If You Think Bill Belichick is Living Off His Past Glory, He'd Like to Have a Word With You

Sometimes even when you're on the verge of becoming the greatest winner ever, you can't win. Yer damned if you do, yer damned if you don't. 

The very same people who get indignant any time Bill Belichick refuses to answer a question or just deflects it with a mumbling non-answer, are the same ones who twist any answer he does give like a balloon animal into whatever shape fits their agenda. Which should explain why he responds so often with nonverbal grunts; good luck trying to misinterpret a monosyllable to suit your own ends. 

The latest example is, of course, the answer he gave to a question about why Pats fans should be optimistic after an 8-9 season:

Which led to Ben Volin reporting he's on the dreaded Hot Seat and coaching for his professional life:

And while he's usually predisposed to ignore the noise on such things and only give contractually obligated interviews this time of year, he's in no mood to let this narrative take on a life of its own. That "25 years" comment has been like rocket fuel on Boston radio, powering countless hours of calls from triggered, outraged imbeciles, talking about the guy who's brought them unprecedented success like he's the character in a Springsteen song who won't shut up about the heater he used to throw in high school.

So Belichick broke his typical silence to kill this one, here and now. 

Source - Catching up with the Patriots coach at LSU’s Pro Day Wednesday, Belichick made it clear the comment was not meant to be taken as a brag.

“We’re not resting on our past laurels; that’s not the message to the team or the fans,” said Belichick, who indicated he was answering the question from a fan’s perspective. “We have never operated that way and aren’t now. …

“I have a great respect for the game and all that, [but] I’m not really focused on that right now,” he said. “The 2023 season is all I’m concerned about.”

You know what the problem is here? Not that he mentioned the 25 years. And not that he decided to set the record straight a LSU. It's the fact that anyone felt he had to. What kind of a world class ingrate do you have to be to think any explanation is necessary after all this guy has done and continues to do? 

Why do we think he's at LSU? To talk about the past? Do you think he's wandering around the field telling recruits how cool it was to win Super Bowl XXXVIII against Carolina when they were still wearing Pull Ups? He's doing business the way business has always been done on his watch. Hiring coaches. Re-signing veterans. Letting others go. Replacing them with free agents. Working 25 hour days to get better. Not living in the past like some nursing home patient. As Devin McCourty can confirm: 

But if people want to play that game? Fine. May the GOAT make the most of it. I hope he flips the table with the six Lombardis on it like Jesus at the moneychangers' tables in the temple. Before the first home game, he should pull down the banners and tear them in two like Captain Von Trapp did to the German flag after the Anschluss. It would serve public right after rewarding all his efforts and success with this level of ingratitude and vitriol. And will make it all the sweeter when he hangs that seventh banner and changes his boat's name to IX Rings.

Until then, be grateful he deigns to speak to us lesser beings at all.