Bill Belichick snubbed CBS after loss then got ripped by Shannon Sharpe
Grouch
Bill Belichick may not be a poor sport, but he plays one on TV. The New England Patriots coach continued his long history of petulant behavior when he declined an interview with CBS following his team’s loss to the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC championship.
During the network’s postgame show, host James Brown told viewers that sideline reporter Steve Tasker had requested an interview with Belichick, but that the coach declined. The Patriots sent out third-year safety Devin McCourty instead, which is like asking for an interview with the president and getting Joe Biden’s secretary.
When CBS cut back to its studio set after the brief chat with McCourty, analyst Shannon Sharpe was seething.
There’s something to be said about being gracious in defeat. We’ve seen the New England Patriots five times in the last 12 years be victorious. And we’ve seen the opposing coaches that lost come out and speak to our Steve Tasker. Coach [Bill] Cowher [who was sitting next to Sharpe] did it when they lost. We saw this last week. Bill Belichick makes it very easy for you to root against the Patriots. You can’t be a poor sport all the time. You’re not going to win every time. And he does this every time he loses. It is unacceptable.
Willie McGinest Says To Wes Welker Stop Being A Diva
Shots Fired
Former New England Patriots linebacker Willie McGinest spoke his mind on NFL Total Access on Tuesday by letting everyone know what he thinks about Wes Welker holding out and not attending the Patriots voluntary workouts.
“I just don’t like the diva attitude,” said McGinest. “Let’s keep it real: Prior to the Patriots, this is a guy who played three years, had 96 receptions, never had a 1,000-yard season.
“This $9 million-plus that they’re offering is half of his last contract. That’s a lot of money. Let’s not forget that they signed Brandon Lloyd, they signed (Anthony Gonzalez), they signed (Deion) Branch back, they got the two tight ends; they have weapons on that offense. So look, Wes, it’s time to take off the leopard-printed cowboy boots, get off the party tour and get back to work.”
McGinest is saying Welker is a system player and if it wasn’t for Tom Brady, Bill Belichick and the Patriots offense, he would be a nobody.
New York Giants Mock Dallas Cowboys & Gisele Bundchen
Americas Dream The Decapitation Team
The Super Bowl XLVI champion New York Giants publicly mocked three beaten rivals — the New England Patriots, Dallas Cowboys and New York Jets as they celebrated at raucous victory rallies in New York and New Jersey Tuesday.
The Giants beat all three clubs on their way to the franchise’s fourth Super Bowl championship this season. Running back Brandon Jacobs also took a shot at Pats quarterback Tom Brady’s wife Gisele Bundchen for popping off about her hubby’s receivers dropping his passes:
“She just needs to continue to be cute and shut up.”
Giants co-owner Steve Tisch boasted his team had cancelled the “Brady Bunch.” He also took a swipe at “America’s Team” in Dallas after a ticker tape parade down New York’s Canyon of Heroes attended by nearly 1 million people:
“There’s a group of guys in Dallas that call themselves ‘America’s Team,’ but looking out at all of you and the millions of people in the streets [Tuesday], we’re ‘America’s Dream.”
During a pep rally at MetLife Stadium shared between the Giants and Jets, Justin Tuck reminded Rex Ryan the Jets are still little brothers to Big Blue:
“You can be sure of whose house it is.”
Jacobs is the most outspoken Giant. After the Giants 21-17 win over the Patriots at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, he boasted the Giants had “decapitated” the powerful Pats dynasty of Brady and coach Bill Belichick:
“We decapitated them. They can’t wear that crown no more.”
Micky Ward Watches The Fighter With New England Patriots
He's A Junk Bag Micky
The New England Patriots have been practicing hard during this training camp, one that has a lot of new faces like wide receiver Chad Ochocinco and defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth. What better way to give the guys time off and bring them together than movie night? Last night coach Bill Belichick that was an excellent idea and the movie to accomplish his vision was Oscar nominated The Fighter.
Belichick had one more surprise for his team as he had invited former welterweight champion and Lowell native Micky Ward to watch his biopic.
“We’ve been in camp for a long time,” Belichick said. “We’ve been watching a lot of film at night, practice film, opponent film, everything, so we decided to go to the movies popcorn, candy out there, let them relax a little bit. Sometimes when teams work hard they deserve a break from the normal routine.”
