Patriots coach Bill Belichick loves to teach football. But only on Fridays

Henry McKenna

AFC East Reporter

Imagine getting the chance to enroll in a course called “Football’s past, present and future with Bill Belichick.” That’s how it feels to serve as the New England Patriots coach’s audience during his Friday press conferences.

With rumors swirling that Belichick might be fired as soon as next week, this Friday’s press conference might just be his last as coach of the Patriots. So there’s no better time to celebrate Friday Bill.

There might not be a better living football historian than Belichick. When he wants to be, he can be an incomparable football history teacher, which makes sense because his mother was a teacher and his father was a football coach and scout. That side of Belichick only appears on Fridays, the day when — occasionally — a question will crack the otherwise steely coach.

And he’ll turn into Monologue Bill.

You know Monotone Bill. He deadpans. He mocks reporters and, often when their questions are entirely fair, does what he can to make them feel stupid. Even before Belichick had his Super Bowls, it wasn’t always easy for reporters to ask questions.

“It took me a good year and a half to ask one,” ESPN’s Mike Reiss said. “So I literally went almost a year and a half without asking a question. Because I was feeling it out.”

It’s intimidating. I asked a question during my first training camp about a catch by a roster-bubble receiver in the end zone. Belichick mocked the idea — I think he targets new, inexperienced reporters he doesn’t recognize to put them in their place. He couldn’t believe I had the audacity to ask about a specific highlight play during an unpadded practice. And, for a few moments, I couldn’t either. 

He has also shamed me for asking questions, including when I asked Belichick to share how he was feeling when Cam Newton fumbled in the fourth quarter against the Buffalo Bills in 2020, effectively ending the Patriots’ playoff hopes and…

Source link : https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/inside-bill-belichicks-friday-pressers-when-monotone-bill-becomes-monologue-bill

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Publish date : 2024-01-04 20:27:00

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