Happy Birthday to the GOAT

[Gator Mike]

70 years ago today, William Stephen Belichick was born in Nashville, TN to Jeannette and Stephen Belichick.

Happy Birthday to the Greatest Coach in the History of the Game of Football.

 

[maust]

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

Happy birthday playa

 

[Mike the Brit]

Happy birthday -- and thanks for all the rings.

 

[italian pat patriot]

Buon compleanno coach

 

[p8ryts]

Happy Birthday Coach. Thanks for the memories.

 

[sb1]

He’s on to 71.

 

[Pape]

 

[Patsfan1958]

Happy Birthday Coach!! 70 years old and still going strong.

 

[ashley]

Happy Birthday to the GOAT......really good read by Mike Reiss......

 

[SHOWTIME15]

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

Chris Carter before Super Bowl 36: "What gives the Patriots a chance is Belichick."

The 1976 Patriots (at least in the top three Pats teams all time) lost the opener to the Colts, in Miami (like always), and at Detroit, to the Lions with Special Teams Assistant Coach Bill Belichick, assistant to Special Teams Coordinator Jerry Glanville. It was the debut for Tommy Hudspeth, who replaced Rick Forzano as head coach after going 1-3 in the first four games.

Fascinating fact:

In spite of their poor overall record the Lions offense set a statistical record for Passer Rating Differential (40.9, 14th best 1960 to 2011). Such a high rating is usually reserved for playoff teams or Super Bowl winners:

NFL Champions (1920–1969) Super Bowl Champions (1970–present)

Conference Champions

Division Champions

Wild Card Berth

Did not qualify for postseason

Top 25 Teams in Passer Rating Differential (1960-present)
Ranking	Team	OPR	DPR	Differential	W	L	T
1	1960 Cleveland Browns	109.5	51.7	57.8	8	3	1
2	1966 Green Bay Packers	102.1	46.1	56.0	12	2
3	1987 San Francisco 49ers	106.2	53.8	52.4	13	2
4	1989 San Francisco 49ers	114.8	68.5	46.3	14	2
5	1975 Minnesota Vikings	90.8	46.2	44.6	12	2
6	1975 Pittsburgh Steelers	86.7	42.8	43.9	12	2
7	1994 San Francisco 49ers	111.4	68.1	43.3	13	3
8	1999 St. Louis Rams	106.6	64.1	42.5	13	3
9	1975 Cincinnati Bengals	89	46.9	42.1	11	3
10	1963 New York Giants	94.4	52.7	41.7	11	3
11	1962 Green Bay Packers	84.9	43.4	41.5	13	1
12	1976 Detroit Lions	84.6	43.7	40.9	6	8
13	1963 Chicago Bears	75.6	34.8	40.8	11	1	2
14	1996 Green Bay Packers	95.7	55.4	40.3	13	3
15	1974 Washington Redskins	90	49.9	40.1	10	4
16	1972 Miami Dolphins	86.9	47.4	39.5	14	0
17	1988 Minnesota Vikings	80.4	41.2	39.2	11	5
18	1991 Washington Redskins	98	58.9	39.1	14	2
19	1960 Philadelphia Eagles	87.9	49.1	38.8	10	2
20	2007 New England Patriots	116	78.1	37.9	16	0
21	2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers	86.3	48.4	37.9	12	4
22	2009 New Orleans Saints	106	68.6	37.4	13	3
23	1984 Miami Dolphins	108.5	71.4	37.1	14	2
24	1977 Dallas Cowboys	85.3	48.2	37.1	12	2
25	1967 Los Angeles Rams	84.4	47.5	36.9	11	1	2

1976 Detroit Lions season - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Tunescribe]

 

[SHOWTIME15]

Wow, Brady hasn't wished Bill a happy 70th yet on social media (unless i missed it)...it's a pretty big milestone for coach.

 

[Tunescribe]

Wow, Brady hasn't wished Bill a happy 70th yet on social media (unless i missed it)...it's a pretty big milestone for coach.

Could be he considers head coaches more or less disposable.

 

[StanleyGrogan]

No days off. Not even birthdays...

 

[DarrylS]

Nice to see a thread about BB, the GOAT, not descending into a cesspool of bashing him about something, anything will do.

Thankful we have had him on our side for this period of time..

 

[SHOWTIME15]

Could be he considers head coaches more or less disposable.

I still think there's bad blood between the two. It took Belichick an entire day to congratulate Brady on his "retirement" while Kraft immediately put out a statement.

 

[FreeTedWilliams]

BB wouldn't have had this birthday if it wasn't for Brady

I wonder if he is collecting his Social Security checks

 

[Tunescribe]

I still think there's bad blood between the two. It took Belichick an entire day to congratulate Brady on his "retirement" while Kraft immediately put out a statement.

Meh. I wouldn't consider it "bad blood" as much as being tired of each other. The situation is more complicated for Brady, though. Tom is at a rarified level where most coaches can't offer much and just irritate him, but the fact is he still NEEDS coaching. It just has to be the right guy and BB is one of the very few capable of that. Another would have been Sean Payton, which is why the supposed Miami scenario made sense.