Look how cute Bill Belichick was as a 6-year-old (PHOTO)
Patriots head coach Bill Belichick celebrated his 60th birthday this week, but this photo from Belichick family archives shows the dark overlord of NFL coaches during gentler times, as a six-year-old child:
Basic math tells us the picture was taken in approximately 1958, and in it we find young William, pre-hoodie, sitting and smiling in the front of the stands at what was likely the U.S. Naval Acadamy, where his father was an assistant football coach.
If you look closely in his eyes, behind that innocent grin, you can tell little Bill is already putting together defensive schemes in his head.
[H/T Reddit.com/r/nfl]
Giants defeat Patriots 21-17 to win Super Bowl XLVI, Eli wins MVP (VIDEO)
The New York Giants are Super Bowl Champions once again, and Eli Manning has won his second Super Bowl MVP award after defeating the New England Patriots 21-17 in Indianapolis tonight. With the win, Eli officially steps out of the shadow of his brother Peyton, and cements himself in the annals of NFL history as one of the game’s greatest quarterbacks.
The biggest play of the game came in the fourth quarter, as the Giants attempted to drive the field for the game-winning score. Manning hit Mario Manningham for this incredible 38-yard sideline catch:
VIDEO AFTER THE JUMP
Behold, the NFL Coaches Soundboard
From Complex.com comes this tremendous NFL Coaches Soundboard, featuring some of the more memorable quotes in league history from some of its finest coaches.
In addition to the more well-known classics, we get surly sound bytes from living legends like Bill Belichick (“Stats are for losers….final scores are for winners.”), Bill Parcells (“So consider yourself sucked”) and Mike Ditka (“We’re not going to be the hittees, we’re going to be the hitters.”). Plus, we also get lesser-known gems from John McKay (“Well we didn’t block … but we made up for it by not tackling.”), Jerry Burns (“We had a f#cking trap play called, and his f#cking shoe comes off.”) and Bill Callahan (“We have got to be the dumbest team in America”). And a lot more.
So click the image below to check out the soundboard, and enjoy prank calling your friends as John Gruden, Mike Singletary and Rex Ryan stuck in an elevator. That’s just good times.
Ochocinco’s new Twitter avatar is the best thing he’s done all year (PIC)
This hilarious Lethal Weapon 3 poster spoof – with Chad Ochocinco, Tom Brady and Bill Belichick playing the roles of Danny Glover, Mel Gibson and Joe Pesci, respectively - is apparently the new avatar for Ochocinco’s Twitter account.
Good stuff, but this new partnership hasn’t exactly proved to be “lethal” so far. Unfortunately for Chad, it seems as though he’s spending way more time on Twitter than he is studying the Patriots playbook, netting just 11 catches for 201 yards and 0 touchdowns this year. And while it’s definitely cool, let’s not pretend that Chad actually tried his hand at photoshop and created this masterpiece himself … I’m guessing it’s a piece of fan art from one of his nearly 3 million (!!!) followers.
[H/T Pats Propaganda]
Rex Ryan is a grumpy loser; tells fan to “Shut the f@#k up” (VIDEO)
You know what? I’m starting to think that, for all his bluster (and girth), Rex Ryan might not have the thickest skin for criticism … especially when he’s losing.
At halftime of his team’s 37-16 drubbing at the hands of the Patriots, with his team trailing just 13-9, the Jets head coach cursed out fan in the stands at MetLife Stadium. The guy – possibly drunk, probably a Patriot fan – clearly struck a nerve with Ryan, shouting, “Hey Rex, Belichick is better than you!”, to which Rex retorted, “Shut the f@#k up” as he walked into the tunnel.
Watch the video below, with the action coming at the 15-second mark:
VIDEO AFTER THE JUMP
Watch this Giants-49ers Monday Night Football Game from 1990 … in it’s entirety
In preparation for tomorrow’s game featuring the same two teams, and just because it’s awesome, we bring you this classic 1990 defensive struggle between the 10-1 New York Giants and 10-1 San Francisco 49ers.
In it, we get a brilliant MNF broadcast with Michaels, Gifford and Dierdorf, featuring (among other greats) Joe Montana, Lawrence Taylor, Jerry Rice, Bill Parcells and Bill Belichick. And although the game didn’t see a lot of touchdowns, you’re watching one of the great offenses of its time squaring off against one of the best defenses in what would be a preview of that year’s NFC Championship game. It just works on so many levels.
So settle in and enjoy the full game … via YouTube user DaveMeggett, in all 13 glorious parts:
[H/T Reddit.com/r/NFL]
Bill Belichick as a Roller Skating Pirate … no, really (VIDEO)
Part 2 of A Football Life aired on NFL Network last night (read our review of Part 1 HERE), and while there was plenty more insight provided into the world of Bill Belichick, the runaway highlight from the show came during the Patriot’s 2009 week 8 bye. Former pats WR Randy Moss organized a Halloween party for the players & coaches, and sat down with the Hoodie to see if the coaches would be interested in joining. Belichick slowly warms to the idea, eventually saying “it’s a great holiday! Candy and costumes … how can you beat that?!?”
That scene is followed by footage of Belichick arriving at the roller rink dressed as a pirate, with his girlfriend playing the part of wench, where he’s greeted by Moss as Spongebob Squarepants and other players who are just thrilled to see Bill let his hair down a bit. And just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, Belichick laces up the skates and takes to the rink to get his pirate roller boogie on … yaaaarrrrr:
VIDEO AFTER THE JUMP
Bill Belichick: A Football Life – The Softer Side of the Hoodie (VIDEO)
Read our recap of Part 2 HERE
We, along with the rest of the sports-geek community, have been anxiously awaiting the premier of NFL Network’s new special, Bill Belichick: A Football Life. We’re big fans of all these mic’d up segments, and can’t get enough of the insight the NFL Films crew provides into the game we love so much. But after watching part 1, which aired Thursday night, let’s just say we’ve got mixed feelings.
