With Belichick Gone It’s The End of An Era In New England

Tom Pennington. Getty Images.

I’m not going to sit here and say I cried or I was stunned when I woke up to the news this morning that Bill Belichick was done in New England.  The writing has been on the wall for months now.   This isn’t Nick Saban retiring while he’s still at the top of his game. The Patriots have become a disgrace on the field.   The whispers were turning into screams.   But none of that changes the fact I still felt overwhelming sadness about this announcement.  And to be honest it’s not even about football.   It’s just that anytime somebody is in your life for as long as Belichick has been in ours he becomes part of your extended family.  I couldn’t help but start reminiscing  about who I was with, what I was doing during certain moments over the years.  The good and the bad. The superbowls, The Tuck Rule game, Spygate, Deflategate, Operation Clowngate, 18-1, the hoodies, the parades, the press conferences, the snowstorms, the going for it on 4th down vs the Colts, taking a safety vs the Broncos, the goaline stand, the kicks, We’re on to Cincinnati and the list goes on and on and on.  

I mean for the better part of 20 years the Patriots were always in the  mix for a championship and that meant that in New England December through February were Patriots months.   You built your social calendar around the Pats.    Outside the Krafts, Belichick was the last remaining reminder of our glory years. And now with him gone I can’t help but feel a bit old.   All the guys we used to watch every Sunday are either in the booth or doing something else.   Generations of kids will grow up in New England and the Patriot dynasty will be nothing but folklore for them.    Stories guys like me tell at family gatherings.  “You should have seen the Patriots back in the day…nobody could beat them”  I guess time eventually catches up with us all and it finally did with Belichick.   But as I’ve said a million times I don’t care if the Patriots never win another game the rest of my life.  From my early 20’s to mid 40’s we had the greatest run in the history of sports and it helped shape me, Barstool and an entire region.  Thank you Bill.