The news cheers the Sports Desk for different reasons. As the head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide, my Georgia Bulldogs archrival, Nick Saban infuriated me, enraged me, and angered me. He would beat my Bulldogs time and time again, and he always seemed to somehow wind up on the favorable side of NCAA and polling decisions. But I respected him.
In some 54 games since January 1, 2020, the Georgia Bulldogs have lost only four times, and three of those times were to Nick Saban and Alabama. But he beat us by putting better coached teams on the field and by out-coaching us. He mentored Georgia head coach Kirby Smart, and the Bulldogs wouldn't be who they've become without Nick Saban. He provided Georgia with a most worthy adversary, which strengthened us and made us a better team. I'm mad at him, I hate him, but mostly, I respect him.
Let's be clear: I'm glad to see him go. Okay, enough with the strength training already, enough with the conference competition. But there's no denying his greatness as a coach. He's a living legend, and I'm glad to see the saga of his career finally come to an end.
Much is going to be said about his legacy and at some point I'll hit my saturation point and say "enough already!" But before we get there (probably by about the middle of next week), let us unite and together acknowledge and agree to his greatness.
And meanwhile, up in New England, I'm sure there will be a statue of Patriots head coach Bill Belichick someday in front of Gillette Stadium, if they're not building it already. Unlike Saban, though, Belichick is not retiring but "parting ways" with the New England Patriots, which is the kindest way I know of saying "got fired."
I'm a New England fan and I've celebrated Belichick's victories for some two decades now, but it's time. The Patriots are coming off a disappointing 4-13 season, following a disappointing 8-9 season, and they haven't won a post-season game since the 2018 Super Bowl. The Pats have fallen from 1st, to 2nd, to 3rd, to 4th (i.e., last) in the AFC East.
Losing a generational QB like Tom Brady would obviously be a blow to any team, but it was largely Belichick's refusal to meet Brady's salary demands that led to Tom leaving. To replace Brady, the Patriots gave Belichick a proven veteran QB in Cam Newton, but that didn't work out. Okay, maybe Newton was too flamboyant and headstrong for Bill's style, but he was the NFL career leader in QB rushing touchdowns and second in QB rushing yards. Surely, a mastermind genius of a coach should have been able to do something with that.
But whatever, let's reshuffle the deck and try again. The Pats then gave Belichick Mac Jones, a promising young QB farmed straight from Nick Saban's Alabama, a blank slate with a cannon for an arm. Unfortunately, that didn't work out much better. Neither did Bailey Zappe.
A coach who refused to work with a General Manager and insisted on selecting his own players and roster, Belichick left the Patriots without an effective offensive line to protect his QBs, without skilled receivers, and after he squandered away former Georgia Bulldog Sony Michel's talent, without a decent rusher.
We'll hear a million excuses and alibis, but after a record-setting streak of unparalleled success at New England, Belichick left the Patriots devoid of talent and bankrupt on prospects. It was time for him to go.
The Patriots Golden Years dynasty of 2001-2018, with its six Super Bowl victories, will be remembered as the "Tom Brady Era." No doubt, Bill Belichick contributed to the success, but that success was built around a once-in-a-lifetime GOAT QB, not a wily head coach.
Goodbye, Bill, and thanks for the memories. Sincerely, thank you. But now it's time for you to go so we can forget these last couple years and start to remember you for the good times only.
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