Post by RedWings on Feb 5, 2008 9:28:43 GMT -5
Here's an excellent blog. While I'm not a true Hatriot fan, I wanted them to lose because of Belichick. As the saying goes, Belichick has got a lot of class, mostly third. This blog sums it up very nicely, I think.
The NHL Coach: The Anti-Belichick
February 4, 2008, 11:08 AM ET
Just a quick note to comment on something I observed from last night's Super Bowl. With one second left on the clock, Bill Belichick, head coach of the Patriots, crosses onto the field in a game that is not yet officially finished, congratulates Tom Coughlin, then heads to the locker room. Heads to the locker room when the game is not finished. Accompanied by a large chunk of his team.
Now, many are chastising Belichick for disrespecting the opponent through his actions. I do agree with them to a certain extent (even if he thought the clock had run out, as many did, upon realizing it hadn't he should have been right back out there). I am amazed, however, that people are not up in arms with what I consider to be the more serious issue here: the fact that he, as a head coach, headed back to the locker room and left his defense alone on the field to stand there without their "leader" there with them on the sidelines while Eli took a knee to finish the game.
To me this aforementioned act smacks of more disrespect than anything he could have directed towards the other team. For a game that is so often paralelled with "War and Battle", seeing a "General" leave his "troops" to suffer their defeat alone is beyond an act of disrespect. I don't even know how to explain it. Can you picture a Bowman pulling a stunt like this? Did Brian Murray abandon ship as the final seconds ran out on the Sens Cup run? Did Sutter head for the back in the final seconds of the seventh game Lightning Cup win? Would coaches like Babcock, Keenan or Tortorella (all fiery personalities on the best of days) allow their bench to empty into the locker room both leaving their teamates to finish off what is a meaningless second of a championship game loss while also not offering a good willed post-game handshake to your opponent? Not a chance.
I don't feel bad for what Belichick may have symbolically done to the Giants by pulling what he did. I'm sure Eli and the boys aren't thinking about it too much. I do, however, feel for the players on his team he threw under the bus in that last second, and for the integrity he ripped out of the moment. It's times like this though that I realize how lucky I am to witness some of the classiest coaches out there, who even in defeat do the right thing by standing by their team and respecting the code upon which competitive hockey is built on, win or lose.
Shawn Gates
shawngates@rogers.com
The NHL Coach: The Anti-Belichick
February 4, 2008, 11:08 AM ET
Just a quick note to comment on something I observed from last night's Super Bowl. With one second left on the clock, Bill Belichick, head coach of the Patriots, crosses onto the field in a game that is not yet officially finished, congratulates Tom Coughlin, then heads to the locker room. Heads to the locker room when the game is not finished. Accompanied by a large chunk of his team.
Now, many are chastising Belichick for disrespecting the opponent through his actions. I do agree with them to a certain extent (even if he thought the clock had run out, as many did, upon realizing it hadn't he should have been right back out there). I am amazed, however, that people are not up in arms with what I consider to be the more serious issue here: the fact that he, as a head coach, headed back to the locker room and left his defense alone on the field to stand there without their "leader" there with them on the sidelines while Eli took a knee to finish the game.
To me this aforementioned act smacks of more disrespect than anything he could have directed towards the other team. For a game that is so often paralelled with "War and Battle", seeing a "General" leave his "troops" to suffer their defeat alone is beyond an act of disrespect. I don't even know how to explain it. Can you picture a Bowman pulling a stunt like this? Did Brian Murray abandon ship as the final seconds ran out on the Sens Cup run? Did Sutter head for the back in the final seconds of the seventh game Lightning Cup win? Would coaches like Babcock, Keenan or Tortorella (all fiery personalities on the best of days) allow their bench to empty into the locker room both leaving their teamates to finish off what is a meaningless second of a championship game loss while also not offering a good willed post-game handshake to your opponent? Not a chance.
I don't feel bad for what Belichick may have symbolically done to the Giants by pulling what he did. I'm sure Eli and the boys aren't thinking about it too much. I do, however, feel for the players on his team he threw under the bus in that last second, and for the integrity he ripped out of the moment. It's times like this though that I realize how lucky I am to witness some of the classiest coaches out there, who even in defeat do the right thing by standing by their team and respecting the code upon which competitive hockey is built on, win or lose.
Shawn Gates
shawngates@rogers.com