Posted on 02/08/2005 10:34:21 AM PST by Chi-townChief
A few years ago, I spent three days at the New England Patriots' training complex trying to talk to Bill Belichick. As you surely know, today's debate is whether he might be the greatest football coach of all time. After all, the Patriots' 24-21 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday was Belichick's third Super Bowl title in four years. It's Lombardi and Landry, Halas and Belichick, coaching gods.
But in 1997, my trip was not to gain inner football knowledge from the Maharishi. No, Belichick was the assistant head coach, and the objective was to get the story about an idiot coach who had managed to land on his feet. Belichick had been such a colossal failure as the Cleveland Browns' head coach that some people gave him partial blame for the team leaving town. You can't even say that about Dave Wannstedt.
Today, Belichick the Genius makes dry, self-deprecating jokes on a podium. Back then, Belichick the Doofus had nothing to say and resented that you would even ask. I remember trying to catch his eye as he walked through the locker room, which was impossible because he walked with long, purposeful strides, eyebrows furrowed while staring at the carpet.
Is he happy, I asked Bill Parcells, the Patriots' head coach at the time?
"Happy?'' he repeated, stalling. "Happy is a relative term. Do you know what his nickname is?
"Doom. That's right, Doom. It's been his nickname for 20 years.''
Doom was fired as the Browns' coach 10 years ago, after doing what was arguably the worst job as a head coach in NFL history. Now, he's legendary.
We all learn and grow, but is it possible to go that far, that fast?
This is about labels. We are too quick to chisel them into a person's reputation. Maybe he wasn't really an idiot, and maybe he's not really a god today. We did the same thing in reverse with Sammy Sosa.
It's so easy to see things in black and white. For sure, Belichick is a failure-turned-success. But he did both to such extremes that you wonder how many other factors are at work. We're so lost in his success now that we forget about Cleveland.
They remember in Cleveland. Touchdown Tommy Vardell, Steve Everitt, Antonio Langham, Craig Powell. No one else remembers them.
But Belichick used first-round draft picks on those guys. He wasn't just the Browns' coach from 1991 to '95, but also, basically, the general manager.
Who can forget Todd Philcox?
He cut beloved quarterback Bernie Kosar in midseason in 1993, not bothering to pay respect, just mumbling something about diminishing skills. The Browns were 5-3 at the time and in a playoff run. Have you heard of Todd Philcox? Belichick chose him over Kosar. The Browns finished 7-9.
Belichick was known to sleep in his office and roll out of bed 10 minutes before his TV show. He wouldn't brush his hair or dress up and would yawn throughout. That was the face of the team for the public.
At one point, Kosar thought Belichick's offense was so bad that he ignored a play and drew up another one in the dirt. It went for a touchdown.
Belichick was surly, swearing during news conferences. He was an eastern preppy in a blue-collar, midwestern city who came off as having felt he knew more than everyone else. He dumped several aging Browns and brought in aging New York Giants, for whom he had been an assistant under Parcells. He traded for Jerry Ball, who was too fat to play. Eric Zeier from Georgia was supposed to be the quarterback of the future. He brought in bad characters.
Meanwhile, owner Art Modell was trying to convince the local government to build him a stadium. Without fan support, it was easy for the city and state to turn him down. Eventually, Modell gave up and moved the team to Baltimore.
"I really believe that much of the disdain and abuse I received was because of the feelings the media and public had for Bill,'' Modell once told Akron Beacon-Journal columnist Terry Pluto. "Every day, I thought it would change. I thought he'd be more pleasant to people. He never did, and it hurt us terribly.
"I was sold a bill of goods on Belichick.''
Modell was no model owner
Maybe. But also Modell was bumbling and meddling and in financial trouble. Patriots owner Bob Kraft, on the other hand, seems to be the model owner. It all works together with what Belichick offers.
