If you had Bill Belichick apologizing for decades of standard behavior, feeling like he was “short” with reporters in his postgame press conference after a demoralizing loss on your 2021 bingo card, go ahead and stamp that shit because hell hath frozen over. In 100 years they will trade the story of Ebenezer Scrooge and replace it with the fateful day Bill Belichick apologized to reporters.
After losing to the Colts in such un-Patriot like, 4th and 1 fake/not fake punt Colts fashion–with a blocked punt TD, a billion (or so) penalties, and Josh McDaniels continuing to call Brandon Bolden toss plays on 3rd and short–Bill Belichick was, for once, understandably pissed off. More than typical grumpy after a 45-7 blowout Belichick, he ran through his patented lines from the Book of Patriot Way.
“We did nothing right.”
“Poor coaching, poor execution.”
“We’re onto Buffalo.”
Perhaps more terrified than Mac Jones, Jonnu Smith, or Isaiah Wynn should be, the credentialed members of the media had the worst job of the holiday season this year. Having to face Bill Belichick, on a Saturday night when they should be sipping egg nog and wrapping presents, and asking his thinking on the decision to kick a FG in the 4th instead of going for it, is harder than breaking the news to your kids that Santa isn’t real.
Maybe this was Bill’s audition to take over for that overworked Grinch at the local bookstore? Nothing stood out to be more abrasive to reporters than his typical 3-6 minute mandated press conferences we’ve watched over the past 30 years. But what happened next was what the kids call unprecedented. An unprompted, genuine, apology.
It’s obvious Bill saw what Tom Brady pulled last night and saw the perfect opportunity to add a notch to his tally on the Brady v. Belichick argument. Haven’t seen Tom apologize to Microsoft yet, have we? Who is the bigger man here now Skip Bayless?
After the apology, Bill made sure to divert attention back to the most important issue of the game, asking why T.Y Hilton wasn’t also ejected for violently assaulting a ref. Balls in your court now, Goodell.