Belichick's failed job interview

really nice, looooooong, article about the Belichick and Atlanta flirtation...

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/39955777/how-patriots-legend-bill-belichick-end-nfl-job

way too many good quotes and citations to post, but worth reading if you have time - and love to see Belichick get what he deserves. also gives a rather candid behind-the-scenes look at how coaching searches/interviews are performed.

WOW!

It seems pretty clear that, unless some team become really desperate, Belichick is never getting a head coaching job again. Kraft's comments (which he later denied, of course) are damning.

As much as I relish Belichick's downfall, IMO all of this actually makes him come across as borderline sympathetic. And believe it or not, I had actually read pretty much this same story presented on a different site by different people in a different way just a few hours ago. I guess great minds think alike

But anyway, that bit about how owners have "evolved' to value "collaboration and cooperation" is downright laughable considering the number of dysfunctional organizations in the league. The article even admits the Chiefs and 49ers still use the GM/coach co-leader model so how "obsolete" can it really be? Maybe the problem is actually the new change being for the worse, as it always is in today's world. Am I really supposed to believe the Lions have put a leash on Dan Campbell and told him not to make any decisions without getting every team executive involved? Come on, man. (That's not directed at you BTW, but at the general sentiment of the article.) Hell, as DolFans we both know that the LESS Ross and any other team execs get involved, the better.

But ultimately Kraft comes across looking like a backstabbing weasel for throwing Belchick under the bus. If I'm Jerod Mayo I'm already looking over my shoulder. If this is how Kraft is treating a coach who did win 6 rings for him, no matter what you think about Brady's role in it, then what chance does he have? And isn't this the very same mindset that everyone's using to justify not hiring Belichick to being with?

Look, if you don't want to hire Belichick that's fine with me. But do it for the right reasons. Do it because he's a 70something defensive guy in an offensive league who's proven he can't do squat without Brady. Don't trot out this whole "he's too strong a personality and that scares us!" weenie-ass bullshit. All that does is make everyone else involved look like a bunch of simps and betas. Simps and betas don't win Super Bowls, at least not yet. If they're that afraid of Belichick, then they must be downright terrified of Andy Reid. For one thing you never saw Belichick shoulder-check his players like Reid did to Kelce.

Again, I certainly don't mind Belichick never being hired again and Shula's wins record remaining safe. I'm even convinced the only reason Belichick hung on as long as he did was specifically to break the record out of sheer spite for Shula calling out his cheating ways in '07. But I'll be damned if this whole thing doesn't make Belichick look like the good guy here, and that pisses me off TBH. It's like the current far left calling other people evil. Even if they really were you're still so evil you make them look virtuous by comparison! All I ultimately get out of this is that NFL owners are even BIGGER jerkasses than I thought before!

EDIT: Also, cut the crap and stop pretending Morris wasn't hired for anything other than PC "diversity" reasons, because just 4 years ago he already flopped in Atlanta with a 4-7 record as interim coach. If they really thought Morris was all that, why didn't Blank just hire him then? But as usual, a woke move like this has to be propped up by tearing someone else down.

That's my take anyway, YMMV.

I agree that Kraft comes across as the bad guy here, but I believe that this spin plays into Belichick's hands.  Here he is coming out into media as a "good guy, lots of fun on air, etc" in an effort to remake his image.  Oh, and while he's at it, he's subtly pulling on Mike McCarthy and Sirianni what JJ pulled on Shula, being involved with media and putting ever-so-mild criticisms this Fall about mistakes that coach is making- (just wait for it--that's my prediction), while coyly letting "sources" get it out there that he's interested in the Dallas job.  And the Philly job.   Taking over a team with a lot of talent is, after all, the quickest route to 348.

Really, the bottom line is this: BB has proven to be nothing special when Tom Brady is not his QB, and he's also an old, grumpy, set-in-his-ways dinosaur. He had his time, and now it's over. Nothing wrong with that - the same thing happens to all the greats, eventually.

JMP wrote:Really, the bottom line is this: BB has proven to be nothing special when Tom Brady is not his QB, and he's also an old, grumpy, set-in-his-ways dinosaur.  He had his time, and now it's over.  Nothing wrong with that - the same thing happens to all the greats, eventually.

