Patriots reporters were reminded Wednesday how difficult it is to get Bill Belichick to comment on the pertinent topics of the day, from Tom Brady's non-existent contract extension to Josh Gordon's status. The Hoodie opened training camp with his usual brusque podium performance, failing to answer any question with more than a couple of sentences.
During times like these, it's impossible to imagine Belichick being affable in front of a microphone, never mind loquacious. But according to NFL Network's Rich Eisen, that's exactly how Belichick carried himself during filming of the NFL's 100 All-Team Show.
On his radio show Tuesday, Eisen talked about working with Belichick on the project. The Patriots' coach will sit at the analysts desk with Eisen and Cris Collinsworth for the six-week special, in which the league's 100 top players will be unveiled.
"The number of guys he can talk to, just personally, about emotional feelings about it. I can't tell you how amazing it was," Eisen said.
Belichick, who started his professional coaching career with the Baltimore Colts in 1975, has either seen or coached many of the league's all-time greats. At one point during filming, Eisen says he couldn't get Belichick to stop talking, which impeded him from introducing the next guest.
"Because we just let it go –– talking about it –– one guest that was getting ready to appear, we were late to get that guest out on the set," Eisen said. "So very rarely did producers get in my ear to say, 'Move it along.' So I'm sitting there at the desk trying to move the chat along. They did basically say, 'So-and-so has been waiting and he's been waiting for a while, so maybe we should get him out here.' And the guest who was on the set is so closely related to Belichick, just letting them two of them go was too good. But I had to basically said, 'When this conversation ends, I'm going to have to go to break.'
"But it couldn't end, because Belichick was enjoying the conversation and his memories. It was the type of Belichick every member of the media tries to get out of him when he's at the podium, and they ask 'yes' or 'no' questions, and can't get it out of him, and he won't give it to them, because it's the middle of the season. But this Belichick is just so into the moment and so enjoying it and so wants to keep telling stories about this individual and other individuals we were talking about, I was thinking to myself, 'I can't believe I'm fortunate to be a host of this show, but I can't believe I'm in a portion of my career where I need to wrap up a segment, but can't, because Bill Belichick won't stop talking.' This happened."
.@richeisen unveiled a big #NFL100 surprise coming to @nflnetwork this fall and the two special guests that will be joining him:@SNFonNBC @Patriots @NFLFilms @NFL pic.twitter.com/xxLaGH15Vr
— Rich Eisen Show (@RichEisenShow) July 23, 2019Eisen did not reveal which player Belichick couldn't stop yammering about. We will have to watch to find out.
