Belichick Mercilessly Abusing the Falcons on ManningCast Was the Stuff Legends are Made Of
Three years ago, Bill Belichick proved that he can give an Emmy Award-winning performance by articulately heaping praise upon the greatest players in NFL history. It was a opportunity for him to showcase two of his defining characteristics: His unparalleled knowledge of football, and his deep, genuine respect for the men that have made the NFL what it is.
But those are not his only traits that have made him great. Not by a long road. No, this diabolical genius possesses qualities far stronger than knowledge and admiration. He's vengeful. Malicious. Vindictive. Resentful. Fueled by anger for all those who have slighted him, and filled with bloodlust to avenge any who have done him wrong.
In a way, those are his most admirable qualities. They've guided his steps along this incomparable football journey he's on. And all who have crossed him has suffered because of them at one time or another. Last night on the Manningcast, it was the Atlanta Falcons turn. The same Atlanta Falcons team that is majorly responsible for putting in the Manning brothers' virtual broadcast booth:
Me, in January:
Arthur Blank continues to be an imbecile who doesn't know how to run a football operation. Probably because he's listening to the very people who would lose all their power if Belichick was brought in. Especially CEO Rich McKay [who] is Blank's Littlefinger. The one who has the ear of the king. And he's not about to cede that power. So the only advice the owner got was to pass up the greatest football mind to every break down a game film in favor of the Rams defensive coordinator. Because he's someone who can be managed and controlled, in ways Belichick will never, ever be. If the Falcons were interested in winning, they'd have gone with the obvious choice. The people making the decisions are interested in keeping their jobs, even at the expense of continued irrelevance. So they made that choice.
As for Belichick, good for him. Why should he compromise? He doesn't give up control to you. You give control over to him. He's not going to accept some role where he has to answer to some bureaucrat with zero championships on his resume. If you want to hire him, you do it on his terms. He's a package deal. A pretty fucking successful package deal, as the ring he was probably wearing at those meetings, the Super Bowl LI one with exactly 283 diamonds on it, would indicate.
And even in the friendly safe space of Zoom grabassing with Peyton and Eli, Belichick made no attempt to hide his contempt for Blank and McKay's little operation.
From ripping into the Falcons' pathetic, half-hearted attempts at tackling:
To their utter stupidity, selfishness and lack of self-discipline:
To throwing salt into the open wound that is the most embarrassing moment of Blank's life:
To my personal favorite, when he went hard in the paint after McKay and GM Terry Fontenot (without mentioning them by name) for illegally signing free agents and losing a draft pick in the process:
Truly a remarkable performance. The walking, talking equivalent of a "28-3" t-shirt. One deserving of yet another Emmy:
… for a man who has only dabbled in television until now, and is already mastering the medium. He simply has every skill you look for in a broadcaster. He's informative. Tells you things you didn't know or would've missed. He's articulate. Funny. Affable. And above all else, willing to hold grudges and settle scores whenever the opportunity presents itself.
As much as I miss having him on an NFL sideline, right now we're all benefiting from having him in front of a camera instead. The Year of Belichick continues. And I cannot wait to hear who he destroys next.