January 21, 2007

That was a football game. Dang.

posted by tieguy at 09:39 PM on January 21, 2007

Congratulations to the Colts. That Joseph Addai touchdown was the dagger that finally vanquished the Patriots. Unfortunately, the Pats were not stout enough to stop the Colts when it counted, and they might have blundered away a chance to put the game away early with a succession of penalties. Dungy and the Colts made key adjustments throughout the game and came up with the 2nd-half-opening drive that really got their engine going. Manning and Bob Sanders made some huge plays down the stretch. Surprise, surprise, the game did not turn on the feet of the kickers. It was fairly well-officiated too - while I think some non-calls were bogus I'm sure a Colt fan could match me point for point. Overall, the Colts were the better team in this showdown and it's been a long time coming for them. I'm hoping for a good Super Bowl but with the way the Colts are playing on both sides of the ball, we could be in for a rout. At least the AFC championship was a hell of an exciting contest. (It's best that I weigh in now, before extended reflection on this outcome turns me into a simmering cauldron of rage. Even though it's really been a rebuilding year for the Patriots, they came so close to making the Super Bowl. I'm just going to have to focus in a little closer on my Hoyas and wait for spring training and the draft. Think defensive depth, Pioli!!)

posted by Venicemenace at 09:39 PM on January 21, 2007

I think the Pats defense wore out on that overheated turf. I never would've thought they could give up 32 points in one half. I didn't see the roughing call that put the Colts in striking distance for the winning TD. Anyone know if it was legit?

posted by rcade at 09:52 PM on January 21, 2007

He always looks like that erkno, even when he isn't dropping balls. Pretty weird, huh? Rcade, the replay didn't reveal much but there may have been some helmet-to-helmet contact, which draws an automatic flag. It certainly wasn't anything that presented a hazard but the rules are pretty strict on that front. They weren't flagging much ticky-tack stuff tonight so I have to believe the flag was probably legit. I hate Nance.

posted by Venicemenace at 09:57 PM on January 21, 2007

As someone without much of a rooting interest in this game, I must say that it was a real pleasure to watch. I came to it a little bit late, and almost turned it off for good at 21-3, but I watched the end of the half (Colts' drive for a FG) and then decided it was probably worth watching the second half considering that the Colts offense looked like it was going to be able to move the ball. Great game to watch. And for what it's worth, Hal, I think even if NE had recovered on the bobble by Wayne in the last few minutes (assuming that's what you're talking about), Indy would have retained possession on the roughing the passer penalty. But you're right that there were a number of plays in the past few minutes that, if made, could have changed the outcome. As to Caldwell, he wasn't deer in the headlights because he was bewildered or overwhelmed -- dude just has big eyes. Some DBs say that they know when to turn back for the ball because the receiver's eyes get big when it's coming in. I'm not sure what DBs that cover Caldwell do.

posted by holden at 10:07 PM on January 21, 2007

Congrats to Coach Dungy, Peyton Manning and the Colts. Great comeback over an incredible opponent in the NE Patriots. Looking forward to seeing them play in the Superbowl.

posted by skydivedad at 10:19 PM on January 21, 2007

rcade, Bishop's right, the call was a blow to the head. From the one replay I saw, it looked liked the Pat's defender had his arm up and the momentum from being blocked brushed his arm into Manning's helmet. Considering how the rest of the game was called, I think this one was pretty weak. Couldn't be happier for Manning. The run the Patriots have had these last few seasons has been impressive to watch, but I think the Colts are overdue. And great game...what a great game.

posted by Texan_lost_in_NY at 10:27 PM on January 21, 2007

My guess is that if he doesn't win the Super Bowl, he'll be referred to by the sportswriters as the Phill Mickelson (previously) of the NFL. The best QB never to win the big one. (except for Marino.)

posted by hawkguy at 10:47 PM on January 21, 2007

Whew. I don't know that I could have standed (stood?) 4 Pats titles in 6 years.

posted by edub1321 at 11:32 PM on January 21, 2007

I think they made the wrong call on the Patriots' touchdown at the back of the end zone. They called it a push-out, but to me it looked like his right foot would not have landed in-bounds, even if he hadn't been pushed out. That's just my opinion, and it's a judgement call. It kind of looked like his heels might have been over the end zone line, but there wasn't anything conclusive on the replays. Wayne tripped over his own foot. And as a former lineman, I was psyched to see linemen score three of the TDs in the game.

