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New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick planted seeds of success with Browns in Cleveland
Published: Saturday, February 04, 2012, 12:13 AM Updated: Saturday, February 04, 2012, 12:35 AM
By Mary Kay Cabot, The Plain Dealer The Plain Dealer
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- Covering Bill Belichick in the Super Bowl here this week transports me back to the five years I covered him in Cleveland (1991-95).
They were some of the most difficult years of my life -- and some of the most rewarding.
Belichick was a first-time head coach, and I was a first-time Browns beat writer. We both made plenty of mistakes, but we both learned a lot during those years.
If you can survive covering Belichick your first time up, you can handle almost anything on a beat. In fact, the writers during those years bonded through our adversity and still laugh about it.
There was the time Ed Meyer from the Akron Beacon Journal tried to get to the bottom of why Belichick replaced the outdoor fields in Berea at a cost of about $500,000.
Supposedly, the fields had been flooding and couldn't be used for days.
Meyer asked Belichick, "What happens to the fields when it rains?"
Belichick paused for a moment and replied, "They get wet."
Dead silence.
None of us could look up from our notebooks or we would've burst out laughing. Happened all the time. Ask a stupid question (we immediately discovered there is such a thing) and you'd get nailed.
When Belichick first arrived in Cleveland, he cared about his relationship with the media and his image. But he quickly realized the honeymoon was over, and the five-year battle was on.
Still, Belichick tried hard to get along with me, and vice versa.
He often invited me into his office on Mondays after games to watch film with him and late Browns play-by-play man Casey Coleman. Under siege by most of the media, Belichick found a friend in Coleman, who made him laugh at himself and lighten up.
I admit, it was intimidating watching films with Belichick. I wanted to ask questions and make observations, but I kept my mouth shut for fear of getting shot down. So I mostly watched while he pointed out errant plays, missed blocks and botched routes.
Little did I know at the time that I was learning from a coach who would go on to become one of the greatest of all time, just one Super Bowl victory shy of tying former Steelers coach Chuck Noll for the most in NFL history -- four.
Once, Belichick invited me on a draft visit for a private workout with a prospect. We flew on a small private jet, just me, Belichick, General Manager Mike Lombardi and Coleman. Belichick gave me first dibs on the lunch entrees -- there was one of everything -- and he dropped an F-bomb when I picked the salmon. Guess that's the one he wanted.
On the trip, I saw a different Belichick than the stone-face that greeted us at news conferences. He blared some headbanging rock in the car and stopped at his favorite barber for a haircut. He seemed just like a normal guy.
Another time, Belichick highlighted every negative line I wrote about him and read me every one. It showed me that he really cared about his image and was hoping for a break.
Back in those days, the writers often stayed in the team hotel, and every time I'd go to ride the exercise bike, it had been ripped out of the fitness room, a gaping hole in its place. Where was it? In Belichick's room, where he could watch game film while riding it. Ever the multitasker, he often ate, rode the bike and watched film at the same time.
I talked to him on the phone more than any coach I've ever covered (including Chris Palmer, Butch Davis, Terry Robiskie, Romeo Crennel, Eric Mangini and Pat Shurmur) because we often argued about things. One Saturday morning, he called me at home at 7 a.m. to yell at me for writing that receiver Michael Jackson wasn't going to play against the Jets because of an injury. He didn't have much of a case when I told him it was then-Browns owner Art Modell who had told me at practice Friday that Jackson was out.
Once, when he was chewing me out, I shot back, "If you don't have the [guts] to yell at the guys like this, then don't do it to me!"
Then there was that fateful day in November 1993, when Belichick released quarterback Bernie Kosar with the team at 5-3. Belichick told me a few days later that he knew he was doomed when I slammed down my notebook as he announced the move. I swear I don't remember doing that, but he insists I did.
A few days later, he spent at least an hour screaming at me over the phone for putting a line in my story that police were stationed outside his house in Brecksville because of death threats he had received. When I informed him that an editor inserted that into my story, he spent an hour yelling at the sports editor.
Still, all this showed to me how passionate he was about his job and how every detail mattered to him. Belichick also allowed me to interview his now ex-wife, Debby, about their private life, their family, how they met, etc. I went to their house and spent hours with her. She felt Belichick was misunderstood and that fans should see his personal side.
While Belichick was busy clashing with the media, he was also assembling an amazing staff that would go on to become a who's who of pro and college sports. He hired young guys who shared his passion for football and let them do their jobs. They included guys such as Scott Pioli, who went from van driver in Cleveland to general manager of the Patriots and Chiefs. It included Phil Savage, Mike Tannenbaum and Ozzie Newsome, who all went on to become NFL general managers. It included Jim Schwartz, Nick Saban and Mangini, who would go on to become head coaches in the NFL, and Kirk Ferentz and Pat Hill, who would become college head coaches.