Today, there is a book out called Management Secrets of the New England Patriots. In 1997, I called the Denver Broncos' PR guy to ask for an interview with a former Belichick player, Michael Dean Perry, and was told, "I'd try to get him if there was any chance in the world. But he rarely does phone interviews, and he never talks about Bill Belichick.''
Well, after three days, I managed four words from Belichick back then. As I talked to running back Dave Meggett, he walked up from behind and said, "What's your favorite color?'' He grinned, frowned, stared at the carpet and left.
Whatever. Belichick might deserve all the praise he's getting. And today, while he plays in a celebrity golf event, in Cleveland the Browns continue to try to dig out by naming new coach Romeo Crennel. His credential? He was an assistant, and even disciple, to the man himself, Bill Belichick.
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Just came back to work from the Patriots parade a block away and got to applaude Bill Belichick directly.
Sucks to be you, eh?
No no no, it was worse for you that the Ravens WON the superbowl, not just that we were in it.
It sucks to lose your team, I know, every Sunday I have to look at the horseshoes on a team from Indianapolis. At least you got to keep your football heritage in your town.
Uhh Barry Switzer did win a Super Bowl.
Bill wore the same old gray sweatshirt to the parade that he wore all season!
Wish I could have been there! After spending my entire life in New England having nothing to celebrate, I move to Maryland and now Boston is THE hottest sports town in the country.
Belicek was not that bad with the Browns. They were a pitiful team when he took over. They improved and got into the playoffs including winning one game in 94. He might not have shown hall of fame credentials there but to call him one of the worst in history is revisionist and incorrect history.
And then the team folded on him after Art Modell announced the move to Baltimore. They lost something like 7 of their last 8 games after the announcement. It was then that Modell fired him.
What's worse is that Crennel is coming here to be the head coach.
I'm not happy about it, not even remotely. I think we're in for another tough three years (after which he'll be fired) but I hope to god I'm wrong and he does well.
"At least you got to keep your football heritage in your town."
Not really. It's a mocking shadow of what I once enjoyed. Today they are a pathetic, faceless bunch of losers. Romeo Crennel has a HUGE task ahead of him.
I always thought that once the Browns moved, that the NFL should have stepped in and forced a name swap between Indy and Baltimore. But the NFL has no interest in what is right. It's a business! They constantly tell us it's a business. That's why I don't support a crappy team. I don't buy poor quality goods from businesses.
Dave Shula was disgrace as well.
"arguably the worst job as a head coach in NFL history
How soon we forget: Rich Kotite, Steve Spurrier & Barry Switzer will lay claim to that title long before Belichick's stint with the Browns does."
I think that's the writer taking license to make a good story. Actually, Belichick was always impressive with his defense. He had a team with thin talent on defense that could play. The problem is, the thin talent was also Belichick's fault. Goes to show, making one man coach and GM is rarely a good idea.
And what did Cleveland do? Give the same thing to Butch Davis, a lying, low character idiot.
I hope Romeo does better, he can't do much worse.
Mike Martz has taken his team to a Super Bowl, and he might be the biggest doofus of a head coach I've ever seen. I honestly don't know how he manages to stay employed.
Belicek's record with the Browns.
= W - L
1991 - 6 - 10
1992 - 7 - 9
1993 - 7 - 9
1994 - 11 - 5 (wildcard spot)
1995 - 5 - 11
We hated him, not because of his record but because of how he treated the fans and our players. It got to the point where you wanted to put your foot through the t.v. every time you saw his face on it.
He cut beloved quarterback Bernie Kosar in midseason in 1993, not bothering to pay respect, just mumbling something about diminishing skills.
It's been since learned that Belichick - and only Belichick - favored keeping Bernie. Everyone else, including Ozzie Newsome, wanted him gone.
Meanwhile, owner Art Modell was trying to convince the local government to build him a stadium. Without fan support, it was easy for the city and state to turn him down.
Modell never went public to the fans for support. All negotiations were done quietly. The fans didn't know he was clamoring for a new stadium.
