By NICK CATTLES
Well, here we are: Rob Gronkowski is a Tampa Bay Buccaneer. That escalated quickly. And before you could even let that thought settle, the hot takes were flying.
Opinionists already lathered up by the Brady exit, now got their cherry on top. This is all Belichick’s fault. He let the kingdom crumble. He let the foundation fracture. The man who has been regarded as the greatest coach of all time had gone mad. Even worse, the GOAT of NFL coaches had gone ... Krause!
Jerry Krause had been almost forgotten by sports fans, until this past Sunday night. When ESPN debuted the first two episodes of, “The Last Dance,” we were reintroduced to the short and portly former Bulls GM. The man who tore down the Bulls dynasty. Just like Bill Belichick tore down this one. Allegedly.
We don’t agree and here’s why:
Let’s start with TB12 and MJ.
Krause was creating a rift with a 34-year-old Jordan, who was still at the top of his game. His final season with the Bulls was a tour de force. Kids still wanted to be “like Mike,” after he averaged 28.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game. Jordan was also voted both regular-season AND Finals MVP. This all happened, despite Scottie Pippen’s 38-game absence. Oh, and did I mention he was 34 years old?
Meanwhile, Belichick waved goodbye to a soon-to-be 43-year-old quarterback. Yes, Brady is a legend. And if you ask NFL analysts, most of them will tell you, Brady is still a top-10 QB. You know what else they’d tell you? His play has declined. He has analytically and statistically taken a step back, if not a step and a half. During his final year with the Patriots, he had not one but two injuries that hampered him. MJ didn’t miss ONE game in ‘97-’98.
Aside from performance, we can’t overlook the contractual obstacle. Brady wasn’t just asking Belichick to believe in him at age 43, but also 44. No one’s arguing Brady’s greatness. Nobody is saying he can’t have a very good ‘20 season. I personally expect Brady to be damn good this year. But, would I be willing to bet he’ll be raging through the league at 44? Nope. No thank you.
Up next: Krause v. Belichick.
Both built dynastic rosters. Both had a keen eye for how players could fit into their system and vision. That’s where we should stop, as far as comparisons go.
Krause publicly disrespected his players to the media. He publicly put them on the market, via ESPN, every chance he could get. He announced Phil Jackson was done BEFORE the ‘97-’98 season even began. Krause was as nearly unprofessional, for a man in his position, as he could have been heading into that season. Say what you want about Belichick, but the dude isn’t airing out dirty laundry anytime soon.
The relationship between Krause and Jordan had long been soured. They didn’t like each other. They didn’t respect each other. Even in victory, there was no embrace. There were no conversations behind closed doors to keep the relationship productive and relatively copacetic (Brady confirmed such conversations with Howard Stern weeks ago).
Jordan wasn’t drafted by Krause. He was a top-3 pick who needed Krause to stay out of the way. Brady would eventually get there, but his path was much different. The Pats took a swing at him in the 6th round. Kept him on the roster, invested in him, even though they didn’t particularly have to. Brady was handled delicately until he was ready to become TB12. MJ, a month or two into his rookie season, was the alpha. Krause had NOTHING to do with the development of the individual player. Meanwhile, Belichick helped nurture the young Brady.
From nurture to nature: Let’s talk about human nature. Let’s talk about ego. Every person in this space has an ego. Every single one of them wants to prove they can win without the other. They all have a chip. They all want to be proven right. But, Krause’s ego and unprofessional ways burned the Bulls dynasty down to the ground in thirteen years, twelve of them with MJ. Belichick and Brady, lasted 20.
Oh, and how about their respective eras? Anyone heard of social media?
MJ and Krause didn’t have Twitter. Nor did they have Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat or even “MyFace.” There was no FS1, FS2, NBC Sports Network...you get the point. There was ESPN, local sports TV, and newspapers. Steve Kerr in a recent interview says that MJ walked away in 93-94, partially due to the non-stop nature and pressure of his job. Imagine how things might have gone in 2020?
Yet, with incredible unrelenting pressure. All of the “gates.” A star tight end turned murderer. And, more “they’re done” stories than you could shake a stick at - Belichick & Brady lasted SEVEN more years than Krause/Jordan. While Krause and Jordan tapped out, the New England combination still had a SECOND string of titles to get to.
One final point: Krause was given five years to be proven wrong. For some, Belichick was given barely five weeks. A bit premature, no? We’d say so.