(Image Credit: Boston Herald)
(WARNING: Potential spoilers)
Most fans have always wondered why are the New England Patriots are the most hated team in the NFL. Dark Side of Football may have given viewers the reasons why.
In the second episode of the VICE TV series, viewers took a look into the “Dark Art of Bill Belichick” by looking into the scandals and obstacles the “legendary” Patriots head coach faced throughout his career. Each story would convince viewers that Belichick would always find ways to cheat and take the easy way towards victory without having to pay a major consequence. They would also see how his attitude and cold, hard methods had his team more pressured than pumped in every game. The ending would even make you wonder if his influence will spread to those who he took under his wing.
Now here are the three takeaways from this episode:
1. Cleveland Almost Ended Belichick’s Coaching Career
After winning a Super Bowl as an assistant coach under Bill Parcells, Belichick took a chance at the role of head coach in 1991. He took his first job in the field with the Cleveland Browns. The only job he had was to turn the team around after they went 3-13 the season before that. Obviously, people expect changes to come when something like this happens, but then there would be a huge change made by Belichick that would rock the Browns fanbase.
Bernie Kosar, who was the Browns QB when Belichick was hired, was a beloved hometown hero. In the series, he admitted to not having the physical prowess like other players but having the mentality to get the plays done. However, that kind of thing didn’t roll with Belichick, so he benched him and dismissed him eventually. This sparked a huge backlash with the fans. The wins didn’t mean anything no matter how many changes were made to improve the team.
Forgiveness was never an option after Kosar’s dismissal. Belichick was despised all over the nation, and everything in Cleveland kept escalating to extreme levels. Eventually, former owner Art Modell gave in to the public reactions and fired Belichick. That brief stint would not bring him another head coach position for a while. He would return to his old position and rejoin Parcells as part of the New England Patriots.
2. No Team Hates the Patriots More Than the NY Jets
The hate that the New York Jets have towards New England is more personal than most people think. For those who don’t know, it all began when Parcells and Belichick came to the Jets organization together.
Just like before, Parcells would be the head coach and Belichick, his assistant. Parcells would then have a front office position in January 2000, and he named Belichick his head coach successor. That wouldn’t last long as he announced his resignation at a press conference and sent New York on a frenzy. The rivalry would be more difficult to handle when he was caught in his first major scandal involving him and the Jets.
“Spygate” reportedly started when a young Patriots cameraman was caught recording signals from a pair of Jets defensive coordinators who worked under Eric Mangini, Belichick’s former assistant. Those would be relayed to Tom Brady through the earphones inside his helmet. Mangini discovered him and knew that he was being watched, so the tapes were confiscated. Eventually, the scandal dropped despite reports of evidence being destroyed by the NFL.
3. Belichick Is Too Proud to Put The Blame on Himself
“Deflategate” and both versions of “Spygate” will always have a place among the biggest scandals in NFL history. “Deflategate” happened in 2015 in the AFC Championship against the Indianapolis Colts when it was discovered that the Patriots’ footballs were underinflated. That scandal in particular was the biggest story in sports.
The hard part about both scandals is that whenever Belichick addressed the media, he would always deflect blame. His statements would make him look innocent, and he tried to make them look dumb by telling them he didn’t know what was happening. Whatever the case, Belichick and the Patriots organization were greatly fined for both scandals and faced no further punishment. The “Deflategate” scandal punished Brady with a 4-game suspension without pay. Many people still believe he got away with both scandals to this day.
The dynasty he built around the Patriots is what he will always be remembered for. Every Super Bowl and game he won in his career seemed like the only thing that mattered to him more. The more he wanted to win, the more he was willing to bend the rules. He became too proud of a coach to admit what he did when he broke them. He just kept doing it as long as it meant he got the result he wanted.
The bigger question now is how his legacy will be remembered, and if Belichick will go down in fame, infamy, or both.
