The unPatriot
Since early in the decade, I often have said I have an irrational hatred for Bill Belichick, head coach of the NFL's New England Patriots. Since the turn of the millenium, we have seen the Patriots crank out win after win and three Super Bowl titles. Yet every time I'd see this man, I couldn't help but bristle.
My hatred never really made sense. By all accounts, he was an excellent coach. He was successful. He was low-key. And he clearly cared more about coaching football than what the public thought about his physical appearance, as confirmed by his Sunday gameday apparel — what can only be described as a homeless man's poncho (pictured above). That should have inspired me to respect him, or at least respect what he had accomplished. But all his success? Just made me tired of seeing him. His low-key nature? Just made him seem arrogant. And the homeless man's poncho? Just made him seem like, well, a homeless man. And the one thing I know about homeless men — sometimes they get desperate. As The Office's Creed Bratton once said, "The only difference between me and a homeless man is this job. I will do whatever it takes to survive — just like I did when I was a homeless man." Well if that's what defines a homeless man, then it appears Bill Belichick has more in common with a homeless man than just the poncho.
Belichick fined $500,000 by NFL for taping Jets' signals
So how long has this been going on? I just don't see any reason to believe that last Sunday was the first time Belichick has resorted to video taping the opposing teams signals. Maybe it was earlier this season. Or maybe it was 2005 -- the last year the Patriots won the Super Bowl. Or maybe it was in 2001, just before they went on to win their first Super Bowl. I don't know. I don't really care. The man cheated. Oh, he apologized. My guess, though, is that he came across as tight-lipped and unrepentant-sounding as ever. But I still feel a little better — knowing my hatred wasn't so irrational at all.
My hatred never really made sense. By all accounts, he was an excellent coach. He was successful. He was low-key. And he clearly cared more about coaching football than what the public thought about his physical appearance, as confirmed by his Sunday gameday apparel — what can only be described as a homeless man's poncho (pictured above). That should have inspired me to respect him, or at least respect what he had accomplished. But all his success? Just made me tired of seeing him. His low-key nature? Just made him seem arrogant. And the homeless man's poncho? Just made him seem like, well, a homeless man. And the one thing I know about homeless men — sometimes they get desperate. As The Office's Creed Bratton once said, "The only difference between me and a homeless man is this job. I will do whatever it takes to survive — just like I did when I was a homeless man." Well if that's what defines a homeless man, then it appears Bill Belichick has more in common with a homeless man than just the poncho.
Belichick fined $500,000 by NFL for taping Jets' signals
So how long has this been going on? I just don't see any reason to believe that last Sunday was the first time Belichick has resorted to video taping the opposing teams signals. Maybe it was earlier this season. Or maybe it was 2005 -- the last year the Patriots won the Super Bowl. Or maybe it was in 2001, just before they went on to win their first Super Bowl. I don't know. I don't really care. The man cheated. Oh, he apologized. My guess, though, is that he came across as tight-lipped and unrepentant-sounding as ever. But I still feel a little better — knowing my hatred wasn't so irrational at all.
posted by Jonathan at
3:08 AM
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