ESPN Ranking Belichick the 7th Greatest Coach Ever is the Biggest Miscarriage of Justice in Human History
ESPN celebrates the 100th anniversary of Vince Lombardi’s birth with the “Greatest Coaches in NFL History” series, saluting the finest innovators, motivators, tacticians, teachers and champions ever to stalk the sideline.
No. 7 – Bill Belichick
Bill Belichick has led the New England Patriots on arguably the most dominant extended stretch in NFL history. He is known for his attention to detail and defensive strategy, although his Patriots have produced some of the most prolific offensive seasons in history. His keen eye for talent and ability to get the most out of his players has helped the Patriots maintain a high level of play year after year without a drop-off, despite their usual late draft position in a salary-cap era. Belichick was the first coach to win at least 10 games in 10 consecutive seasons and the first to win three Super Bowls in a four-year span (2001, 2003 and 2004 seasons). He also coached the Patriots to the NFL’s first 16-0 regular season in 2007 (although they lost the Super Bowl to the New York Giants). That 2007 team set a league record by averaging 36.8 points per game. The 2011 Patriots were Belichick’s fifth Super Bowl team (and second to lose to the Giants). Belichick ranked ninth in career coaching wins after the 2012 season, including five seasons with the Browns (1991-95) that resulted in a 36-44 record with one playoff trip. He heads into the 2013 season two playoff victories behind Tom Landry’s career record (20) that has stood since the 1982 season.
When I first saw the Worldwide Leader was putting together this list, the only question in my mind was where on the NFL coaching Mount Rushmore they’d put Belichick. Behind Lombardi, sure. Behind Paul Brown? Probably. After Bill Walsh? OK, I guess. But it’d be close. Edged out by Don Shula? Possibly, but I doubted it. I had him at Top 4 at least. But 7th, ESPN? Fucking seventh? Keep in mind, even taking into account those guys were brilliant football minds, Belichick has matched them in a time where the rules are designed to prevent exactly the type of success he’s achieved. With all due respect to Lombardi and the rest, the league in their days was run under the Feudal System. They got the best players, paid them as much or as little as they wanted to and owned them for life. No salary cap. No free agency. There were a handful of teams so they weren’t drafting in the late 20s and 30s every year. Belichick’s been the top of the NFL coaching food chain for over a dozen years while having to turn his roster over more times than the House of Stark.
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And you can “Yeah, but he’s had Brady the whole time” me all you want. That is the most specious argument in the history of sports because where exactly do people think Brady came from? Did Belichick find him floating in a basket down the Nile? The Hood drafted him, evaluated him, kept four quarterbacks on the roster his rookie year just because he liked what he saw, developed him, and promoted him ahead of his franchise QB. This wasn’t some arranged marriage, like Phil Jackson picking and choosing his job based on what superstars were already on the roster. Belichick created Brady out of the 199th pick in the draft. That alone should put him higher on this list. But add the 5 Super Bowl appearances, 3 wins (and counting) and all the other career totals, and a 7th spot is an absolute travesty.
PS. Even the WWL had to admit that if it wasn’t for the Giants pulling miracle catches out of their asses, he’d probably be No. 1. God. Dammit… @JerryThornton1