Back in 2009, Belichick agreed to be the first person to be wired for sound by NFL Films for an entire year, promising an unprecedented look at the enigmatic coach’s life inside and outside the game. And while it’s certainly fascinating to hear Belichick do what he does best – like game-planning with Tom Brady for the Baltimore Ravens and Ed Reed, and working with his players and coaches – ultimately, Belichick is a guy who doesn’t talk very much … which doesn’t make for the most exciting television in the world. Even when relaxing on a boat, in the glimpses we get at his relationship with his son, and when he’s trying to relate with his players and be funny, Belichick is about as dry a character as they come. In fact, Deadspin has a hilarious “highlights” reel from the show, jam-packed with all the moments showing The Hoodie at his most grumbly. I mean, let’s face it, Rex Ryan, he ain’t.
But even still, Belichick is an unqualified football genius, and there is plenty here for Patriots fans and football nerds to geek out over. The trailer (below) gives you a pretty good idea of what to expect, and here’s list of standout moments from the program, with a couple of clips to whet your appetite. Even if the personalities might not be as dynamic as we might like, we’ll definitely be setting the DVR to record Part 2:
- The most notable highlight is when Belichick strolls through the bowels of Giants Stadium and gets teary-eyed (VIDEO BELOW) while reminiscing about his time spent there cutting his teeth as a defensive coach under Bill Parcells. It’s by far the most human we’ve ever seen the guy.
- Getting into some smack talk with Ravens WR Derrick Mason, in which he tells him to “Shut the f*ck up” and “Look at the scoreboard” (VIDEO BELOW)
- Joking with Chad Ochocino, then with the Bengals,telling him he might as well take the night off because the Pats were going to double-team him.
- Before the Denver game, Belichick shared a handshake with his former pupil Josh McDaniels, during which they agreed to just wave after the game.
- The aforementioned game-planning for the Ravens, and Belichick telling Ed Reed before the game that he’s the best free safety he has ever seen.
VIDEO AFTER THE JUMP
Return of the Jet-I: Patriots vs Jets – Episode 3 (PIC)
The NY Post delivered their special preview issue of the AFC Divisional Playoff between the Jets and Patriots today, featuring the amazing cover below.
It’s the Return of the Jet-I, starring Bill Belichck as Darth Vader, Rex Ryan as Han Solo, Michelle Ryan as sexy prisoner Leia, Joe Namath as Yoda and much much more. Enjoy:
Gotta love Eric Mangold as the Ewok too … hilarious.
WHITHER GOEST THOU, ERIC MANGINI, IN THY SHINY CAR IN THE NIGHT?
Two years in Cleveland. The family trips to the Galleria mall downtown. The office where you met Mike Holmgren for a final time. He spoke to you about Al Haig, you were barely listening, the snow was falling outside his window. You were thinking of Brian Daboll, with whom a lifetime ago you once drank 12 beers in a Flats bar, hats on your heads, anonymous in the din. Later that night you found a bodega open. You bought a tin of chew and sat on the curb like teenagers, eating Andy Capp salsa fries, drinking canned High Life and speaking about the AFC North. The police officer writing the ticket recognized you and called a cab. Good luck coach, he said, and opened the yellow door for you, Cuban music blasting in the night.
You were thinking about Brady Quinn, who you knew at first sight had no business on an NFL field. Of Derek Anderson, who just couldn’t seem to get it, and the time when he admitted he had no idea what a zone cover was, that he just throws it to the open guy. Now you think of the drunken voicemail from Bill that you didn’t save and he doesn’t remember – he said you had some pair of balls, then sadly he said to never lose your way – that you can never, no matter how hard you try, find your way back, and he hung up. The next day you laid the groundwork to trade Kellen and Braylon, with no regrets.
The evening sky in Berea, late night and full of stars heading to your car, no one else awake. The sound of Rob snoring audibly from a basement window, sleeping on a blanket of crushed chips, and lined-notebook paper covered with pen drawings of strange defenses. The time you told your team at halftime against Pittsburgh that you were going to lock the door, and if they lost they were going to have to drive home in pads. How good it felt to beat Pittsburgh – you thought if this is it, then it was worth it. The locker room jubilant afterward.
Holmgren still talking, now about George Washington. You drop in a chew and try to grasp the tangent he is on, you wonder if the plowman has come to your house yet – maybe you will shovel yourself today. You think of the time in New York Brett had started a snowball fight in the parking lot; the season soon derailed by the same arm that nailed Penny from HR in the shoulder with a snowball. You think about the Patriots game, two weeks planning, no sleep, Bill stunned afterward, eyes staring though you and into the void. Then the Jets game – if only, that was the season you think. You shake Holmgren’s hand, it was good you say, I am glad to have set the table, and I will always be a Cleveland Brown. You pass a few players in the hallway – it’s business, but you can tell that this season meant something to them, they thank you – they all look you in the eye like men. You call your wife and let her know you’ll be home soon. Just enough time, you think, to hang out with the boys before supper.
The Cleveland Browns. You were a ball boy here once and then you came back as the head coach. You built something here. You built a team that a town could be proud of, the team you always imagined, a team that was almost there. As you pull out of the gates a man walking his dog yells to you, thanks coach. You smile and say thank you, you turn the radio up loud, then louder, roll the windows down letting in the cold. The Cleveland Browns, you think. You were the head coach of the Cleveland Browns. Foot down hard on the gas, you let out a joyful yell, and proudly thunder into the starry night.