Eventually, Modell gave up and moved the team to Baltimore.
Yes - broke his lease and moved. And then fired Belichick - not before.
"I'm not happy about it, not even remotely."
I don't know about that. I'm totally discouraged by the Browns and the organization's ineptitude. But, hiring a coach is a crap shoot. Most "experts" say he's a good choice. At least they have a GM now, and that low life Davis is gone.
So, I guess you just stand back and watch. I'm not who would have been a better choice.
"We hated him, not because of his record but because of how he treated the fans and our players"
Oh yeah! He treated us all like idiots. Why couldn't he be a man and just say he wanted Bernie gone, it was a power struggle. Instead, he tries to sell us that Philcox was better than Bernie. Right.
I remember rooting hard for the Browns to lose so he'd lose his job.
Now this edition of the Browns is so darn bad, I barely pay attention.
Think of it this way: If you were going to buy a kid a Brown's jersey, what number would you buy?! Bunch of losers.
To be honest I was hoping they'd give the reigns to "robo" for a year and take that time to clean house and get things in order while looking for a quality candidate.
I don't like them jumping into bed with this guy for five years when he hasn't proven that he's good at anything other than being a defensive coordinator.
I never realized Belichick was that hated in Cleveland. They don't talk about the Cleveland days much up here. All I remember about Bill Belichick in Cleveland was when he and the Browns beat the Pats in the playoffs in 1997 (Parcells was coaching for NE at the time).
1994. There was no Browns team in 1997.
This will be me, by the time I hit 65, LOL! Vince Lombardi, hands down, is the best coach ever. There will never be another like him. Yes, Bellicheck beat his season wins record by ONE. It's going to be a long, long time before anyone matches or beats that record again. Or before The Packers go back to the SuperBowl again for that matter, but we love them anyway. ;)
What was their record in 1990 before he arrived. Did they win 3 games that season?
Yeah but we had an interim coach for seven of the 16 games. The interim went 1-6.
Not only do the Browns not deserve a genius like Romeo Crennel as their coach, I'm truly beginning to wonder if Cleveland deserves an NFL franchise at all. Art Modell was always a jerk, but he knew that Baltimore was a bigger and better sports market than Cleveland (48% drop in population since 1960) would ever be again.The only worse place to play right now would be Detroit (45% of the population - and much of its business base - now gone).
The genius of your remakrs fails to take into account two things.
#1 They have a waiting list for 3 to 4 times as many season seats as they have available. (We have about 65,000 season ticket seats, I'm sure you can handle the rest of the math.)
#2 The Cleveland Browns have the largest fan base of ANY team in the NFL.
Time will tell if Crennel is a genius or just another Butch Davis.
"Not only do the Browns not deserve a genius like Romeo Crennel as their coach, I'm truly beginning to wonder if Cleveland deserves an NFL franchise at all. "
You know Crennel is a genius? He learned from his last stint in Cleveland, (where he put together a crappy defense under Chris Palmer)? You know it's Crennel not Belichick behind the defense in New England? Either you are an insider, or you assume too much.
As for not "deserving" a team... Cleveland fans have been getting beat over the head with modern sports lessons. We have been told more times than I care to remember, "Professional sports is a business". They moved the Browns because they belonged to that monster Modell. That taught me.
I stood behind the Browns forever. I loved the Indians. No more. I don't buy poor quality goods from a "business". Now, the Indians are back in the abyss. The owner is one of the cheapest going. The Indians have zero chance of winning the Series. If the Indians were in the East, they'd finish fourth.
The Browns are faceless, talentless, mired in losing, with a roster filled with under achievers.
Now that the Sox have won the WS, and NE has 3 super bowls, you are all good fans in New England? Hah! Seems to me, the only fans who complain more are in Philly.
