End of an Era: Bill Belichick and Patriots to part ways
- Thread starter RedOctober3829
- Start date
We will. Too many reporters are seriously invested in the "they hate each other" or ""BB is a dick and everyone hates him" narrative to surrender it now. And there's no shortage of "sources" to further whatever narrative they want to push, no matter the glowing tributes that will come from the respected likes of Brady, Bruschi, and I'm sure dozens of others.
From Rams SB 1 to now I have gone from a 20-something watching in disbelief with a bunch of dudes in a Cleveland Circle apartment to a suburban 50 year old. Time flies with dynasties.
Funny that you say that because I suspect it was actually two years too late and, well, I’m ok with that.
Not picking on you, but do you believe BB is allowing them to say it's mutual and it's not?
Do you think Kraft should have given into any changes BB wanted?
You might, and that's fine, but just wondering.
Its the right decision but a painful one nonetheless. Good luck Bill and thanks for everything.
I don't think this is the right call though it's defensible. I think it will depend on who are the replacements. If they just do Mayo or Vrabel and keep other things mostly the same then I don't really see the point -- just give BB another year and see if they improve. If there are deeper changes and more new voices (even if Mayo/Vrabel are in charge), then it makes a lot more sense.
The biggest complaint I had with BB the last few years was that he kept hiring people he knew who had mostly sucked elsewhere. It seemed like he didn't trust anyone other than his guys and that was possibly hurting the team. So, if they're just going to put some more of BB's guys in but without BB it seems like a horizontal move at best even if you would end up doing that eventually.
The biggest complaint I had with BB the last few years was that he kept hiring people he knew who had mostly sucked elsewhere. It seemed like he didn't trust anyone other than his guys and that was possibly hurting the team. So, if they're just going to put some more of BB's guys in but without BB it seems like a horizontal move at best even if you would end up doing that eventually.
I don't know much about this, but I think @Deathofthebambino spoke on Jonathan lately and would probably push back on you. Hopefully he chimes in.
Oh I’m happy to engage with Greg on that one!! Depends on your preference and approach but I am not a fan.
Schefty says BB and Kraft met on Monday, BB stayed home on Tuesday and they met again on Wednesday. He described it as amicable all week.
This is crushing. I'd rather watch Belichick see what he could do with a new roster (and maybe some help buying the groceries), than watch New Guy roll the dice.
What a legend. Made the Patriots and the NFL itself watchable for me. It'll never be the same.
What a legend. Made the Patriots and the NFL itself watchable for me. It'll never be the same.
Bill ending up in Dallas would obviously be the best storyline, but I wonder if there might be a mystery team we aren’t considering like the Giants.
Thank God. What an absolute legend. Come to NYC or please go to the NFC. Leave my QBs alone.
View: https://youtu.be/kPIdRJlzERo?si=f3tOkfUF040lVEFc
View: https://youtu.be/kPIdRJlzERo?si=f3tOkfUF040lVEFc
I think the parting can be mutual even if the parameters that got them there aren’t. If Kraft wanted Bill as coach only and Bill wanted to stay but with the exact same responsibilities, the parting can be mutually agreed to be the right move even if neither is getting his first choice.
Truly mutual to me would look like Bill wanting to leave because his coaching years are numbered and there will be better Super Bowl opportunities available if he takes over a better roster in a weaker division. I’m sure that’s consolation to him, but I really don’t imagine that’s where the conversation started this week.
edit, because I missed your second question: I still think Bill is the greatest coach of all time and one of the current best coaches in the league. The mistakes as GM have been legitimate and costly, but the strengths as a coach outweigh the shortcomings as GM pretty significantly in my mind. He’s gotten too much shit for some moves nearly every team would have made, and while that doesn’t excuse the really bad mistakes, we’ve seen the best team in the league make one of the worst moves in NFL history under their current regime and all is fine now. This offseason would have had the Pats in a fine place going forward and I just don’t really have a strong preference for the field over BB in confidence in making the right moves. Ymmv
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This day was always going to come. Along with the end of the unprecedented and unsustainable run we all enjoyed.
It still sucks.
I am a bit excited for a new era of Patriots Football. If they don't screw it up.
It still sucks.
I am a bit excited for a new era of Patriots Football. If they don't screw it up.
