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

[TheRainMaker]

You mean Oakland not Minnesota?

Yep, my bad.

 

[TheRainMaker]

I agree.

In case it wasn’t clear, Bobby Grier is one of many examples of how easy it isn’t to get an exceptional drafter.

To be fair, how much credit does he get in scouting players from 1993-1995 before Bob gave him power in 1996? That 1996 draft was insane.

He apparently was scouting Tom Brady so he may have persuaded Bill in addition to **** Rhebin to draft him.

 

[Pape]

I wanted to keep Carrol,

The team was falling apart under Poodle Pete. the offense was tanking. He needed to go.

 

[reflexblue]

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.

My attitude was meh, what he did with the browns wasn't that impressive. I certainly never imagined he would turn the pats into a dynasty. Well he and brady.

 

[Pape]

To be fair, how much credit does he get in scouting players from 1993-1995 before Bob gave him power in 1996? That 1996 draft was insane.

He apparently was scouting Tom Brady so he may have persuaded Bill in addition to **** Rhebin to draft him.

The Brady6 documentary indicated it was Grier who reached out to Lloyd Carr about 12

 

[Dragda]

I remember the hubbub about the first round pick but I thought it was a good hire

 

[ralmat55]

I wanted Kraft to hire him when Parcells left. I knew he was the man , but I never imagined it would become what it became.

I had practically held a month long prayer vigil hoping the Pats could get him away from the Jets.

My memory is not great. I remember very little vividly, but I remember how I found out. I got into my car to drive home on my lunch hour. My car radio was on ESPN’s Tony Kornhiser’s radio show when Dan Davis reported the news I had longed to hear all month. I could not have cared less about the compensation.

Aside from SBs and other great wins and disappointing losses, 3 moments stand out to me as a Pats fan. Bill’s hire, awakening to the news Kraft had bought the team and hearing of Darryl Stingley’s injury sitting in my gramp’s pickup one Sunday morning.

Go Pats!!!!!

 

[scott99]

I liked it a lot when it happened, disliked it a lot after they went 5-11 in 2000, and we gave up a high 1st round pick to the Jets for Belichick. Obviously was extremely thrilled in 2001 and every year until 2019.

 

[condon84]

Honestly I didn't think it was a good idea.

We had Bledsoe, who I thought needed an offensive coach. And Parcells left a bad taste and he was a Parcells lieutenant.

 

[cmasspatsfan]

When BB joined the Pats staff under Parcells, we made the Super Bowl. Also, the loss we took against Cleveland made me a believer in Bill. The team got worse under Pete. My brother hated it, I loved the move. Whatever decision RK makes this offseason I believe it will be the right one, or maybe I just hope it will be right.

 

[The Boston Patriot]

I was ecstatic!

 

[TinhWoodhead]

Getting Bill was very exciting. I was also pumped and jacked. Even in the 5-11 season, they played competitively.

He could end up with almost the same record with his first and last season here

 

[Ring 6]

Ha ha!

I wanted Terry Donahue/Dom Capers over giving up a first round pick for Belichick! Julian Peterson was taken with pick #16 that year....and Shaun Alexander a few picks later!

Thank god you didn’t get your way.

 

[UrbanCowboy]

I was just glad to get rid of Carroll.

my sentiments exactly!

 

[Ring 6]

Getting Bill was very exciting. I was also pumped and jacked. Even in the 5-11 season, they played competitively.

The thing I liked about the 2000 season was it seemed that instead of the Carroll years when there really wasn’t an identity, or a commitment to what the team wanted to become, in 2000 we did the things a championship team needs to do, and found out what we had. Rather than taking a chance letting Bledsoe try to be Dan Marino, we played the style that wins championships, stuck to it and learned where the upgrades were needed.
Then filled them in free agency in 2001.

 

[*ChungFu*]

As a season ticket holder at the time I was elated. His short time here as a DC was fun. I remember specifically how he constructed a team of the largest defensive players I ever saw when the BB-coached Browns beat the Patriots in the playoffs. I was excited for a start to a new era of Patriots football.
I've since turned in my season tickets; worn down by the pink hats in my section and that was while we were at 4 Super Bowl titles. I have no such anticipation for anything good happening here going forward. I don't even care who replaces BB. This league has sunk the game itself into something I can barely stand.

 

[Dedhampatsfan]

I was off the charts happy! For whatever reason, at the start of his second season after the 5-11 start I told friends I felt we were gonna be in the Superbowl that year. I didn't expect Brady to be the one to put us there but was ecstatic that it happened.

I started watching NEP when Chuck Fairbanks was the head coach. I don't remember much about it and back then we didn't always get the telecast on television in my area. Raymond Berry came along and was a good coach but the Sullivans owned the team. After they sold to the AB guy then to Kiam it was going downhill until Mr. Kraft stepped up. He brought in the proven Tuna which showed his desire for success though it didn't work out. Carroll was from the Bill Walsh tree, inheriting Parcells team and only staying a couple of years. The team was regressing at that point IIRC.

 

[skinnydog]

I tended to be happy with it, but also the whole way he resigned from the Jets was bizarre and the loss of the draft pick sucked. I liked the fact that he was a defensive coordinator. At least at that time I thought they made the best head coaches. So happy, but never envisioned anything like the dynasty that resulted.

 

[mgteich]

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.

Then, as now" Trust the ownership that saved the franchise.

 

[Hyped]

Getting Bill was very exciting. I was also pumped and jacked. Even in the 5-11 season, they played competitively.

I remember telling people that the 2000 Patriots were the GREATEST 0-5 team evah!

And winning in Denver that year was a lot of fun.