The greatest sports book ever written - Bill Belichick

[ivanvamp]

I don't know if this will ever happen, but I really, really want Belichick to write a book when his coaching days are over. He could write thousands of pages from his 40+ years in the NFL (by the time he's done it will be 50+ years). All the teams, all the years, all the players, all the experiences. Now we just speculate on what BB is thinking. I'd love to have him actually explain his thought process behind so many decisions. His football philosophy, his coaching principles, his strategies, his thoughts on personnel moves, what it's like dealing with the media, everything.

Here's a handful of specific things I'd like to read about from his own words:

- Details on coaching LT. What that was like. What kind of a person he really was on the team.
- What it was like coaching under Parcells.
- How hard that last year in Cleveland was.
- The thought process on Bledsoe and Brady.
- Some of the big personnel moves like Milloy, Seymour, Collins, Moss, etc.
- His reaction to, and handling of, Bruschi after his stroke.
- 4th and 2 against Indy and some other key plays, like not kicking the FG in the 2nd Giants SB.
- His real thoughts on Spygate and Deflategate and Roger Goodell.
- Some of his best game plans.
- What it was really like losing SB 42.

If he writes such a book, it will be the greatest sports book ever written, and nothing will be close. If it was 2,000 pages long, I'd read every single page in rapt attention.

What are some other topics or specifics you'd like him to talk about in such a book?

 

[TB12TheGoat]

Why he didnt kick the 48 yarder in SB42

 

[Dorito Dink]

How he's dealt with the handicap of BB the GM killing BB the Coach

 

[Dorito Dink]

*Fasts forwards 2 years*

How he decided to keep/trade Jimmy G and if he ever actually considered trading Brady.

 

[RobertWeathers]

I don't know if this will ever happen, but I really, really want Belichick to write a book when his coaching days are over. He could write thousands of pages from his 40+ years in the NFL (by the time he's done it will be 50+ years). All the teams, all the years, all the players, all the experiences. Now we just speculate on what BB is thinking. I'd love to have him actually explain his thought process behind so many decisions. His football philosophy, his coaching principles, his strategies, his thoughts on personnel moves, what it's like dealing with the media, everything.

Here's a handful of specific things I'd like to read about from his own words:

- Details on coaching LT. What that was like. What kind of a person he really was on the team.
- What it was like coaching under Parcells.
- How hard that last year in Cleveland was.
- The thought process on Bledsoe and Brady.
- Some of the big personnel moves like Milloy, Seymour, Collins, Moss, etc.
- His reaction to, and handling of, Bruschi after his stroke.
- 4th and 2 against Indy and some other key plays, like not kicking the FG in the 2nd Giants SB.
- His real thoughts on Spygate and Deflategate and Roger Goodell.
- Some of his best game plans.
- What it was really like losing SB 42.

If he writes such a book, it will be the greatest sports book ever written, and nothing will be close. If it was 2,000 pages long, I'd read every single page in rapt attention.

What are some other topics or specifics you'd like him to talk about in such a book?

I want to know how he got that black eye.

I forget where I read it or who it was but a fmr player described the locker room after SB42 as a something close to a funeral for a someone who died a shockingly tragic death. Most with sheer shock on their faces. Grown men who spit lightning crying. Seau and Rodney in a long embrace crying on each others shoulders. Seymour, Vrabel, Bru all red-eyed staring off into space for a solid hour after the game. Just awful.

After the players filed in and sat down, BB got in front of the team and apologized and said something to the effect that he let the team down by not have the right game plan and not coaching them to where they needed to be to win the game. He said he was proud of all of them for having a great season and they should never hang their head for what they accomplished and they played like the champions he thought they were. The speech lasted about 2 minutes.

It was also said that BB escaped to the coaches office and his son Stephen followed him and they shut the door. BB emerged 10 minutes later along with Stephen their eyes red and BB asked a staffer to find him some Visine.

Not sure if its all true but seems very believable.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

1. His thoughts about Herr Goodell during Spygate? During Deflategate?
2. Same regarding Kraft
3. Point at which he realized Brady > Bledsoe
4. What happened regarding Moss departure?
5. Opinions of various front office personnel throughout the NYJFL.

I expect to read little of substance on most of these in any post retirement book. Why would he debase himself?

 

[BTTA]

Yes, I've had this same thought many times. It should be a multi volume set.

Equally fun would be for him to contract with one of the networks that's NOT carrying NFL games, and have a special 15 minute halftime show with strategy comments about what each team should be doing that's playing that day. A huge portion of the audience would leave the game broadcast for halftime, choosing Bill's insight over the clown show that is normally shown. It would be a huge revenue loss for the League, with halftime commercial value plummeting. What a fabulous FU to the League that would be.

Or do it on line.

 

[fourhour]

His Spygate thoughts and perhaps throwing the rest of them under the bus....

 

[102 Pat]

I would wonder if he'd talk about his favourite SB win, if so why? It would be quite the book to read regardless of the content.

 

[chris_in_sunnyvale]

This would never happen, but I would love BB to put together two lists:

Top 10 best coached games...including calling out opposing players and coaching strategies his gameplan specifically targeted. For example, imagine hearing BB explain why the Pats had 9 in the box vs. Pittsburgh in the '01 AFCCG was because "We knew Kordell couldn't hit the broadside of a barn" or WRT SB39, "We knew Andy Reid's clock management would kill their chances." Just totally raw opinion, the harsher the better.