posted by kirkaracha at 11:48 PM on January 21, 2007

That 12 man on the field was a huge penalty. Heath Evans may have cost New England game by being the 12th man in the huddle on 1st down. Had they converted the third down (with 5 less yards to go) they may have won the game. And thank goodness I won't have to look at Belichick's nasty old hoody with the half cut off sleeves in a Super Bowl. Peyton Manning has repealed the Patriot Act.

posted by Bronc Gal at 11:58 PM on January 21, 2007

Now the question for those of us in the magic Detroit-Chicago-Indy triangle becomes . . . who to root for.

posted by ridadie2005 at 06:24 AM on January 22, 2007

Anyone else catch the post game where Boomer Esiason was going on and on about how Manning has a chance to win a Super Bowl and finally be one of the greats. And then he kept going and on and on about how a career isn't complete without the championship? Marino was just sitting there stewing, you could almost read his mind, "I'm gonna kill you Norman, and you never won either!"

posted by mick at 06:46 AM on January 22, 2007

The whole great-QB-Super-Bowl thing really should have been thrown out when Jeff Hostetler won one. It got really rotten when Trent Dilfer won one.

posted by SummersEve at 07:27 AM on January 22, 2007

But that was on the stadium TV, which is crappy. Did anyone on the TV broadcast mention that? They checked his feet over and over to see if his ankles were out of bounds before he leapt. The replays all suggested that he stayed in bounds, elevating his ankles so they never touched the back line. It was a pretty remarkable play.

posted by rcade at 07:42 AM on January 22, 2007

All I have to say about this game was that it was one of the greatest comebacks that I've even seen. Congratulations to Tony Dungy and Lovie Smith on becoming the first black head coaches to lead their team to the Super Bowl. I'm not really a fan of either team but I can tell you that this Super Bowl will be the beginning of the Colts dynasty. Indy has been in contention for the past few years and I truly believe that this was the stepping stone for Peyton Manning and his Colts. If they continue to play the way they've been playing during these playoffs, the Colts will be a tough team to beat. Also, I just want to point out that Rex Grossman was the only QB to not throw an interception yesterday. After all the talk about which Rex Grossman would show up ("good" Rex or "bad" Rex) this kid goes out there and just shows up. Sure, he may have handed the ball off the majority of the time but when the Bears needed a big play, he delivered. With Thomas Jones and Cedric Benson running the way they were, Grossman provided the plays that were needed and when they were needed. This should be a great SB XLI.

posted by BornIcon at 07:57 AM on January 22, 2007

All of the following is written by a "homer". It's my opinion, but take nothing away from the Colts and Manning. They could easily have folded, but instead kept working. This is the New England ethic, and congratulations to Indianapolis for using it well. There were 3 calls against NE that had a large hand in the outcome. The first was a very weak offensive pass interference call against Troy Brown that negated a 1st down catch and ultimately resulted in a punt vs at least a field goal. This turned into a momentum killer, as the Colts then drove to a half-ending field goal. It looked to me like a defender was backpedalling when Brown made contact (albeit with his hands up), and went backwards about 5 yards. This could easily have been misinterpreted by the official, but it's still a weak call in a game of this magnitude. Calling the roughing penalty against Banta-Cain a "hit" is like calling Paris Hilton a great character actress. (OK, I just had to get a Paris Hilton line in there. Forgive me). The 3rd call was a non-call on an obvious pass interference in the end zone on a Patriots' receiver. He was pushed, then held before the ball got there, but no flag was thrown. The end result was a field goal instead of a probable touchdown. That too was the difference in score, 4 points. If games are to be decided by the officials, at least let's get some consistency in their calls.

posted by Howard_T at 08:26 AM on January 22, 2007

But -- but Paris Hilton is a great character actress. And Trent Dilfer is totally a better QB than Dan Marino and Peyton Manning combined. I'm so hot.

