Be honest all of you old heads. What was your initial thought when we hired BB?

[p8ryts]

I was excited. He was on the verge of success in Cleveland when the rug was pulled out from under him. When he was DB coach here, Willie Clay credited BB with preparing them so well that they knew where Brunell would go with the ball in the red zone. I'm still excited for him. Get a competent QB that can protect the ball and we will be fine.

 

[Hyped]

Not 2000, but 2001.

I was at the local mall wearing a Pats hat. This group of little punks were talking 5hit to me about it. How much the Patriots sucked and that they were a laughingstock. This was in a city where the local NFL had recent success.

I always wished that I could have seen the look on those delinquents faces when the Pats won it all in New Orleans.

We won in week 5 in 2000 to snap a 4 game losing streak.

In 2001, we lost when Tommy threw 4 interceptions...ended up 3-4....then would battle back to 5-4 before suffering our last loss that year at home vs. the Rams.

But yeah...I also wish I could have seen the look on their faces when Vinatieri's kick went through the uprights....what a season that was...

 

[upstater1]

It seems like the Rats were butthurt when the NFL forced them to give a 1st and 4th round pick to the Pats for stealing Parcells, stealing Curtis Martin, and sabotaging the Pats’ attempt to win a SB.

How rodent to think that the Pats should compensate them for BB.

As I recall Parcells was stepping down, and that freed BB up to leave, but they twisted BB’s arm to get him to agree to be their HC, to give them a legal case against anyone trying to sign BB.

Maybe someone else can polish up the details?

It’s been a while, and I slept at least once since then.

Belichick would've won that case if Kraft hadn't conceded.

Belichick was offered the Raiders job the prior year, but the Jets/Parcells pulled him back to New Jersey by guaranteeing him he would take over when Parcells stepped down. Belichick became the first ass't head coach in NFL history to earn a $1m + salary with that move.

But this doesn't mean he HAD to take the Jets coaching job. This was entirely Belichick's option.

 

[The Gr8est]

Belichick would've won that case if Kraft hadn't conceded.

Belichick was offered the Raiders job the prior year, but the Jets/Parcells pulled him back to New Jersey by guaranteeing him he would take over when Parcells stepped down. Belichick became the first ass't head coach in NFL history to earn a $1m + salary with that move.

But this doesn't mean he HAD to take the Jets coaching job. This was entirely Belichick's option.

Kraft has a history of backing down.

See Spygate and Deflategate.

 

[Sam Bam Cunningham]

We should have kept Bobby Grier as GM.

That was a man who knew how to draft.

Yes He drafted Terry Glenn and “she” was great

 

[vicspats]

I wanted to keep Carrol,
But when I saw the options were Belichick or Dom Capers I literally prayed for Belichick.
That Jets conference was legendary.
However when he came and dismantled a very talented team and brought in the corpses of Charles Johnson,Torrance Small, released Ben Coates, Didn’t bring back Jefferson, big play Clay, Slade, Rucci, Lane, Armstrong if memory serves right. I hated what he did to the Team,

He took my hero’s and jettisoned them out and released Milloy I was livid.
Then we did Ty law super dirty, and traded Glenn.

Ugh.

If it wasn’t for Brady man.

Rucci and Lane were overpaid jags.. just goes to show us fans that some of these “ hero’s “ we have could be cancers on teams.

 

[sb1]

Rucci and Lane were overpaid jags.. just goes to show us fans that some of these “ hero’s “ we have could be cancers on teams.

Reggie White thought Lane was paid just right…

 

[Nikolai]

I was really happy to see Carroll gone, and I knew BB was a great defensive mind from his days as DC with us and, of course, earlier with the NYG. I wasn't over the moon, but I expected things would get a little better, because the way I saw it, Carroll inherited a Conference Champion and ran the team into the ground.