To balance it out, I'd also like to see his raw and unfiltered takes on the infamous "bottom 8": the exits in SBs 42 & 46, the AFCCGs in '06, '12, '13 and '15, plus the one-and-dones in '09 and '10. Imagine BB just going off on the OL in SB42, hammering the ref in AFCCG'06 for calling PI on Hobbs when faceguarding was made legal a few seasons earlier, calling out Brady for missing a wide open Edelman in AFCCG'13 and other miscues.

Think "Patrick MotherF***er Pass", but BB instead of Weis and times 1000.

Regards,
Chris

 

[Canuck]

Some Bill Belichick books I would like to see:

1:The Autobiography of Bill Belichick. The story of Bill Belichick and his life in the NFL

2: Football Strategy by Bill Belichick. The nuts and bolts on coaching a team. From the first day of scouting to the Super Bowl and everything in between.

3: It Is What It Is: From The Art of War by Sun Tsu to We're on to Cincinnati, Belichick talks about the mental aspects of creating a winning football team.

4: The History of Football by Bill Belichick: Belichick talks about the evolution of Football from the beginning to the modern day version. How owners, players and strategy changed the face of Football.

5: NFL and it's Dirty Little Secrets: In this latest book from Belichick, we finally learn what he really thinks of Spygate, Deflategate and Goodell. From stickum to lip reading and other tactics teams used to get an edge.

6: New England Patriots - Super Bowl Champions: In this massive book, Belichick breaks down each Super Bowl team and how they became Super Bowl Champions

7: 18-1: Almost Perfect: Belichick talks about the 2007 New England Patriots.

8: TB12: Brady as seen through the eyes of Bill Belichick

9: Players by Bill Belichick: In the latest edition from award winning author Bill Belichick, he talks about favorite players he coached and coached against.

10: To the Super Bowl and Beyond: In his first work of fiction, Belichick creates a story about a Lacrosse Coach that takes over the NFL internationl expansion team, the China Dynasty and coaches them to be Super Bowl Champions. Two of his most endearing characters are twin sumo wrestlers from Japan who become Pro Bowl defensive tackles.

 

[DarrylS]

If and when he does this hope he chooses some prolific, "David Halberstam" type writer, and not just a convenient choice from the local market.

Was very disappointed in the most recent Michael Holley book, "Belichick and Brady" as after the first couple of chapters it was mundane, bordering on boring.

There are so many questions as to why he did this or why this happened, hope it is well written and complete...

 

[nabwong]

I know this will not happen but I'd love to have the Sunday or Monday night crew have him come in. It would be nice to see Peyton and Bill on Monday night like they do Tony and Rodney on Sunday.

 

[RobertWeathers]

If and when he does this hope he chooses some prolific, "David Halberstam" type writer, and not just a convenient choice from the local market.

Was very disappointed in the most recent Michael Holley book, "Belichick and Brady" as after the first couple of chapters it was mundane, bordering on boring.

There are so many questions as to why he did this or why this happened, hope it is well written and complete...

Why blame Holley? He's a fine writer. I read it as well and I think this issue for people like me and you is that we knew 90% of the content already.

Maybe Doris Kearns Goodwin, James McCullough or "Killing Belichick" by Bill OReilly might due his lifes story justice?

 

[ChessToCheckers]

Some Bill Belichick books I would like to see:

This is a great list and progression, Canuck!

But where is the story behind when best selling author BB becomes NFL Commissioner and restores the League to its former glory?

 

[bbobbo]

If and when he does this hope he chooses some prolific, "David Halberstam" type writer, and not just a convenient choice from the local market.

Was very disappointed in the most recent Michael Holley book, "Belichick and Brady" as after the first couple of chapters it was mundane, bordering on boring.

There are so many questions as to why he did this or why this happened, hope it is well written and complete...

i agree. i'm about 2/3 of the way through it, and much of it is just summarizing events that any follower of the team already knows about. the only new material are some interviews with various players that give a little bit of insight into what they were thinking when certain important events were occurring.

i just read "the education of a coach" a couple of months ago, so after reading that great work, this is a big letdown. it's like going from the new yorker to the new york post.

 

[bbobbo]

Why blame Holley? He's a fine writer. I read it as well and I think this issue for people like me and you is that we knew 90% of the content already.

Maybe Doris Kearns Goodwin, James McCullough or "Killing Belichick" by Bill OReilly might due his lifes story justice?

i would describe holley's writing as "workman-like".

i think a good choice would be laura hillenbrand, since she's already written two sports-related books. "seabiscuit" and "unbroken" were both great.

 

[RobertWeathers]

i would describe holley's writing as "workman-like".

i think a good choice would be laura hillenbrand, since she's already written two sports-related books. "seabiscuit" and "unbroken" were both great.

Agreed. Shes fantastic. I was slightly disappointed with the movie Unbroken but the book was incredible.

I think Sally Jenkins would also be great. I read her book on Pat Summitt. Excellent read.

 

[Canuck]

This is a great list and progression, Canuck!

But where is the story behind when best selling author BB becomes NFL Commissioner and restores the League to its former glory?

Great idea, I wish I had thought of it. After 9 I ran out of ideas. Number 10 was pure desperation.