One of the hardest parts about being a parent or running a household is when you have to sell something that is somewhat hypocritical because you know it is for the greater good. Sure, I can bury my head in a cellphone for the entire afternoon, but you children with developing minds? Go outside and build a fort out of sticks. Save yourself before it’s too late.
That is essentially what we’re looking at as the Patriots nestle into the lean(er) years we all saw coming one day. Almost daily, a discussion kicks up about what Robert Kraft should do about Bill Belichick if the Patriots continue to be middling in the aftermath of the Tom Brady era (by impossible Patriot fan expectations, anyway). So far, at least publicly, he has expertly toed the line.
The nonhypocritical approach would be to hold Belichick to the standard he has held all of his players. Here’s a coach who preaches preparedness and duty, who built football’s ultimate meritocracy that starred players who would have been relegated to the fringes of other NFL rosters. Here, also, is a coach who seems to favor his friends and family. His own son went into his first positional meeting as the safeties coach telling players he didn’t know “what the f---” he was doing. As much as I tried to make sense of the Joe Judge and Matt Patricia foray into offense, it was, at best, a disaster. Had Belichick taken over the Patriots before the 2022 season, inheriting both of them, there is little chance he would have reached the conclusion they should be in charge of developing a young quarterback. He was tainted by previous connections and ties.