Amd if that had been the rationale used by teams to not hire him again, it would've been perfectly fine and reasonable. But instead they made the right decision, but for reasons so ludicrously wrong it made team owners look worse and more incompetent than Belichick. Which was my whole point so if future readers want to skip my rant above for the quickie version, here you are

Suppose that Belichick was emulating JJ in another way.  Suppose he realized during 2023 that he'd mucked things up in New England way too badly to get the needed wins without about three more embarrassing double digit losses on his record to damage his legacy and force him to coach longer than he'd intended.  Like JJ with Jerry (granted, JJ was forcing his way out of a successful team in 1993 instead of a hopeless situation on the field, but he was going out of his way to get under Jerry's skin--the emulation I'm referring to) he started the passive-aggressive irritations to finally force his owner's hand and fire him--thus freeing him to pursue other opportunities.  But then he realized that he'd overplayed his hand, and overdone it to the point of making himself toxic when he couldn't get hired elsewhere, thus requiring a rehabilitation tour of the media and a story or two to make him look sympathetic to the league and public at large, so he could get the job he really wanted and get the record in two years---after the one year hiatus he'd caused himself by overdoing it Springtime for Hitler style with the owner in 2023.

It would require a lot of chess, I know.  Just saying, I wouldn't put all of this past him.

HalCHorn wrote:Suppose that Belichick was emulating JJ in another way.  Suppose he realized during 2023 that he'd mucked things up in New England way too badly to get the needed wins without about three more embarrassing double digit losses on his record to damage his legacy and force him to coach longer than he'd intended.  Like JJ with Jerry (granted, JJ was forcing his way out of a successful team in 1993 instead of a hopeless situation on the field, but he was going out of his way to get under Jerry's skin--the emulation I'm referring to) he started the passive-aggressive irritations to finally force his owner's hand and fire him--thus freeing him to pursue other opportunities.  But then he realized that he'd overplayed his hand, and overdone it to the point of making himself toxic when he couldn't get hired elsewhere, thus requiring a rehabilitation tour of the media and a story or two to make him look sympathetic to the league and public at large, so he could get the job he really wanted and get the record in two years---after the one year hiatus he'd caused himself by overdoing it Springtime for Hitler style with the owner in 2023.

It would require a lot of chess, I know.  Just saying, I wouldn't put all of this past him.

Problem is, if Jerry Jones' manhood was threatened by JJ winning two straight titles, there's no way he's hiring Bill "Six Rings" Belichick. And the Eagles are way to smart to even think about it. There's certainly no way he'll be a better coach at 73 than at 72 regardless. Even Marv Levy knew when to step away at Belichick's current age.

Also, the way I heard it JJ got tired of Jones' constant interference in his business (actual football moves) and him taking credit for JJ's draft picks and trades, and just couldn't stand it anymore. I also could've sworn he took time off voluntarily, specifically to wait for Shula's exit. JJ certainly didn't seem toxic at any point between '94 and '96.

BTW I gave you a like just for the Springtime For Hitler reference

Kraft and Jones are the two most influential owners in the NFL, and well over a year ago, the two men reportedly got into a heated exchange during an owners meeting.

https://sports.yahoo.com/bill-belichick-reportedly-considered-joining-182421350.html

i wouldn't put in past Jerry's ego to temporarily swallow his pride and hire Belichick for the sole purpose of taking a shot at Kraft. Belichick and Jones may not be a match made in heaven, but but they could find an understanding in their hatred of Kraft.

but what i love the most about this is that Belichick's attempt to get a job with Atlanta was undone by a phone call (since denied by Kraft) and it was a supposedly errant text message (from Belichick that he pretended not to realize to whom he sent it) that kicked started the racial allegations from Flores.

https://www.si.com/nfl/patriots/news/under-the-influence-belichicks-role-in-flores-giants-interview-process-called-into-question

as cheating and conniving as Belichick is, i have absolutely no sympathy for him.

