HoosierCat Posted July 21, 2005 Report Share Posted July 21, 2005 Warning: rant follows.I hit up the NFL news over at yahoo on my lunch hour today and saw Bruschi has decided to sit out the season. And there right next to the news is a column by Cris Carter blithely stating that this won't do anything to hurt the Pats' chance of a repeat since Belichick is such a genius. Then I click over to NFL.com and see under the video links "a look at Bill Belichick" entitled "Sheer Genius." And of course this all comes after numerous stories this offseason about how the losses of both Weis and Crennel won't matter either...because BB is such a monumental genius.Is this starting to wear thin on anyone else? Not to take anything away from BB, he's obviously done a hell of a job in New England...but can we please put this in a little perspective?After all, we are talking about the same "genius" who got run out of Cleveland to the applause of Clowns fans after compiling a 36-44 record, and just 1 winning season, in five years as head coach. Where was his keen eye for "lunch pail" personnel and schematic super-smarts then?And when he came into New England in 2000, they weren't exactly...well, the Cincinnati Bengals of the AFCE. Yes, they did have a four-year run of putridity in 1990-93, when they went 14-50. But from 1994 through 1999, the Parcells and Carrol eras in Foxboro, there were 54-42 over six seasons, with only one losing season during that time. He had a pretty solid foundation (including a couple of Pro Bowlers) to work with.Again, not to put him down, he's done a hell of a job. But the incessent refrain of situation-X-doesn't-matter-because-BB-is-a-genius has got me wondering what, exactly, would have to happen in order for NFL punditry to start to question whether or not BB can get them another Lombardi. How about if Brady and Dillon announced they were secretly gay lovers and ran off to Costa Rica to shack up together? How about that? Would that impact their chances of a threepeat? What if the entire starting offense and defense was eaten by sharks during "Patriots Beach Day"? Still gonna make it? What if a 20-mile-wide comet smashed into Earth and whiped out all life on the planet? Could Bill the Genius still overcome that?Note: end of rant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skyline Posted July 21, 2005 Report Share Posted July 21, 2005 The term "genius", in general, is thrown around much too casually these days.I imagine there was a day when the word genius actually meant something. Now, I'm inclined to call my dog a genius when she manages to crap in the correct place.Yes, I admire what BB has done with the Patriots. They are setting the new standard for how an NFL franchise should be run. Genius? I don't know...let's give it another 20 years and see what he's doing then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bengalboomer7 Posted July 21, 2005 Report Share Posted July 21, 2005 I've been saying this for awhile too, Joisey. The whole Parcells disciple s**t has gotten old. It's not his fault though, its the media. I don't know what kind of selection process it is, but some guys just get the treatment from the media. Just like Brett Favre(let's not start that argument again. In their eyes, these guys can do no wrong. I'm hoping to see them stumble just so I don't have to hear about them anymore. I am so sick of it myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Who? Posted July 21, 2005 Report Share Posted July 21, 2005 I'm bothered by the general love for Bellicheck and the Patriots around here, to everyone he's the greatest man on earth. I don't think they will get to the superbowl again, but hell, I said that last year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsbengalsbucks Posted July 21, 2005 Report Share Posted July 21, 2005 AHHH, I think I'm sick. I agree totally with Who? somebody call a doctor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoosierCat Posted July 21, 2005 Author Report Share Posted July 21, 2005 I've been saying this for awhile too, Joisey. The whole Parcells disciple s**t has gotten old. It's not his fault though, its the media. I don't know what kind of selection process it is, but some guys just get the treatment from the media. I hear ya. In the 80s it was Bill Walsh, in the 90s it was Bill Parcells, now it's Bill Belichick.Maybe you just have to be named Bill? Of course, that would make billybroome our resident genius... