Brian Belichick for Coach of the Year?
You have got to be kidding me! What were the AP writers thinking? Sure, the Patriots went 16-0 and look like the surest Super Bowl winner since the ’85 Bears. He’ll get plenty of props for that. But the guy got caught cheating after he had already been warned that what he was doing was cheating! Did Bobby Petrino get a few votes too?
Of course Patriots owner Bob Kraft agrees with the recognition:
"If anyone is deserving of such an award it really is Bill," Patriots owner Robert Kraft said. "I know the energy and effort and planning and time (he puts in). He's had his foot on the pedal all year, just working so hard and always doing everything he can to put the team in a position to win first."
I guess "doing everything he can" includes filming the competing coaches sideline signals for future reference. I guess that $250k fine he had to pay was chump change. Let’s see how Kraft feels when Roger Goodell makes this announcement in April: "With the 32nd pick of the 2008 draft the New England Patriots get no one, since they got caught cheating after being warned."
More deserving was runner-up Packers coach Mike McCarthy who took a team no one expected to make the playoffs to a 13-3 record. What about Wade Phillips in Dallas? The first year coach for the Cowboys took a young QB in Romo, a huge ego in TO and the high expectations of the Dallas faithful and led them to the NFC’s #1 seed. No easy feat I assure you.
Let me predict a few more AP writer awards for 2007:
Male Athlete of the Year – Barry Bonds
Female Athlete of the Year – Marion Jones
Mother of the Year – Lynn Spears
Father of the Year – Dog the Bounty Hunter
Man’s Best Friend Award – Michael Vick
You get the point. Does everything have to be about winning and winning alone? Is there no consideration for the manner in which one wins?
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i disagree
I think Belichek is an excellent choice for Coach of the Year. I think the cheating thing was blown out of proportion and Gooddell used it to make an example out of him. Everyone knows that videotaping the first half of the sorry Jets did nothing to help the team. Additionally, every coach is trying to figure ways to get an advantage. The last regular season loss for the Pats was a shutout by the Dolphins. What happened? The Dolphins received a videotape from an anonymous source with the Pats signals recorded. The Jets have recorded the Patriots, too. Every team tries it, but the Pats had the best method of doing it. Then they got caught and punished. However, that did not keep Belichek from brilliant coaching this year. Some say it was largely because of the talent on the team; moreso than coaching. However, he's the one that brought that talent in. We could've traded for Randy Moss, too, and he would've been miserable with David Carr and Vinny. Wes Welker would've been our return guy, and Fox probably would've made him the #4 receiver and put him on kick coverage. The point is that Bill did a great job on the sidelines, as a motivator, and with his personnel moves.
While I give him a lot of credit, though, I must admit that if I could vote, I would've voted for Mike McCarthy as well. He took the same personnel plus a bunch of no name RBs and won 13 games. What if I told you in August that the Packers don't need super-old Ahman Green because they have Ryan Grant? All this Demeco Ryans/Pat Willis talk is making people overlook AJ Hawk, the DBs, and Kampman. Look at the lack of Packers on the Pro Bowl squad, you know the one with all those Cowboys including their 2nd string RB.
He's a great coach no doubt
but I was hoping for more emphasis to be placed on overcoming adversity. The Patriots were most peoples preseason favorites so their winning is no surprise, it was expected. Plus, I like to pull for the underdog and the Packers fit the bill.
sex lies and videotape
well maybe it was blown out of proportion a little, but saying it didnt help is crazy. they wouldnt be doing it if it wasnt helping somewhere or another. if you get a $250k fine the league must have thought it was a pretty big deal. they should have lost that win in my book.
by adamj on Jan 4, 2008 4:34 PM EST reply actions
Forfeiting the win
would have caused an uproar. That may be a little drastic but just imagine if that was their only loss?
it didn't help
The vieotaping didn't help because it was recorded in the first half and the guy got caught, so NE's staff never had a chance to use it. If they did it in the past and it helped is something no one knows, and no one can prove.

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