The players took to to meeting Ward as if they had just meet a rock star and began posing the boxer for they Twitter and Facebook accounts.
“It was an honor meeting one of the greatest fighters ever,” Deion Branch wrote. “Coach gave us a treat today,” special teamer Tracy White added.
“It was great to meet the actual man behind the movie. It was definitely a great story, to see him and talk about his experiences, that’s something you don’t usually get to do,” defensive end Andre Carter said. “So for him to come in and talk about the movie and himself in general, it was a great opportunity.”
After the movie ended, Ward gave a speech to the players which coincided with the underling theme of the film to never give up and dig deep.
“It was good,” guard Logan Mankins said. “He talked about how you always have to keep fighting, keep going; when you’re down and don’t think you can do it, you can still get through it.”
Bill Belichick Wants To Get Rid Of Extra Points
I Live In A Trash Can
New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick has little patience for “non-plays” in pro football and wants extra-point attempts and kickoffs moved backed or remove them all together.
“Philosophically, plays that are non-plays shouldn’t be in the game,” Belichick said on Boston radio station WEEI. “I don’t think it is good for the game. Extra points, when the odds are in the 99 percent range, it is not a play. Let’s move the ball back to the 15-20 yard line and not make it a tap-in. Let them kick it. Same thing with the kickoff return. If you’re just going to put the ball on the 20, put the ball on the 20.”
Belichick said kickoff returns can be a “great momentum play” and one that’s exciting for fans. He doubted the intent of the rule to promote player safety would be affected by moving kicks ahead five yards.
NFL Commissioner Says He Felt Deceived By NFL Coach Of The Year
I Live In A Trash Can
In a profile written by Sports Illustrated’s Peter King, NFL Commissioner Roger “Godfather” Goodell said that he felt deceived by New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick during the Spygate scandal in 2007. Goodell explained that as part of Belichick’s punishment for illegally spying and recording signals of opposing teams the three-time Super Bowl winning coach had to issue a public apology. However, Belichick refused to answer questions during the news conference.
“I was given assurances that (Belichick) would tell his side of the story,” Goodell said. “He went out and stonewalled the press. I feel like I was deceived.”
Goodell fined Belichick $500,000 and the team $250,000. He also stripped the Patriots of their 2008 first-round draft pick. Belichick responded to the Sports Illustrated piece, saying that he did not make any assurances about thoroughly discussing the subject publicly.
Chad Ochocinco Changing His Name Again
More Beef
With the days of wide receiver Chad Ochocinco and Cincinnati Bengals clearly looking to be over is the the sideshow done as well? Ochocinco thinks a new start is whats best for him and what better way to create a new start than by changing his last name again. Ochocinco appeared on ESPN’s “NFL Live” and said it’s time for a name change who already has changed it from Johnson to Ochocinco back in 2008.
“I don’t have a choice right now,” Ochocinco said. “I’ve done enough with the Ocho thing.”
Ochocinco also commented on the remarks Bengals coach Marvin Lewis made on Monday, claiming that Bill Belichick smart enough to not pursue the Bengals star wideout.
“If Belichick is smarter than that, then why am I still there?” Ochocinco asked.
Cincinnati Bengals Head Coach Rips Chad Ochocinco Part Deux
More Beef
Last week we posted that Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis was ripping his wide receiver Chad Ochocinco through the media, well Lewis is back at it again and it’s caught the attention of his star. Lewis was asked how the star receiver would fit in New England Patriots with head coach Bill Belichick.
“Belichick is smarter than that,” Lewis said to the Boston Herald.
Lewis and other reporters were said to have broke into laughter at that point. After hearing of Lewis comments, Ochocinco tweeted that he wants to set up a cage match with his head coach.
“@AdamSchefter Me and Marvin Lewis in a cage match, set it up, I’ve earned my stripes on my helmet it’s time to fight then play #WhoDeyless”
The feud began in December when Lewis described Ochocinco as “mopey” while talking about his reduced role in the offense. Ochocinco fired back on twitter: “Did anyone get the license plate to the bus I was just threw under?”
The feud between Cincinnati Bengals coach Marvin Lewis and Chad Ochocinco continued on Monday when Lewis was asked how the star receiver would fit in New England.
“Belichick is smarter than that,” Lewis said to Ian Rapoport of the Boston Herald.