I liked the move, given that he was a brilliant defensive mind and I felt like his experience in Cleveland would make him a good fit here. And the one thing I'll also say is a lot of the cryptic stuff with the media came later in his career here after the team had more success. He talked openly and honestly about a lot of stuff during the early days, and was very forthcoming. He actually started out that way and then later pulled back, so he was a much different guy back then.

I noticed that as well a few years ago when watching old pressers. It really does seem like the BS in 2007 really changed him quite a bit, and I can't blame him. He got similar treatment from the media in Cleveland, even though that last season was not his fault. Twice burned.

After the way the media treated us in 2007 and 2015-2016, I have had absolutely no issue with BB's treatment of the media. **** them.

 

[State]

I was excited as possibly could be.

Me too.

 

[neuronet]

I was lukewarm to skeptical.

 

[RobertWeathers]

I didn't think it would be all that great. A defensive coach replacing Carroll. Also, a
defensive coach. Didn't hate it. Was just surprised we went with someone who
didn't kill it in Cleveland. I know there were extenuating circumstances.

I admit. I wasn't happy.

But even though they sucked I liked the feel of the 2000 team. They were tough. Players were saying BB was tough but "knows his stuff".

 

[Triumph]

We won in week 5 in 2000 to snap a 4 game losing streak.

In 2001, we lost when Tommy threw 4 interceptions...ended up 3-4....then would battle back to 5-4 before suffering our last loss that year at home vs. the Rams.

But yeah...I also wish I could have seen the look on their faces when Vinatieri's kick went through the uprights....what a season that was...

Remember it well.

Mike Bishop in 2000. I was in my lucky seat at the sportsbar when Veritek split the uprights to win the cup.

 

[Triumph]

Yes He drafted Terry Glenn and “she” was great

Bryan Cox wanted to be locked in a room with him.

To see who walked out when they opened the door again.

 

[wrangler]

I wasn't impressed with the move. Didn't think it was worth the cost. I was happy with 2001 but was still not
sold on the move. 2002 had me still not convinced. After 2003 I was finally convinced, what a run.

 

[Water Boy]

I was stoked the Pats hired Belichick. He was the coach I wanted after Carrol. I remember listening to sports radio intently (The Big Show) as the whole saga unfolded. Once BB resigned as HC of the NYJ it was quite the soap opera for him to land here. So glad he made his legacy here.

 

[MagicMarker]

I was not happy at all. Not the hiring of Belichick part, but the giving up the #1 draft pick for him. I wanted them to hire Jim Haslett as HC, and Tom Donohue as GM. That pair later went to Buffalo and I don't think either is in the league anymore, although Haslett was in the XFL last year.

 

[Ivan]

I loved it. Coming n the heels of Parcells Pete Carroll got no respect from the locker room, and Belichick got that immediately, and was the best football mind you could find. I also hated the Jraft’s involvement in personnel decisions, and I was happy the deal with Belichick ended that. Any sports franchise where owners make the personnel decisions is screwed.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

Potential.

Belichick had it. Can't give Kraft enough credit for seeing it. Nobody's perfect, but Robert nailed this one.

I don't care about 5-11. Fairbanks went 3-11.

Robert makes a few Earth shaking, incredibly fabulous decisions.

Unfortunately, he also makes some unbelievably terrible and wrong ones, too.

Today, I don't care if the Patriots are 0-17. If Belichick wants to coach here, I want him.

 

[bresna]

I was excited but hated that they had to give the Jets a first round pick, especially after the crap they pulled with Curtis Martin a few years before.

I grew up in Western Mass, so I was a bit of a Giants fan early on because that was the team on TV out there (Channel 3 out of Hartford). I saw what Belichick could do with the defense and then saw what he did with the Browns so I was hoping he could turn this franchise around.

As for the way he came here, I thought it was a riot. Screw the Jets. Every time we beat the Jets is a good game. We could go 2-15, with both wins against the Jets and while I'd be severely disappointed, I'd be happy we still beat that team.

 

[KDPPatsfan85]

At the time, i didnt think he was worth a 1st rounder!