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bengalboomer7 Posted July 21, 2005 Report Share Posted July 21, 2005 Now that's a scary thought, teh boobiemeister a genius To me, it's strictley a media thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Who? Posted July 21, 2005 Report Share Posted July 21, 2005 If the Broome was a genius... I don't even know what to say about that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckj414 Posted July 22, 2005 Report Share Posted July 22, 2005 I've been saying this for awhile too, Joisey. The whole Parcells disciple s**t has gotten old. It's not his fault though, its the media. I don't know what kind of selection process it is, but some guys just get the treatment from the media.I hear ya. In the 80s it was Bill Walsh, in the 90s it was Bill Parcells, now it's Bill Belichick.Maybe you just have to be named Bill? Of course, that would make billybroome our resident genius... Joisey, its not a 'Bill' thing, don't forget Jimmy Johnson...the man could do no wrong for a few years there. How many Miami Super Bowl predictions were there?I'm with you though, the Pats are due to take a step back and the pieces are falling apart just right to make that happen. But I've no ill will towards him, I'll always have a fond place for Belichick, he was a big part of getting my beloved G-men two championships (was that really almost 20 years ago? ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brownflushitdown Posted July 22, 2005 Report Share Posted July 22, 2005 WHO?? is just mad because they had the man and then let him go another great personnel discussion by the worthless clowns Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AMC Posted July 22, 2005 Report Share Posted July 22, 2005 I think a head coach is only as good as how the players fit the COORDINATORS system.I am very interested to see how the Pats do with two new coordinators.The head coach is more an administrator and motivator. Maybe thats where Belichick excels.Plus, the Pats are overrun with leaders on the field. Thats a huge key. Players who are great leaders. Thats more important than the head coach. In that regard the head coach may serve as a leadership role model-much like Marvin has. That to me is the key.Good coordinators and leadership...But all in all I am tired of New England in all facets of everything! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BengalNation1281 Posted July 22, 2005 Report Share Posted July 22, 2005 You have all forgotten one important fact about Bellichick and his genius:Bellichick's "genius" coaching had the Patriots at 0-2 and looking every bit the 5-11 team that they had been in 2000-01 when Bledsoe got hurt and an unknown backup named Tom Brady stepped in.If not for Tom Brady, Bellichick would have been looking for a job instead of being hailed as a coaching genius. He would have stuck with Bledsoe and watched the season go down the tubes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bengalboomer7 Posted July 23, 2005 Report Share Posted July 23, 2005 Good stuff. It's a combo of everything. They are the "message" the NFL. Remember Playmakers and how the NFL was gonna drop ESPN if they didn't cancel the series. The Patsies are the prefect team for the NFL to show their good side. Brady, Bruschi, Vrabel, Bellichick(clean cut White guys, a cocincidence ) that are feel good guys with an "aw shucks" attitude, and I just wanna win and the team is the most important, JEEZ, makes me wanna hurl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoosierCat Posted July 23, 2005 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2005 You have all forgotten one important fact about Bellichick and his genius:Bellichick's "genius" coaching had the Patriots at 0-2 and looking every bit the 5-11 team that they had been in 2000-01 when Bledsoe got hurt and an unknown backup named Tom Brady stepped in.If not for Tom Brady, Bellichick would have been looking for a job instead of being hailed as a coaching genius. He would have stuck with Bledsoe and watched the season go down the tubes. Yup, yup, yup. When I was writing my original rant I had a couple lines about Brady being one of the luckiest draft picks in the history of football but it was already running long so I ended up leaving it out. There are -- and this is a rough approximation -- about 31 other teams in the league who have been kicking themselves for passing this guy over, not just once but multiple times. And there are about -- another rough approximation -- 10,000 sportswriters who missed him just as badly in their draft write-ups, too. I have to wonder how much of the "Belichick = genius" chatter from the barstool crowd is all those guys trying to deflect attention from how badly they, too, missed on Brady. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoosierCat Posted July 23, 2005 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2005 The Patsies are the prefect team for the NFL to show their good side. Brady, Bruschi, Vrabel, Bellichick(clean cut White guys, a cocincidence ) that are feel good guys with an "aw shucks" attitude, and I just wanna win and the team is the most important, JEEZ, makes me wanna hurl I don't think there's a big racial component to it. For all the crap the NFL takes about whether they have enough minorities in this or that role, IMHO it's a pretty egalitarian league. If Marvin or Tony Dungy or Romeo Crennel or Dennis Green or Herm Edwards wins a couple Super Bowls, the media will be just as happy to promote them to the title of genius, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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