DolFan 316 wrote:

Problem is, if Jerry Jones' manhood was threatened by JJ winning two straight titles, there's no way he's hiring Bill "Six Rings" Belichick. And the Eagles are way to smart to even think about it. There's certainly no way he'll be a better coach at 73 than at 72 regardless. Even Marv Levy knew when to step away at Belichick's current age.

Also, the way I heard it JJ got tired of Jones' constant interference in his business (actual football moves) and him taking credit for JJ's draft picks and trades, and just couldn't stand it anymore. I also could've sworn he took time off voluntarily, specifically to wait for Shula's exit. JJ certainly didn't seem toxic at any point between '94 and '96.

BTW I gave you a like just for the Springtime For Hitler reference

regarding the Jerry/Jimmy split, Jimmy resented Jerry getting any credit for the on the field product and Jerry resented Jimmy getting all the credit.  There was some blame for both IMO, but the difference was that Jimmy was much better at playing the media during that time (Jerry was hopeless at it when he bought the team, but to his credit he learned and got better at it, and part of what he learned was from observing Jimmy, who had been a HC dealing with sports media for a decade before Dallas hired him).

And yes, Jimmy specifically wanted the Miami job, hence the subtle backhanded compliments/criticisms of Miami moves while he was at the desk in 94/95.  So he wasn't jumping back in until the Miami job was open.  I do think he was subtly trying to "create" that opening.  Shula IMO made George Allen-type moves for the 95 season in large part (over) reacting to the groundswell for Jimmy to replace him.

Belichick didn't intend to become toxic, he expected teams to clamor for the 6 time SB winner (just like every team clamored for Parcells and Jimmy during their hiatuses).  But being 72 is different from being twenty years younger with the skins on the wall, and having everyone think you're a curmudgeon after cultivating that image for so long was another difference.  He might have realized after only one team showed serious interest and then passed that he'd overplayed his hand.  So....get ready for fun-loving, deadpan humor Billy Boy across your screens this Fall, suggesting that McCarthy should have done this or done that instead.  I'm predicting it!

mercury22nathan wrote:

Kraft and Jones are the two most influential owners in the NFL, and well over a year ago, the two men reportedly got into a heated exchange during an owners meeting.

https://sports.yahoo.com/bill-belichick-reportedly-considered-joining-182421350.html

i wouldn't put in past Jerry's ego to temporarily swallow his pride and hire Belichick for the sole purpose of taking a shot at Kraft.  Belichick and Jones may not be a match made in heaven, but but they could find an understanding in their hatred of Kraft.

but what i love the most about this is that Belichick's attempt to get a job with Atlanta was undone by a phone call (since denied by Kraft) and it was a supposedly errant text message (from Belichick that he pretended not to realize to whom he sent it) that kicked started the racial allegations from Flores.

https://www.si.com/nfl/patriots/news/under-the-influence-belichicks-role-in-flores-giants-interview-process-called-into-question

as cheating and conniving as Belichick is, i have absolutely no sympathy for him.

Agree on all counts, and will add, don't underestimate how desperate Jerry is to win one Super Bowl with no connections to Jimmah before he is gone. He's now 81 and the clock is ticking louder. I could absolutely see him throwing the Hail Mary for BB.

mercury22nathan wrote:

as cheating and conniving as Belichick is, i have absolutely no sympathy for him.

I'm with you, merc.

When he's been on shows where he talks about the history of football, Belichick is very engaging and you can tell he respects the history and is genuinely obsessed with the sport. At times like that, he's really cool and I could listen to him all day.

That person does not exist when it comes to actually coaching. On the sidelines, he sulks and generally acts like a callous prick. And he's rude, mean and downright insulting in press conferences, where he routinely treats people like garbage and acts like he's some sort of god. And of course - the history of blatant cheating...that speaks for itself. Hearing all the things Kraft reportedly said about him, it's not hard to believe that much of it is absolute fact. He just seems like a terrible person, and his brand of tyrannical, almost fascist coaching is now all but extinct and there's no place for it in 2024.

Yeah, maybe Kraft and the other owners did him wrong this offseason. Boo fucking hoo. I say, good. That bastard deserves whatever he gets, as far as I'm concerned.

I heard something this morning about Jerry Jones talking about having Belicheck as the HC for the Cowboyz!!

What a goober!