The best advertisement for the Bill Belichick Way used to be winning.
With Tom Brady set to play in Super Bowl 55 for Tampa Bay, the times have officially changed: Belichick needs to pay for some advertising.
Some companies famously get away without needing that purchased public relations: Rolls-Royce, Krispy Kreme, and Spanx to name a few. Belichick used to be included in that class, but this year is calling for something new. Think of this unexpected Belichick ad campaign as Spanx for a 7-9 season.
And while I wouldn’t laugh at Belichick actually purchasing some CBS commercial time during this year’s Big Game (Bill opting-in on ad time while big brands like Coke stay on the sidelines would be a baller move), here’s an even simpler method: just speak. Have a sit-down during the pregame show and start to retake the narrative.
Because right now, Belichick is in danger of hemorrhaging free agents while the anti-Belichick Way is on display: winning while having fun with Brady and the Bucs.
It’s not all true, of course, because the Tampa season was far from a full barrel of laughs. Earlier this season we saw Brady frequently get thrown under the bus by his new coach Bruce Arians, skip a postgame handshake line, and dress down receivers for improper conduct. In late November, the 7-5 Buccaneers seemed like a sinking ship of misery.
But now, the ‘fun-in-the-sun’ portrait is back in a big way, and it’s doing as much damage to the Belichick mystique as the Malcolm Butler benching.
When Rob Gronkowski told Sirius XM radio this week that, “coming [to Tampa] is a complete 180 for sure. Totally different. I feel the biggest difference is having the freedom of being yourself here in this organization…” that was a dagger to Belichick.
When Danny Amendola told Fox Sports’ ‘First Things First’ show this week that, “When you see ‘Patriot Way’ in the dictionary, it’s gonna have Tom Brady’s name next to it… Tom Brady is ‘the Patriot Way.’ That’s the reason why Tom Brady’s in the Super Bowl right now and the Patriots aren’t…” that was a Belichick sledgehammer.
If The Hoodie doesn’t react soon, his appearance as Emperor Palpatine will be complete.
Meanwhile, someone in the Pats organization is trying to curate an image that they’re all-in for free agency. Tom E. Curran told WEEI’s ‘Dale & Keefe’ last week that he’s hearing the Pats will be “extremely and uncharacteristically aggressive” this offseason.
My hunch is that intel is coming from the Krafts, who are making a not-so-subtle play at forcing Belichick’s hand into buying some groceries for next fall’s feast.
But if it’s true that the Pats will be major players on the open market this March, they need the face of the franchise to take back his image, while continuing to show a new and softer side. It’s what’s best for the football team.
Last year, Mr. VIII Rings flashed his hardware with a smile during the on-field NFL 100 ceremony. That was a win.
This year, why shouldn't Belichick schedule a sit-down with Boomer Esiason, or Bill Cowher, and really open up. Gush about Brady and talk about how great it was to spend 20-years with him. Talk about how the pride felt at seeing a former son succeed in his new job. Admit some fault in not being able to keep the relationship going in New England. Laugh at Gronk and Amendola’s jabs at his dictatorship, while reinforcing why that structure leads to success and titles.
Belichick doesn’t need to show up like Steve Buschemi’s ‘how do you do, fellow kids’ meme with a hat on backwards. He just needs to work the room a little, as plain old Bill.
All we’ve had recently from his camp are angry Linda Holliday IG messages and a skipped Senior Bowl week with reports of a tropical vacation. In the Belichick void, the piling on has begun.
For the first time in 20 years, Belichick has to make a little effort with the press, to regain some good press. Because it’s not too late to share some of this Brady spotlight in a positive way, a way that will set the proper tone for the Pats offseason to come.