The Big Cat Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 If you remember, we were all high-fiving ourselves over Simmons' article in late September about the decline of the Patriots. Link Well, some food for thought that has always come to my mind when folks start calling for Shannahan, Holmren, and Cowher: Undeniable Truth No. 2: Even Bill Belichick can't throw in the high 90s for his entire life. Sounds like heresy, right? I should mention that you're reading a guy who, from 2003-08, would have followed Belichick into a fire if he told me, "You'll be fine, it's not that hot!" Of course, I'm the same guy who once introduced the Speed Limit Corollary for NFL coaches back in January 2007: If the coach of your favorite team is older than 55, or if your team is about to hire someone who's older than 55, there's a good chance you should start preparing for a frustrating stretch of football. The piece ended like this: "(In a related story, both Belichick and Mike Shanahan turn 55 before the start of next season. Hmmmmmmmmm.)" Shanahan got canned last spring; Belichick turned 55 during the Eff You season. He's 57 now. I can report one undeniable change: The coach seems to be more at ease with his place in life. Controlling Secretive Bloodthirsty Belichick has made way for Enjoying The Ride Belichick. Just a little. His kids have grown up. He divorced his wife and squires his new girlfriend everywhere during the offseason. Every once in awhile, he shows up at a Celtics game with killer seats; they show him on the Jumbotron; the place erupts; and Belichick totally eats it up. Total armchair analysis, but he seems to me like someone who made a ton of money, earned a whole hand of Super Bowl rings, feels pretty secure about his place in history, and continues to love coaching football ... only maybe it's not quite life or death anymore. Does the famous Belichick mystique still exist? Of course. One of my favorite 2009 "Hard Knocks" moments: when Belichick saw Chad Ochocinco before a preseason game, then teased him that the Patriots planned on doubling him the whole game. It wasn't just Ocho's reaction during the exchange (deferential, disappointed, like putty in Belichick's hands) but the coach's ability to connect with him through humor -- the side of Belichick that we always hear about but rarely see -- and how he stripped away Ocho's "Look at me!" shtick in less than 12 seconds. The scene ended and I remember thinking, "We need to trade for Ocho! Belichick can salvage that nutcase!" So the mystique remains, but what about everything else? What about those dicey last few drafts? Why hasn't he hired a real offensive coordinator after Josh McDaniels left? Since he enjoyed so much success this decade, wasn't it inevitable that other teams would start emulating some of his Moneyball-like tricks (particularly not splurging on free agents), reducing his competitive advantage as the years went along? Finally, how long can we expect a man in his late-50s to control every single aspect of running an NFL franchise? Remember, legends like Shula, Landry, Parcells, Noll, Walsh, Holmgren and Gibbs famously faded once they hit their late-50s. If the Patriots win the next Super Bowl, Belichick would become the fifth-oldest coach ever to hoist the trophy, trailing only Dick Vermeil (63), Weeb Ewbank (61), Tom Coughlin (61) and Barry Switzer (58) ... and those guys weren't drafting players, just coaching. We don't think of Belichick as making history agewise, just like we don't think Sandra Bullock is making history by still pumping out youthful chick flicks in her mid-40s. Just know that nobody older than Belichick built a team and coached it and won the Super Bowl. It's never happened. We'll all have to wait and see what the Shannahan hub-bub is all about, but based on Simmons' analysis, I'd much rather have him as the GM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Big Cat Posted November 19, 2009 Author Share Posted November 19, 2009 If you remember, we were all high-fiving ourselves over Simmons' article in late September about the decline of the Patriots. Link Well, some food for thought that has always come to my mind when folks start calling for Shannahan, Holmren, and Cowher: We'll all have to wait and see what the Shannahan hub-bub is all about, but based on Simmons' analysis, I'd much rather have him as the GM. No? Nobody thinks age plays a factor? Nobody's considering this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Hindsight Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 No? Nobody thinks age plays a factor? Nobody's considering this? Honestly i would rather have an up and coming GM and a proven coach....we need more than one eye on this IMO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pine Barrens Mafia Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 No? Nobody thinks age plays a factor? Nobody's considering this? Not at 56. Who do you propose that's younger than that? The only "younger" coach I'd go after would MAYBE be Russ Grimm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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