I ran into many of them here in Indy this week, and we reminisced about those old Cleveland days. Pioli reminded me how Belichick once stuffed a $100 bill into the ashtray of Pioli's car after he drove Belichick to the airport, and how Belichick gave most of his TV and radio appearance money to his assistant coaches.
All of them reminded me how Belichick had the Browns on track for greatness with his 11-5 season in 1994 -- which included a victory against the Patriots in the wild-card playoff game and a loss to the Steelers in the divisional round. Who knows what he could have achieved in Cleveland had Modell not uprooted the team in 1995 and moved it to Baltimore?
"All the signs were there in Cleveland that Bill was capable of what he's accomplishing now," said former Browns linebacker Carl Banks.
In 2005, Pulitzer Prize-winning author David Halberstam interviewed me for his book on Belichick, "The Education of a Coach." After the interview, he asked me off the record about my relationship with Belichick now. I told him, "Nonexistent. I see him at the NFL combine, and he acts like he's never met me. He's declined my interview requests."
Halberstam said: "You should really try to make that right with him. Life's too short." Less than two years later, Halberstam was killed in a car accident, and his words sprang to mind.
But here at the Super Bowl, I'm just another face among the thousands of reporters trying to ask Belichick a question. I can't get near him, and I haven't tried. But there's a part of me that knows I had at least a bit part in the career of one of the greatest coaches of all time.
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: mcabot@plaind.com, 216-999-4670
On Twitter: @marykaycabot
© 2012 cleveland.com. All rights reserved
#GMSTRONG
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If everybody had like minds, we would never learn. GM Strong ![[Linked Image]](http://www.dawgtalkers.net/uploads/small-gator-chomp.gif)
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Sounds to me like ole Bill had the hots for Mary Kay...... not that I can blame him  KING
You may be in the drivers seat but God is holding the map. #GMSTRONG
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Quote:
Sounds to me like ole Bill had the hots for Mary Kay...... not that I can blame him
KING
And Casey Coleman too then .... I guess. (Coleman was probably Belichick's best friend in the media)
Micah 6:8; He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
John 14:19 Jesus said: Because I live, you also will live.
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Although he has certainly vindicated himself over the years as a winning coach, Belichick, imo, was responsible for creating the toxic atmosphere among fans, the media, and political leaders where the moving of the franchise became thinkable to Art Modell. So, congrats to him for winning 4 championships and all, but when he was here he was clearly not ready for prime-time. He was a spiteful, petty, little man who tanked an entire season - again, imo - to make a point. Glad he learned a lesson, but very sorry it was at our expense.
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My first though after seeing the title was man do those seeds take a long time to germinate.  You either love him or hate him as a Coach ... I personally love the guy and think that he is the best Coach in the League today.
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Ahh,, I think he may have contributed to the bleakness of the early 90's.. firing Bernie, feuding with the media.. sure,, he had a hand in it. But mostly, it was Modell..
#GMSTRONG
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My first though after seeing the title was man do those seeds take a long time to germinate.
You either love him or hate him as a Coach ... I personally love the guy and think that he is the best Coach in the League today.
I will go further--all time.
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And you would be wrong.
IMO.
"If it weren't for my horse, I wouldn't have spent that year in college"
GO ROCKETS
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My first though after seeing the title was man do those seeds take a long time to germinate.
You either love him or hate him as a Coach ... I personally love the guy and think that he is the best Coach in the League today.
He's the best today, that's for sure.
He changes his philosophies to fit the players he has, and always plays to their strengths.
I liked him when he was here. People complained because of his press conferences and such ... but the guy was paid to win games. He did get us to an 11 win season .... and then MoSmell pulled the rug out from under him.
Man, that 11 win is the best we've had going all the way back to 1986.
Micah 6:8; He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
John 14:19 Jesus said: Because I live, you also will live.
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If he wins on Sunday, he'll be tied for the all-time most Super Bowl victories. In this era, that is impressive.
In today's NFL, it's not possible to keep around all your star players. There's the salary cap and free agency. It's virtually impossible to build an actual dynasty, but Belichick has (kind of) done it.
He's adapted his scheme to the talent better than any coach in history. He always preferred the 3-4 defense, but in recent years, he's run the 4-3 scheme. He pounded the rock with Corey Dillon, then hardly ran the ball in 2007. He's run the spread offense, he's run a power offense.
I don't see another coach who even compares to that.