Who know what they have worked out. If Bill gets another HC job, it will be for a massive amount of money, so Kraft would not have to pay much if anything.
He’s not just the greatest there’s ever been, he’s the greatest there’ll ever be. And I wanted him to get the record here. Very sad day.
That said, BB the coach would have made this move and not looked back. It was time. I didn’t want him running the draft with this pick, and I’m not confident that the greatest there ever was would be able to suddenly defer to a new GM. They reportedly had discussions about a structure that would work for both parties and just couldn’t find one. That tells us something important. This is the right time for this move.
That said, BB the coach would have made this move and not looked back. It was time. I didn’t want him running the draft with this pick, and I’m not confident that the greatest there ever was would be able to suddenly defer to a new GM. They reportedly had discussions about a structure that would work for both parties and just couldn’t find one. That tells us something important. This is the right time for this move.
I just thought of something. Maybe Kraft really didn't want the team on "Hard Knocks" next season. /obvsarcasm
Couldn't they structure it in a way where the Pats pay most of 2024, and the new team pays a lot more in future years?
It's weird. I wanted them to move on, I expected them to move on and yet I still got a knot in my stomach reading the news. No one will ever do it better. Yes, he had Brady. He also won as many titles as coaches who had John Elway, Dan Marino, Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees and Peyton Manning for a combined 90 seasons. The greatest.
I suspect the best case scenario was that Bill clawed us back to being an 8-10 win team for a year or two and then stepped down. I was up for that. But I also understand why some weren’t.
My 16 year old told me the news this morning. Wild to think Bill was the coach 7 years before he was even born.
My 16 year old told me the news this morning. Wild to think Bill was the coach 7 years before he was even born.
This fucking sucks, regardless whether it is a good or at least defensible move. He’s been the coach since I was 11, so this is like if the FSG announced that Fenway was being razed to make way for a park like the new Yankee Stadium.
I remember some little line in a Sunday Notes-style ESPN piece in 2001 talking about how Belichick might be in some hot water because Bob Kraft wanted to move in to CGMI Field with an improved, .500-or-better team. So from that perspective, Bill did well.
I don’t know if keeping him much longer was going to be a good idea, but I also mentioned in the other thread that I didn’t think there was a likely “good” option that kept the glory days marching on here. As a few people have said here already, welcome back to being just another team, Pats fans and haters.
I don’t know if keeping him much longer was going to be a good idea, but I also mentioned in the other thread that I didn’t think there was a likely “good” option that kept the glory days marching on here. As a few people have said here already, welcome back to being just another team, Pats fans and haters.
What an amazing run. Gonna be weird to watch the Dynasty series with Bill in the rear view.
(View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_G_IUJuQZsM
for those who haven't heard of it yet)
(View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_G_IUJuQZsM
for those who haven't heard of it yet)
It was definitely time. Sad to see the end of the run because it will never be replicated in Boston.
Even if it was time, I don't have a ton of confidence in the Krafts to not bring in Patriots' retreads.
Even if it was time, I don't have a ton of confidence in the Krafts to not bring in Patriots' retreads.
Better be patient, his former coaches (which we seem destined for) still smoke him head to head.
True, this was looking pretty rough for a bit. I wonder if the eventual reporting will show this was truly done after the Germany trip, and he nailed it, or perhaps it was still in the wind and just landed the way Curran may have educatedly guessed.
Love Belichick, he did a great job for my NYG and much more so for the Pats. A memorable era we’ll tell our grandkids about.
Mrs Sezwho nominated him for Man of the Year during high school for his run a DC of the NYG...lots of down faces around here (whether I think its right decision or no)
ATL is his num 1 opinton right now
the seahawks will get quinn
Car will have to get a 1st timer so will tenn
for the raiders its harbarugh or pince
LAC will likely go miami oc or joe brady buff oc
not on wash list
so unless dallas fires mcctharty its ATL or FOX for a year
the seahawks will get quinn
Car will have to get a 1st timer so will tenn
for the raiders its harbarugh or pince
LAC will likely go miami oc or joe brady buff oc
not on wash list
so unless dallas fires mcctharty its ATL or FOX for a year
This is amongst the first things you think about for this news?
That's an unfortunate way to expose yourself there, Tom.