By Tony Moss Sep 17, 2007, 14:28 GMT
Philadelphia, PA - There was one way Bill Belichick could make the public flogging of his back side cease, and it was achieved Sunday night.
The Patriots' 38-14 steamrolling of the Chargers before a national television audience eager to see a cheater do something other than prosper, showed the world that inside information wasn't really the stabilizing block in New England's Super Bowl-winning game of Jenga.
Maybe Belichick's previous surveillance tactics gained the Patriots a first down here, or a turnover there, but to realistically suggest that the team's success during this decade was borne of a large measure of underhandedness is ridiculous, and clearly rooted in anti-Belichick sentiment.
Here's the deal, if you didn't already know.
The press hates Belichick with a passion. He's supremely and unapologetically unlikable as a human being, and makes our jobs hard by a) saying next-to- nothing of interest 99 percent of the time, b) misleading us in that one percent when he does have something to say, and c) siring an entire generation of coaching offspring who take the same monosyllabic approach.
Thus, when we have a clear shot at him as we have for the past week, we wind up like Lennox Lewis readying a right hand for your helpless grandmother. Belichick's unwillingness to entertain our questions about the matter only makes us angrier, so we'll gladly fan the flames of the controversy by suggesting that every result Belichick has been a part of since back in his Annapolis High School days is somehow tainted.
Lending itself to the hue and cry over this matter is the reaction of players and coaches around the league, who have no problem taking shots at the current team of the decade. If you can't beat 'em, attempt to demystify 'em. Which is why you have LaDainian Tomlinson, Jeff Fisher, and members of the Lions (really, the Lions?), among others, talking about the Patriots organization like it's Enron, bilking them of their rightful victories.
Backlash against champions is nothing new, with many in a previous group of non-winners whining about the Raiders' dirty tactics, the 49ers' dink-and-dunk offense, and the Cowboys' ability to build super-teams in the pre-salary cap era.
This is just another case of the scorned subjects railing against the king and his riches.
Sunday night's performance didn't make us love the king or his court any more than we already had, but it should have offered confirmation of the Patriots' legitimacy to any of those who harbored suspicions.
With a team of NFL whistle-blowers and NBC cameras watching New England's every sideline move, the Patriots dominated every phase of the game against an opponent that most ranked as the prime challenger to their would-be Super Bowl throne.
The decisive victory was about the same things the team's many victories of the past seven years have been about - talented, well-coached players who are disciplined and know how to execute.
It looked like New England was a step ahead of the Chargers all night, knew exactly what was coming on both sides of the football. The win didn't come from studying defensive signals, it came from the excruciating attention to detail that has been part of every Belichick game plan since he entered the league.
You have to believe it was that very attention to detail that got Belichick in trouble in the first place.
'Anything to put the team in position to win' has been Belichick's cause since he first strapped on the headset.
Which is why you should believe that Belichick forced former New England linebacker Ted Johnson to practice despite not having been cleared from a concussion a few years back. Johnson (who is now suffering from early signs of Alzheimer's in his mid-30s) made the Patriots a better team, which is all that mattered to Belichick.
And why you should believe that Belichick tried to prevent his brilliant defensive coordinator, Eric Mangini, from interviewing for other jobs before he bolted to the Jets. Mangini's career arc meant nothing to Belichick, winning the next game was the only concern.
And it's why you should believe all of those allegations about Belichick attempting to steal classified information from opponents.
Beneath him? Nope. Nothing's beneath the guy when it come to putting his team in position to come out ahead.
Hate Belichick for that win-at-all-costs mentality if you like, but never suggest that you can boil down his success to one single element such as the probable theft of defensive signals.
Most of what has made the coach and his team great has been legal and above- board, and what hasn't is all part of the same complex tapestry that couldn't be decoded by a team of NASA astronomers, much less us the commoners.
Trying to prevent Belichick from gaining an unfair advantage could become a full-time job for the NFL, and like it or not, Roger Goodell and his cohorts on Park Avenue are probably going to fare about as well as the Chargers did Sunday night.
Belichick wins, while the rest of the world hates. And tries to live with it.
© 2007 The Sports Network
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