Clips from well-known Bill Belichick interviews began enjoying on the radio once I acquired in my automobile after an early morning exercise Thursday.
That’s once I suspected one thing had occurred between Robert Kraft and the Patriots legendary head coach. A fast scroll by social media confirmed my intestine response.
Kraft and Belichick agreed to mutually half methods after 24 years of working the NFL’s premier franchise. Six Super Bowl championships, 9 Super Bowl appearances, 17 division titles and 13 convention championship appearances.
Wow, it’s throughout.
And now followers, like myself, who’ve by no means really recognized a Patriots crew with out Belichick and future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady are beginning to piece collectively how good we’ve had it our whole lives.
Yes, I do know. It actually hasn’t been the identical since Brady departed Foxboro for balmy Tampa Bay the place he’d go on to quarterback the Buccaneers to his seventh championship. Meanwhile, New England acquired routed in its solely playoff look since Brady’s departure in 2020.
But nonetheless, when stories got here out Thursday morning that Belichick’s time in Foxboro crossed the end line I felt an immense sense of gratitude in direction of the now former head coach.
I used to be simply 3 years outdated when Belichick returned to New England in 2000 to imagine full management over soccer operations for the franchise, with the Hoodie then drafting Brady within the sixth spherical of his first draft.
And the remainder is historical past.
I can’t keep in mind the primary three Super Bowl victories all too nicely apart from my mother and father cooking a giant Super Bowl Sunday feast and my brothers leaping up and down after Adam Vinatieri kicked championship-winning discipline objectives.
At such a younger age, I couldn’t totally grasp that Belichick and Brady had turned the Patriots right into a dynasty. But because the years glided by and I grew up, my robust curiosity in soccer began to kind even regardless of the Super Bowl losses to the Giants in 2008 and 2012.
Whenever I’d cease by an area procuring middle or grocery retailer, I’d see Brady jerseys and different Patriots attire, together with Belichick’s wildly standard however boring grey sweatshirt. Classmates and academics at all times decked out in crew garb on Fridays earlier than big-game Sundays.
There was an excellent cause for this fascination in direction of the skilled soccer crew in Foxboro: This crew knew methods to win on the grandest stage with class.
The Patriots continued their profitable methods into my late childhood and early maturity.
Belichick hoisted the Lombardi Trophy my senior 12 months of highschool after the well-known Malcolm Butler interception on the purpose line towards Seattle. In my sophomore 12 months of faculty, James White dove throughout the purpose line to cap off the inconceivable Super Bowl comeback towards Atlanta. And simply two years later, Brady and Belichick pulled it off once more, beating the Rams in a defensive battle.
My dad and I made it to Gillette for no less than one sport a 12 months. I’d drive to the stadium on non-game days simply to see by the gate on the discipline in awe each on occasion. I then labored as a ticket taker and usher throughout Brady’s final season in 2019.
These vivid recollections got here racing throughout my thoughts Thursday as I drove to Gillette Stadium to seize fan reactions to the bittersweet information that Belichick’s legendary tenure has come to an finish.
While it may have been simple to dwell on the previous 4 years, followers made it clear that they nonetheless view Belichick as a winner. His status as the best coach in NFL historical past stays firmly intact, all of them asserted.
We have been spoiled by the profitable methods and all the Duck Boat parades, and followers within the youthful era are about to expertise what life is admittedly like with out Belichick and Brady for the primary time.
In the quick aftermath, it feels unusual that the period is over, however as time goes on, we’ll look again and perceive how good we had it.
One of my favourite recollections of the Belichick period is when the Hoodie began utilizing the mantra “Do Your Job.” That message got here throughout to his gamers, but it surely additionally resonated with followers throughout the area.
More occasions than not when going through a hardship, Belichick’s message performs in my head. It conjures up me to work my hardest and never to surrender when life will get troublesome. And I’m positive I’m not the one one.
Do your job. Thanks, Bill.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”