

I have not seen the shine
come off a coach who didn't just switch teams, so fast as far back as I can remember.

by WCG on Jan 25, 2007 3:20 PM EST   0 recs

character starts with us
I agree with mento that as a society we forgive a lot of transgressions as long as the transgressor wins. But that is exactly the problem, and that is what needs to change. Character in a person, or in a society for that matter, doesn't just happen. It is learned behavior.

We're all human. We all have bad impulses sometimes when things don't go our way. It is how we handle and overcome the worst sides of ourselves that show our character. I hear so much complaining by sports fans about the selfish, immature, above-the-law breed of athlete that exists in sports today. And then these same fans turn around and celebrate and lionize these athletes when they succeed on the field. What does that teach the athlete? What does that teach our society?

One more point to make: athletes (and coaches) ARE role models for children. Sorry if they don't want to be; they are. And as a society, we continually preach the benefits of athletic competition for children (developing teamwork, learning to handle losing, being gracious in victory and defeat, etc.) Then in practice we throw all that out the window and jump on the bandwagons of the worst citizens in sports, simply because they have talent. These athletes have been bailed out and shown that the rules don't apply to them since they were kids because they had talent. And then when they shoot people, or beat their spouses, or beat up fans, or drive drunk we act all outraged. We as a society created these monsters, and then are surprised when they misbehave. And what's worse, we're teaching a whole new generation of kids the same screwed-up lessons.

Sorry to go off on such a rant here, but I'm sick of the hypocrisy. Belichik is a winner, but he's a jerk. Whether it's shoving a cameraman, refusing to acknowledge or even speak his former assistant coach's name during pressers before the 1st Pats/Jets game, or blowing off a post-game Q & A, his conducts belies a serious lack of character. Is that what New England fans want for their society and their children? We have the power. Society is made up of we fans and people like us. Let our "heroes" know that certain behaviors are unacceptable. Boo, write letters, call talk shows, don't buy tickets -- do whatever you have to do. But do something. This is our society. Enough with the moral relativism. Right is right and wrong is wrong, no matter how talented you are.

Thanks for indulging me.          

by ctnyc on Jan 26, 2007 12:32 PM EST   0 recs

uhhhh
Because Belicheck pushed a camera man, we can equate him to a coach that punched a player, during a game?  I'm not sure I follow that.
If anything, I'd say Belicheck fields teams that are a little more 'chippy' than other teams.  That is to say, they do sometimes play in a way that could be called illegal but manage to get away with it (grab jerseys, kick balls further from first down markers, etc.).  However, every team finds clever ways to gain an advantage and doesn't follow rules to a "t".  
If I were a coach, and I'd never claim to be, I'd like to think I wouldn't "mangini" any former colleague or try to use an injury report as a game tactic, etc.  However, I'm not a coach, so it's hard to say what these guys do.
Though I don't much care for him, I don't think Belicheck is has no class.  His interview after the game didn't bother me either.  He was upset and unfriendly, I don't think that matters.  He didn't owe Peyton, Dungy or the Colts anything that the final score hadn't already given them.  I see him as a guy that is focused on winning football games, and little else.  I'm not sure any other characteristics matters in a coach.  We can wring our hands and talk about being a good person or a professional but that doesn't really matter.  Belicheck, ultimately, answers to Pioli, Kraft and the Pats fans.  I'm sure he could give a flying f@ck what you and I think about him.  And why should he?  I don't care how he acts, I only care if his team's beating mine.  He's not my kid's 3rd grade teacher, he's part of the entertainment industry.  Let's face it, football is entertainment before it's sports.  That's why we have countless articles on the Asshat formerly known as Terrell Owens.  Who cares how he acted after the game?  Do you?  Aren't you just happy that the Colts won?  That seems like the only vindication that you would need.

by cookding on Jan 26, 2007 1:57 PM EST   0 recs

Comments For This Post Are Closed


User Tools

Welcome to the SB Nation blog about the Indianapolis Colts, 2006 NFL Champions!

FanPosts

Community blog posts and discussion.

Recommended FanPosts

Brady_sack_small
Peytons Top 25 Non Football Moments
Small
Here's how it works with Lilja

Recent FanPosts

Colts2_small
Edge James
Warrenmoon_small
My early playoff seedings and predictions
Peyton_rocks_small
Peyton Top AFC Offensive Player (Again)
Colts2_small
Bob Sanders Status - Polians Weekly Radio Show
Cromartiechargers_small
Chargers Questions
Images_small
Santi and Graham goes on IR
457481_small
Meet Our New TE - Jamie Petrowski
Peyton_superbowl_small
Random Observations
Jupmpt_small
Happy Birthday Reggie Wayne

Post_icon New FanPost All FanPosts Carrot-mini


Site Meter