Bill Parcells had a lot to say about Bill Belichick leaving the Patriots
Outside of the usual talking heads in the media and players with Patriots ties currently or in the past, not many have shared their thoughts on the unexpected breakup between Bill Belichick and his longtime team.
Plenty of respect and admiration was shared for the accomplished head coach, from the countless records he broke or set throughout his tenure to winning six Super Bowls in two decades; the compliments kept coming when the news of his Patriots exit was the hottest topic in the NFL.
But among the many voices who had things to say about the situation, there wasn't much said from former co-workers or staff, presumably due to them speaking to Belichick directly. However, we have finally heard from a voice from long ago, Bill Parcells, as he recently sat down with Dan Shaughnessy of the Boston Globe to talk about his longtime friend.
Bill Parcells gives an interesting look into how Bill Belichick's may be processing his Patriots departure
The most interesting part of the interview was Parcells' overview of what he believes is likely Belichick's mindset now that he has to start fresh elsewhere in the NFL, as someone who experienced that a few times in his football career, his insight is fascinating, especially when talking about a typically closed-off Belichick.
“Coaching can be a narcotic for guys like us. I can put Pete Carroll and Bill in there. We view ourselves as coaches. It can be a grind, and the older you get, sometimes the grind gets greater, but we love the game.
You still got to do it the way you know it should be done. And knowing Bill so well, I’m sure he did it exactly like that. I’m sure Pete did, too. That doesn’t mean it’s any less of a task, but as you get older, it takes a little more.
I don’t feel like it ever beat me down. After a while, you know it’s going to end sometime, but it’s never a good time.”
Although it seemed like the writing was on the wall regarding Belichick's departure, it was still unreal to witness in real time. What he accomplished since becoming the head coach in 2000 will never be replicated, and his seemingly great working relationship with Robert Kraft appeared to make it all much easier.
But good things don't last forever, and although the timing of it could be debated, as Parcells says, "it's never a good time" likely for anyone, especially in the case of such an accomplished coach like Belichick.
And because of that, Parcells said he didn't have any advice for his friend, who looks to be locking up a new job as the Falcons head coach.
“I wouldn’t give him any advice, I really wouldn’t. He’s been around long enough to know what he wants to do, and I really don’t have any idea what that is. All I know is, he’s a football lifer and he’s shown that.
I’m pretty sure if he wants to coach again, he’ll be looking for a situation that he thinks is conducive to winning. In this business, it’s either euphoria or disaster. I hope he does whatever makes him happy.”
"It's either euphoria or disaster;" ain't that the truth.
That's the future Belichick is facing, no matter where he ends up going. It seemed like he was in the right place at the right time in New England and because of that, he was able to help bring six Lombardi trophies home during an unimaginable dynasty that will go down as the best in the history of sports.
He now moves on to start somewhere new, with an entirely new team from top to bottom and what becomes of that is up in the air. Maybe we will see a similar rise to success much like Tom Brady accomplished in his first year with the Buccaneers. Or perhaps we see the complete opposite, as Parcells alluded to.
Regardless of what the future holds, it will undoubtedly keep Patriots fans interested as long as Belichick is coaching.
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