Lewis and other reporters were said to have broke into laughter at that point.
Ochocinco tweeted after hearing of Lewis’ comments, saying that he wants to set up a cage match with Lewis.
@AdamSchefter Me and Marvin Lewis in a cage match, set it up, I’ve earned my stripes on my helmet it’s time to fight then play #WhoDey
Chad Ochocinco
ochocinco
The feud began in December when Lewis described Ochocinco as “mopey” while talking about his reduced role in the offense. Ochocinco fired back on twitter: “Did anyone get the license plate to the bus I was just threw under?”
Last week, Lewis ripped Ochocinco for tweeting about possibly joining the New England Patriots next season.
“Nobody was talking about him,” Lewis said. “He didn’t stand that. You want them to talk about you, win football games.”
Jets/Patriots Brings Best Out Of New York Post
WOW
The New York Jets and New England Patriots game is just a matter of hours away from kicking off and with all the trash talking from both teams and regions going on this week you had to wonder what the cover of their sports pages would look like. Well the New York Post had no intentions on leaving it’s best stuff on their customers doorsteps just on Friday as evidence with this Rex Ryan Rexterminator cover. So now the New York region is has gone on full blast and called Tom Brady and Bill Belichick as rats, you gotta love it.
New England Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick Decides To Smile
Young Oscar The Grouch
New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick decided to dust off the grim look he always displays on Sundays and cracked a smile. Of Course that smile came back in 1963 back with his family in Annapolis, Maryland. That’s where his dad Steve was an assistant with the Naval Academy football team that was lead by Hall of Fame quarterback Roger Staubach.
New York Yankees Star Tells New York Jets To Shut Up, Play Football
The Straw That Stirs The Drink
Former New York Yankee great Reggie Jackson knows a thing or two about stirring up the media and has told the New York Jets he is tired of the trash talking. Jackson went on “The Michael Kay Show” on 1050 ESPN Radio and expressed his frustration.
“What are you talking about? What are you doing? Shut up, play football,” Jackson said. “What are you talking about [Patriots coach] Bill Belichick and these people for? Spend your time looking at film, spend your time knocking down a pass.”
Earlier this week Jets coach Rex Ryan criticized Tom Brady’s study habits last week, claiming that he thinks studies like Indianapolis Colts Peyton Manning. Then cornerback Antonio Cromartie called Brady an “asshole” and ripped him for allegedly pointing to the Jets sideline after throwing a touchdown pass the last time the two teams squared off in December.
“Go look at the hardware, dude. Walk through the lobby up there and look at the stuff that’s there. You don’t have that, you don’t have anything close to that,” Jackson said. “You might want to shut up, you might learn something. Read, you might figure something out. Watch film, you might get educated. If not, you have a chance to get embarrassed on Sunday. I hope you don’t, because I like the Jets.”
The former Yankee also said that jabbing Brady is like making fun of Mariano Rivera.
Sal Alosi Is Just Copying Bill Belichick
The NFL is a copy cat league and what if the most famous strength and conditioning coach in the league New York Jets Sal Alosi had some training in sideline management? Here’s video of New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick throwing a hip check on Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Marvin Harrison back in 2004. Belichick is such a trailblazer for the coaches in his profession.
Denver Broncos Under Investigation For Tapping San Francisco 49ers Practice
Did Todd Haley Know Something
The Denver Broncos are being investigated for allegedly videotaping the San Francisco 49ers walk-through at Wembley Stadium in London back on October 30. Broncos coach Josh McDaniels was a member of the New England Patriots staff back in 2007 when the Spygate scandal erupted. The New England Spygate cost the Patriots the first round pick in 2008 and the club was fined $250,000 plus head coach Bill Belichick was fined $500,000 for his role.
Broncos director of video operations Steve Scarnecchia, also a Patriots employee from 2001-2005 who was hired by McDaniels, has taken a “personal leave of absence” while the matter is under investigation.
The Broncos lost to the 49ers 24-16 in London and currently have a record of 3-7.
It will probably take the NFL a while to sort things out, but usually we find out that where there’s smoke, there’s fire with these types of matters.
Buffalo Bills Want Charlie Weis To Be Their Head Coach?