I think we'll all be better off when we take the mindset of the good folks in Minnesota. They are threatening to move the Vikings, they demand a new stadium. The people of Minnesota say: "You want a new stadium, build one". So the Vikings will be moved. The folks in Minnesota love the Vikings, (my wife is from Minneapolis), but they won't be extorted.
Barry's Super Bowl was a Jimmy Johnson hangover - I could have coached that team!
Cleveland has a larger media market. And also 2 of the 3 major sports franchises, while Baltimore only has two.
Plus, Cleveland fans sell out home games in December.
The only worse place to play right now would be Detroit (45% of the population - and much of its business base - now gone).
Huh? Detroit has all 4 major sports franchises. There's only about 6-7 cities that can say the same thing. Detroit is also #10 in size of media market.
How you see that as an unhealthy sports market is beyond me.
I don't think so, Greg. I really don't. We just went through a second Schuman-era in SF (if anyone knows one of the local sportscasters) under a couple of guys who had been reasonably successful, elsewhere. What was the Niner's record - league worst, 2-14. First round draft pick territory. Was it because the coach was that bad? Not necessarily. He'd done well elsewhere. It was because a) he had no players, b) he had no front office support. End of the season, the only real 'Niner' left standing was the owner himself, who fired the GM, and basically the entire coaching staff, as you may have heard.
We also have experience with the real 'genius', the guy who invented a structured offense called the WCO which only now is returning to the Niners under the new coach, son-of-Nolan. But this 'genius' left the Niners to go to Stanford. How did Stanford do? Don't ask. He didn't last very long. And this was a hall of fame coach, with three superbowl rings - who Greg left off his short list.
So, perhaps, just perhaps, it wasn't Belichick who failed in Cleveland, but Cleveland that failed Belichick, as I believe was the case with the Niners, for the various reasons, failing Dennis Erickson. Perhaps its ironic that Policy and Clark, given much credit during the Niner's own dynasty, their 15 year run of winning every Superbowl in which they ever appeared, total of five, went to 'the new' Cleveland to bring some of the victory there, and didn't. Perhaps, Couch hopes against hope that the loss of Wiess to Notre Dame and Crennel to Cleveland will reveal the loser behind the winner - the REAL Belichick, you see.
Well, Walsh at Stanford WAS Bill Walsh - the real Bill Walsh. The Bill Walsh in the Pro Football HOF is also the real Bill Walsh, and one and the same. If Belichick was really such a loss, he wouldn't have continued to serve on Parcells staff, particularly not Parcells.
The fact is, Belichick has been remarkably successful. His linebackers for the NY Giants, in the 1980s, were dominant across both leagues. His post-season record is 10-1. He has, I believe, five Superbowl rings, all as coach, three as head coach. Bill Walsh must envy Belichick's record! !
The fact is, a coach alone cannot win a game. A strong, physical wide out, alone, cannot win a game. Perhaps, even a great running QB, like a Steve Young, while he might carry an entire team for a few regular season games, cannot alone win a championship. It takes people contributing from the front office, back office, whatever office, through the GM, coach, all of the coaches, and every gosh darned unit on both sides of the ball. Look at the Niners when they won. Eddie D was a 'HOF' owner (Model's also still up for it, too). Walsh a HOF coach. Montana and Young, HOF QBs. Lott HOF. More should be, too. Dean and Haley pioneered a particular pass rushing position, and both are still on the HOF balloting. And so on. The only weakness shown by the Pats, this time, was a portion of their secondary (and even that closed up). Front office, to second string player. All up and down the line, you need contributors. And then you might win the Superbowl.
Correction:
That should be: Cleveland has 3 of the 4 major sports franchises, while Baltimore only has 2.
"How you see that as an unhealthy sports market is beyond me."
Hmmm, I think it has to do with being smug. NE fans have seen their baseball and football teams succeed this year. So, obviously, anyplace that isn't NY or NE is a bad place.
Not saying that Barry is by any means a great coach, but Jimmy did flop in Miami.