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I also really liked him when he was here. If Art had not moved the team I have no doubts that he would have taken us to the Superbowl. As far as best all time its hard to say but hes very close in my book. Def top 10 up there with Landry Shula Brown Walsh Noll Lombardi Halas Lambeau to name a few off the top of my head. Probably you could include guys like Grant and Lewis in the discussion as well.
If he wins this Sunday it would be hard to argue he isnt in the discussion of top 10 IMHO.
If you need 3 years to be a winner you got here 2 years to early. Get it done Browns.
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Quote:
If he wins on Sunday, he'll be tied for the all-time most Super Bowl victories. In this era, that is impressive.
In today's NFL, it's not possible to keep around all your star players. There's the salary cap and free agency. It's virtually impossible to build an actual dynasty, but Belichick has (kind of) done it.
He's adapted his scheme to the talent better than any coach in history. He always preferred the 3-4 defense, but in recent years, he's run the 4-3 scheme. He pounded the rock with Corey Dillon, then hardly ran the ball in 2007. He's run the spread offense, he's run a power offense.
I don't see another coach who even compares to that.
He knows how to use what talent he has at hand better then most. He also takes chances on players because he thinks he can use what talents they have and even if said player has warts (size or otherwise).
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The whole article reminded me of someone who likes to brag about knowing someone famous. I thought it was pretty pointless.
As to Belichek being great.....it certainly helps when you have a great QB. He is a great coach, but he's in the discussion for GOAT because of Brady. Brady is 35 I believe. I'll be interested in seeing how well he does without Brady....although Brady looks like he could go another 10 years.
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Paul Brown may have won a few championships on a few different levels of football while being extremely innovative and sowing the seeds for the WCO among other things. Oh, and he started a NFL franchise that was reasonably successful when he ran it (and they haven't achieved anywhere near the success since).
#gmstrong
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I really didnt see it as pointless I thougth it gave some insight into the man and how he thinks and cares about his image as much as the game.
Brady was a 6th round pick nobody wanted him Cassel had never played a down in college IIRC and BB won with him not sure where your coming from on that. I have no doubt that no matter what QB he has he will win, create a game plan to win with that QB. All much as you IMHO.
If you need 3 years to be a winner you got here 2 years to early. Get it done Browns.
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Yeah, I thought it was interesting because it was Mary Kay.
Now, MK is a decent writer. Certainly not as bad as is made out on here. What I find interesting is that BB took a liking to her and not someone else. She's good but she's not winning a Pulitzer.
He either had the hots for her. (Let's ask his ex-wife about that...LOL). Or he thought because she is a woman he could manipulate her to get the story he wanted.
The fact that he totally ignores her now would point to the latter. IMO.
He's a great coach. But he's still kind of a dick.
"People who drink light 'beer' don't like the taste of beer; they just like to pee a lot."
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J/C...
I have a hard time thinking he's the best coach ever - even of recet times - because of the Spygate Scandal. It's rarely talked about and is largely pushed aside.... the dude knowingly cheated and got busted for it - he hasn't won a Championship since.
Their's no doubt he's a good coach and his records have been great, I've just always had a hard time saying the coach made the players as opposed to the players making the coach. What did Cowher win before he had a competant QB? Would Parcells have been what he was without Simms and Taylor? Does Billick win without Lewis and that defense? Johnson was great, but Aikman, Smith and Irvin certainly helped. In that thinking, does BB win without Tom Brady? Sub out Brady and put Cassell in there for a decade and I'm guessing the record is quite a bit different.
At the end of the day it comes down to players. You've either got the players or you don't. Shurmur could probably be a great coach someday if he has a Tom Brady level QB for a decade.
"If it weren't for my horse, I wouldn't have spent that year in college"
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My biggest problem with the Brady argument is that it gives Belichick no credit for Brady's success.
Was Brady underrated entering the draft? Absolutely. But he was still a 6th-round pick for a reason. He wasn't that good. Belichick was key in making Brady the quarterback he is today.
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JC......... When the Pats were playing the Rats in the championship game, my cousin sent me this text: Our coach vs. Our team...... 
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Still hasn't won a sausage since Spygate.
"If it weren't for my horse, I wouldn't have spent that year in college"
GO ROCKETS
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Quote:
My biggest problem with the Brady argument is that it gives Belichick no credit for Brady's success.
Was Brady underrated entering the draft? Absolutely. But he was still a 6th-round pick for a reason. He wasn't that good. Belichick was key in making Brady the quarterback he is today.
One of the pregame segments had Brady on., He was asked if he'd be the same QB without belichick (paraphrasing) and his answer was No..