I Can See It
With Mike Holgrem now in Cleavland as the teams preseident and Mike Shanahan’s name pretty much cemented by Redskins fans as their head coach and Bill Cowher’s name already being attached to an non-vacant spot in Tampa Bay where do the Buffalo Bills turn?
Well according to WIVB-TV in Buffalo, the Bills have contacted former University of Notre Dame former coach Charlie Weis to be their new head coach. Sources says that the Bills made a back-channel approach to Weis to see if he’s interested in the job and the two sides have had a formal discussion about the Bills coaching job. The Bills thought about hiring Weis back in 2004 as their head coach but eventually hired Mike Mularkey.
Weis was fired at Notre Dame after five years and a 35-27 record. His Fighting Irish finished 6-6 in 2009 , ending a three-year run that saw them win 16-games and lose 21. Before his tenure at Notre Dame, Weis spent five years as Offensive Coordinator for the New England Patriots. He served on the staffs of Bill Belichick and Bill Parcells in the NFL.
4th & 2 Do It Again, Bill Belichick
I Live In A Trash Can
There’s been a lot of worthy NFL news to break today and between chasing down these stories and scouring through Internet I’ve found one common theme, it’s that Bill Belichick made the wrong decision to go for it on 4th and 2 in Sunday night game against the Indianapolis Colts.
Yesterday I saw several people shooting him down like it was the worst decision ever made in pro football history and I just shook it off as a lot Monday quarterbacking going on. But it’s Tuesday and I still continue to see people ripping into him. Are these same people forgetting that this man has used his gut in making the same kind of calls like that on his way to winning three Super Bowls?
Is the man a dick, yes, does he dress like Oscar the Grouch, hell yeah, but it just amazes me that his track record for winning was instantly thrown out the window after the attempt came up unsuccessful. If the Patriots would have been successful there defiantly would be a different tune of how gutsy and brilliant Belichick is instead of all the bashing?
He’s taken his team to four Super Bowls, named the coach of the year twice, has a postseason record of 15-4 and an overall 159-93, so I would say he has good credit. Along the way to winning three Super Bowls and posting the record he has there has has to be times in an NFL season where you throw the book out and to trust your gut and roll the dice. You’ll win some and lose some and I think he has proven that. I stand by his decision to go for it against the Colts and his statement that he would do it again. This is coming from someone who picked the Patriots to lose that game and isn’t a card carrying fan club member of the grouch.
Browns Walk GM George Kokinis Off The Job
Walk Him Out
George Kokinis is out as general manager of the Cleveland Browns after less than one year on the job. Kokinis refused to resign when pressed by owner Randy Lerner, who then persisted in seeking a dismissal “for cause,” citing Kokinis for failing to meet the specific standards as dictated by his contract.
The Cleveland Plain Dealer first reported that Kokinis was ushered out of the Berea facility by security. For the past month, Lerner has independently investigated professional and personal conduct by Kokinis, head coach Eric Mangini and director of football operations Erin O’Brien, who left the organization within the past few days. Mangini said Monday he had spoken with Lerner and was told his job was safe for now.
Ernie Accorsi, former general manager of the New York Giants, Baltimore Colts and Browns, is being sought by Lerner as a consultant. Accorsi has served in a consulting capacity on numerous occasions for teams and has an alliance with former Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar, who was hired by Lerner as a consultant on Oct. 17.
Mangini handpicked Kokinis to be the team’s GM as they both began their careers in Cleveland in the early 1990s when Bill Belichick was coaching the Browns.
I love hearing how the front office of the Browns and the coaching staff will spend the next week evaluating and analyzing every aspect of the team, WOW, didn’t they do that under former Browns coach Romeo Crennel just a couple weeks ago.
Emmitt Smith Has Strong Opinions About The Cowboys
Get Down On It
Emmitt Smith was a great player, over night you don’t become the NFL’s all time leading rusher without talent, great offensive lines, play makers surrounding you, and most importantly durability. Post retirement from football there’s not a whole lot of positives that can be said about his career as analyst, the fact that he’s no longer employed by ESPN doesn’t help especially since they keep hiring everyone and their mother. This past of season saw the hires of Herm Edwards, Matt Millen, Jon Gruden, Tedy Bruschi, hell even Marcellus “Dat Dude” Wiley still has a job. But give credit to Smith that he isn’t always a homer when it comes to his former team, the Cowboys.