I think it was more a case of a great TEAM coming together. Like Jimmy said the other night during the Super Bowl pre game, Aikman could have had some of the greatest numbers ever. He just wanted to WIN, and so did the rest of that team. End of story. Emmitt playing in the NFC title game against the Giants with a dislocated shoulder? Man, that is the definition of desire.
Reminds me a lot of Brady and the Patriots now. I do believe that the 90's Cowboys were better, though.
I'm still pretty die-hard about the Tribe but I really lost my enthusiasm for NFL football in the years that the Browns weren't there and it hasn't come back; kind of ironic since those early 50s Browns teams really helped put the NFL on the map. But now college ball is a lot more entertaining.
I just wonder now about next year. The Pats have had a pretty amazing run the last four years but is the run over.
Can they put it together for another Super Bowl next year?
My guess is they won't. The are having coaching changes although I don't know at this point whether they have any of their top players up for contract talks.
But when I look at teams like Tampa Bay, Oakland and others just from two years ago that went from the best to the worst I wonder about the Pats. Don't get me wrong I think they will do well next year but can they make it all the way? I don't think so. Any other opinions?
"I'm still pretty die-hard about the Tribe"
If your happy with competing for the AL Central as being your ultimate goal, then the Tribe is ok. If you want to see them win it all... move along, nothing to see here.
Larry Dolan defines cheap. The Indians haven't improved that much from last year. They could possibly, with some luck, take the Central. The chances of them winning in the playoffs are near zero.
Both got old and lost players. Sapp introduced the new uniforms for Tampa, if I recall, by taking out Steve Young in a regular season game, in the early 90s? Tampa sailed into history from there. But Sapp is old. And his play with Oakland was disappointing, even to him. There's also something else. Barret Robbins, the Raiders center for the Superbowl, mysteriously disappeared. His play was key. That offensive line, as with any pro team, was key. What happened? Well, the Raiders are still trying to recover, and Robbins, I guess permanantly off the meds, is up for murder. Oakland went from best to worst because they were betrayed, and because they were stunned with how badly they played. I think a lot was psychological, not just due to injuries or free agency. By mid-season, even Rice wanted out of there. It was only toward the end of this season did the Raiders seem about to put it behind them. We'll see next year. But don't forget, considering the expectations at the time, that was a heck of whipping they received in the Superbowl. It was a franchise killer. Two years afterward, and next season can only be better.
As a Cleveland native and now long distance Browns/Indians fan this book says it all:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1886228736/qid=1107894550/sr=2-1/ref=pd_ka_b_2_1/103-6134762-5257422
I saw an interview with the author on television. His best comment was: "Cleveland fans are 90% scar tissue"
Good luck Romeo Crennell I wish you and Belichick both life long success!
You forgot Darryl Rogers and Marty Morningwig.....
yea, but when they get good again, and you go back to see them, you can still wear the same stuff, and cheer the same cheers.
True - if you count the city only, but the metro area has about 4 million people.
Yeah, but that's only if you include the AAA Indians.
Cleveland, on the other hand, has a bigger long-term problem as a media market - its population is quickly aging, and is not only moving out - but away. People may go to school at Case Western, KSU, or John Marshall, but they tend not to stay in the region.
I also forgot Kevin Gilbride.
People of the Vince Lombardi generation will of course never shift their loyalty to another "all-time greatest" coach. And that's understandable. Just as football fans of this generation will be telling their grandkids in the 2040s how great Bill Belichick was and how the Patriots of the 2000s would kick the butt of any of the pansy-ass teams that make up the NFL today - even if a coach in the 2040s goes 21-0 in the playoffs.
Glad to see I'm not the only one that find it hilarious the Browns are grabbing one of Bill's assistants. Sure hope they're nicer to him than they were to Bill.
Yeah but I've been from the Colavito/Kuenn trade through the 60s, 70s, 80s, and early 90s with the Tribe and, believe me, these are great times compared to those days.
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