I think that Brady feels that Belichick gave him the chance, built an offensive unit around him..
too bad they couldn't pull it off last night.. Boy,, the lack of a Solid D in crunch time sure killed the Pats last night,
#GMSTRONG
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Daniel Patrick Moynahan
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Boy,, the lack of a Solid D in crunch time sure killed the Pats last night,
The Pats defense was exposed, just as they have been all season...the 31st ranked defense in the NFL giving up 411.1 yds per game..the #32 team in the NFL, Packers, giving up 411.6 yds per game.
Not what you would expect from teams like the Packers and Patriots.
GM strong...
Home of the Free, Because of the Brave...
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Quote:
Quote:
Boy,, the lack of a Solid D in crunch time sure killed the Pats last night,
The Pats defense was exposed, just as they have been all season...the 31st ranked defense in the NFL giving up 411.1 yds per game..the #32 team in the NFL, Packers, giving up 411.6 yds per game.
Not what you would expect from teams like the Packers and Patriots.
Which is why I don't have a problem with the Browns if they take what they feel is the best player in the draft at 4 and it happens to be on D.
#GMSTRONG
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Daniel Patrick Moynahan
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Quote:
Quote:
Boy,, the lack of a Solid D in crunch time sure killed the Pats last night,
The Pats defense was exposed, just as they have been all season...the 31st ranked defense in the NFL giving up 411.1 yds per game..the #32 team in the NFL, Packers, giving up 411.6 yds per game.
Not what you would expect from teams like the Packers and Patriots.
The Pats defense gave up 348 ypg and 17 ppg in the playoffs.. they gave up 20 (would have been 21) points last night. That is not a bad performance. If Brady makes a little better throw and/or Welker catches the ball with 4 minutes left then the defense doesn't have to stop the Giants to try to preserve a victory.
I will put this in context of what people have said about the Browns multiple times this year.. the Patriots took the opening drive of the second half and scored a TD and went up 17-9... then for the next 26 minutes, they never got inside the Giants 45.. How long should the Pats defense be expected to shut out a good offense? From that point forward Brady missed some throws, the Pats had some drops... I would pin more of this loss on the offense than the defense..
yebat' Putin
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I agree the defense played well enough to win even if the Giants were able to move the ball throughout.
I was loving the fact that NE was using the NYG defensive blueprint from the '91 Bills SB and '07 Pats SB too. Arrington was man-handling Cruz at the LOS and just relying on over-the-top coverage if he got beat. Nicks was getting similar treatment on the other side. They let Manningham roam on single-coverage, which worked until the very end (and a ridiculous play).
If the Pats-D could have tackled better, then it would have been even better, but they did outplay the team's offense in consecutive games.
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Ahh, 6 of one, a half a dozen of the other.
If the Giants D wasn't so damned dominant, the Pats O would have run roughshod over them.. If Brady had made one or two more connections, the came might have come down differently.
When you really break it down, if Offense were all that was needed, the Giants wouldn't even have been in the Superbowl.
And on a side note, take away 5 runs and we'd have held Jamal Lewis to an average day (Butch Davis) LOL
#GMSTRONG
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When you really break it down, if Offense were all that was needed, the Giants wouldn't even have been in the Superbowl.
One.. nobody ever said offense was all you needed.. Two.. of the 4 units (excluding special teams which was pretty much a non-factor in the game)...
The Patriots offense averaged 32 ppg, the defense gave up 21 ppg..
The NYG offense averaged 25 ppg and the defense gave up 25 ppg...
The only unit on the field that grossly underperformed based on season averages is the Patriots offense. 
yebat' Putin
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Quote:
Quote:
When you really break it down, if Offense were all that was needed, the Giants wouldn't even have been in the Superbowl.
One.. nobody ever said offense was all you needed.. Two.. of the 4 units (excluding special teams which was pretty much a non-factor in the game)...
The Patriots offense averaged 32 ppg, the defense gave up 21 ppg..
The NYG offense averaged 25 ppg and the defense gave up 25 ppg...
The only unit on the field that grossly underperformed based on season averages is the Patriots offense.
LOL There are those on here that think that however.. I mean, why the hell else would they be willing to sell thier soul for a chance to move up to grab Luck or RG3?
My point was, and I hope you realize this wasn't directed at you, that Offense alone won't get it done. As in all things, it takes a balance.