On Tuesday during an appearance on Sirius NFL Radio he called out head coach Wade Phillips, wide receiver Roy Williams and quarterback Tony Romo.
“Realistically, I think that the Cowboys can win seven games. I mean, when I start hearing things are going to change, I keep asking myself as a player, how much are they going to change? Are you going to be a hard-nosed coach now since things are going to change? Are you going to be more focused than you were last year? Those kind of things, I’m like, c’mon. This is not a game where you can just turn it on and turn it off.”
“When I think back to Bill Belichick when I think back to Tom Coughlin, when I go back even further, you see those kinds of coaches really winning the big one. And they instill discipline from day one. They didn’t come in trying to make friends. Matter of fact, they created a bunch of enemies and they made the enemies get on their terms and then they moved forward. And that’s one thing that I believe that the Dallas Cowboys can use,” Smith said of coach Phillips.
Smith said Romo can’t suddenly become the leader he should have been all along.
“OK, now you’re going to become a leader? What happened when we had all this great talent over here and we had a chance to go, not only in the playoffs, but in the first round of the playoffs when we got knocked out both times? Now all of a sudden you’re going to change? And our talent level is less than it was two years ago?”
“I never saw him go snatch somebody up and say, ‘Hey, we can’t win like this. We can’t have guys jumping off-sides. I can’t have somebody coming at me unabated. Who is making the mistakes up front? Why aren’t you picking this guy up? This is not going down this way. If you can’t get your job done get off the football field,” Smith saying of Romo being a leader.
But Smith’s harshest opinion came at the hands of receiver Williams, who he thinks wasn’t worth the draft picks the Cowboys traded to the Lions to get him.
“The question is, can Roy step up and be what they need him to be? I don’t know. I don’t know if it’s possible. I do not see him as a No. 1. I never have saw him as a No. 1. Never have. When I say No. 1, I mean your No. 1 go-to guy. He’s not your No. 1 go-to guy,” said Smith of receiver Williams.
First it was Troy Aikman then Michael Irvin and now Emmitt Smith, Roy that looks like strike three from the triplets. Not every point he makes I agree with but I do believe he brings up legitimate ones. For Cowboy fans that think he’s talking nonsense, take off the blue and silver goggles for a moment.
These comments don’t change the fact that Barry Sanders is the best running back I’ve ever seen.
Hard Knocks: Episode 3 Recap
Fight Back
Turn out the lights on Georgetown, Kentucky as training camp closes and moves back to Cincinnati, Ohio. Another week passes and another step towards to whose actually going to make the Cincinnati Bengals roster. The first reel highlight of the show comes from the rookie talent show a staple at pretty much all training camps across the NFL. The rookies took there first shot at Roy Williams and him daydreaming like a teenage girl about his ex,singer Kelly Rowland. The spot on impression of the night came at the expense of annoying linebacker Dhani Jones and his love affair with the camera. But the real knee slapper came when the rookies made fun of fellow rookie hold out Andre Smith with his baby voice and lazy footwork with was highlighted in the episode one recap.
You might say the funniest moment came when you realized that in defensive coordinators Mike Zimmer first season with the Bengals he had the defense ranked its highest since 2001 under head coach Dick LeBeau. That doesn’t seem all that funny until you figure in the fact head coach Marvin Lewis was hired for this job on the premise he was a defensive mastermind.
A few areas of attention that where highlighted, is that quarterback Carson Palmer’s ankle injury from last week is turning out more serious than previously thought to be. Its never a good sign to still be in training camp and already be down in numbers on either side of the line. The offensive side is currently without holdout Smith and has resorted to converting defensive lineman Jason Shirley this late in his career to an offensive lineman.
Once again wide receiver Chad Ochocinco steals the show with his marketing plan of Ochocinco condoms,his new catch phrase “kiss the baby”, and the personal relationship with New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick (who knew Belichick had a personal side). The talk of the sports media world came in this game versus the Patriots, when Ochocinco replaced injured kicker Shayne Graham for a point after attempt. The show didn’t stop after his successful point after attempt but he also lead off the second half with a 61 yard kickoff, making one Ronaldinho proud.
Then its back home and if your forced to look at Cincinnati there’s nothing better to help you through your misery than a little music from the unofficial mayor Bootsy Collins to bang out too. Andre Smith is still a holdout.