#GMSTRONG
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It does take balance but most teams are not perfectly balanced, they are generally stronger on one side of the ball than the other.. That said, our defense is decent, our offense is horrific.. so it only stands to reason that people feel that if we could just get the offense to the same level as the defense that we are probably an 8 or 9 win team... and the first step in that is that we need better QB play... if that means we need a different QB, then so be it. As for selling out the draft for a QB, I'll gladly leave that to the experts. 
yebat' Putin
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Hey, we're actually really well balanced..... it's just that we're really well balanced at a very low level.
Browns is the Browns
... there goes Joe Thomas, the best there ever was in this game.
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Quote:
It does take balance but most teams are not perfectly balanced, they are generally stronger on one side of the ball than the other..
I think the Giants kinda fit that mold. they have a pretty decent offense, but not crazy good. I mean, it took all they had to beat one of the worst overall Defenses yesterday.. so that says something.
But thier defense essentially made Mince Meat out of Brady and his minions..
The Giant Offense was good enough, the D was pretty darn solid.
That's about the best balance you can find. No way it's ever going to be perfectly balanced. I don't see how that can ever happen.
As for our D being decent.. yeah, I think that's true. And the offense being horrific.. Can't deny that either.
And I understand the whole QB thing.. He'll get more credit then he deserves if things go well, and take more heat than he deserves if things don't go well.
One thing is this, I trust this front office. I know there are detractors on this board that question certain moves. But overall, this is a professional front office with Football on thier minds.
I don't, in all honesty, expect them to turn it on a dime. Too many issues.
But I suspect they'll be successful if they stay the course they are on.
So, if they who absolutly should know, say that Colt is NOT the guy. Then I hope they go out and get his replacement.
If they wanna give him another year because they see something that the ordinary fan doesn't. I'm good with that also.
They should know.. I shouldn't. I"m not the pro.
#GMSTRONG
“Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts.”
Daniel Patrick Moynahan
"Alternative facts hurt us all. Think before you blindly believe."
Damanshot
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Joined: Sep 2006
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Legend
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Legend
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 40,399 |
Quote:
But thier defense essentially made Mince Meat out of Brady and his minions..
No they didn't. Brady threw for 276 yards, 2 TDs and a 91 rating.. that's NOT Tom Brady at his best, but that ain't bad. They rushed for over 80 yards at 4.4 ypc.. that ain't bad either. The Giants did 2 things really well... first and foremost they kept Brady off the field. The Pats are used to getting about 12 possessions per game, in this game they got 9... that's 3 less chances for them to score or rack up yardage. The Giants did this by having 8-10 play drives every time they touched the ball, even if they didn't score... the other thing the did was keep Brady from going deep. They forced him to a dink and dunk offense and kept all but one of his completions under 20 yards and for as much as we heard about the Giants pass rush, Brady had pretty reasonable time most of the game to get rid of the ball but they kept it in front of them and made the tackles.
Basically the Giants controlled the tempo and didn't let it turn into a shootout, which is what they needed to do to win.. congrats on them doing that, but I think it is better to say they effectively slowed down the Patriots offense rather than "made mince meat" of them..
yebat' Putin
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Joined: Sep 2006
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Legend
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OP
Legend
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 43,563 |
LOL OK OK,, so mince meat was overstating it.. Bottom line, by keeping brady off the field and a bit off balance when he was on the field, the D did in fact, take it to them.
#GMSTRONG
“Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts.”
Daniel Patrick Moynahan
"Alternative facts hurt us all. Think before you blindly believe."
Damanshot
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Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 40,399
Legend
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Legend
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 40,399 |
The Giants did prove (though everybody knew it already) that you don't have to be GREAT at anything if you are good at everything.. and they are. They ran the ball effectively, they threw the ball efficiently and didn't make mistakes (turnovers), they contained the run well, they kept the passing game in front of them, and... and I don't think this can be overstated, their punter pinned the Pats back multiple times forcing them to go 90+ yards, which is tough, even for Tom Brady. They started drives on the 6, the 4, and the 8.. and not once did they start a drive beyond their own 30... The Giants were the model of efficiency in all phases..
yebat' Putin
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Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 15,015
Legend
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Legend
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 15,015 |
Quote:
The Giants did prove (though everybody knew it already) that you don't have to be GREAT at anything if you are good at everything.. and they are. They ran the ball effectively, they threw the ball efficiently and didn't make mistakes (turnovers), they contained the run well, they kept the passing game in front of them, and... and I don't think this can be overstated, their punter pinned the Pats back multiple times forcing them to go 90+ yards, which is tough, even for Tom Brady. They started drives on the 6, the 4, and the 8.. and not once did they start a drive beyond their own 30... The Giants were the model of efficiency in all phases..
Bingo..The Giants made the Pats work for it, and work hard.
We don't have to agree with each other, to respect each others opinion.
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