posted by chicobangs at 08:46 AM on January 22, 2007

Caldwell stunk it up. NE's defense had an epic collapse at the start of the 2nd half. I didn't know it was possible to go from that good to that bad so quickly. Made me wonder if someone slipped something in their halftime Gatorade. (And how many neutral zone / offside penalties did they take? Geez.) The roughing the passer call was pretty flimsy, given what else they were letting people get away with. I think NE probably could have won that game, Caldwell excepted. He probably couldn't have fished the prize out of a Cracker Jacks box with those hands. But still, good for Peyton, I guess. I don't like him, but rationally speaking, a guy with those stats deserves at least one shot at a Super Bowl...

posted by fabulon7 at 09:03 AM on January 22, 2007

Caldwell's drops were epic. And not a new thing, either. Although it's both unfair to hang the loss on one individual, and logically broken to hang it all on one play or officiating call. I just saw the last six minutes or so of the game (sat for three hours on the ground in Denver waiting to get deiced) and what I saw just stunk.

posted by lil_brown_bat at 09:32 AM on January 22, 2007

Well, my Saints didn't make it but I am glad my other team made it to the big dance. Go Colts!

posted by govtdrone at 10:04 AM on January 22, 2007

The force-out rule has to go. By rule, the Gaffney catch was a touchdown, but that rule essentially punishes the defender for making a good play. Additionally, making the referees judge what they think would have happened if he wasn't hit is stupid. It's hard enough to enforce all of the straight-forward rules with out bringing subjectivity and opinions into the mix. The sidelines are there for a reason--if you come down out of bounds, you are out of bounds. That pass doesn't have to go to the sidelines. My favorite play was the Caldwell drop along the sideline. The announcers were going crazy, "No one's guarding Caldwell! How can they leave him that wide open?!" Then he dropped it. I was really hoping someone would ask Tony Dungy about that after the game and he would say, "Yeah, we didn't figure we needed to put a guy on him, because he'd just drop it anyway." That would have been classic.

posted by bender at 10:28 AM on January 22, 2007

The force-out rule has to go. By rule, the Gaffney catch was a touchdown, but that rule essentially punishes the defender for making a good play. Additionally, making the referees judge what they think would have happened if he wasn't hit is stupid. It's hard enough to enforce all of the straight-forward rules with out bringing subjectivity and opinions into the mix. The sidelines are there for a reason--if you come down out of bounds, you are out of bounds. That pass doesn't have to go to the sidelines. "The pass is to the back of the endzone, Smith leaps up to grab it...caught it! But before his feet hit the turf, he's CAUGHT by the two cornerbacks! He's struggling, but they are carrying him sideways to the edge of the endzone and they throw him out of bounds! Oh! Tough break for Smith. I guess they are going to have to go for the field goal now."

posted by grum@work at 11:17 AM on January 22, 2007

And not a new thing, either. I have no idea what this refers to. Caldwell led the team in receptions, so Brady must have had some glimmer of confidence in him. The last game Caldwell led the team in receptions was . . . last week, when he helped them upset the Chargers. He was solid from Week 6 or so on. The Patriots could have used some of their excess cap room on a better WR corps and/or to re-sign Branch, even for more $$ than they would otherwise be willing to pay. Not sure where I originally read it, maybe in Patriot Games, but it's part of the organizational philosophy to not pay top dollar for talent at WR because it can be found in the draft. As an added complication, the offensive system favors smaller receivers who run sharp routes over bigger receivers. And the thing about the Pats having cap space is a myth:

I sense there is a perception out there that the team is not spending compared to other teams. In actuality, they've spent to a level that is actually going to penalize them.

Refs didn't cost the Pats the game. Individual players didn't lose the game, as far as I saw. Not Caldwell, not Heath Evans, not Lawrence Maroney (who seems to disappear in big games this year, that or the coaching staff makes him disappear); they got beat. More frustrating, they seemed to get outworked. Between the Colts' offense and the heat in the building, it was probably a shitty week for the flu to go around the Pats' locker room. The Pats need to get younger at LB and DB. There hasn't been a playoff run since 2001 where they haven't lost one or more starters at DB. Rodney Harrison and Eugene Wilson seem to be made of rice paper. I hate to say it, but Tedy Bruschi probably should retire; he's lost two steps. I don't know what the Pats do to replace him or Tully Banta-Cain or whomever else. Traditionally they eschew drafting LBs, preferring to pick up tweener DE/LB types from other teams (I think because of the lack of similar 3-4 defenses in college).

posted by yerfatma at 11:27 AM on January 22, 2007

yerfatma -- thanks for the link to that bit on the Patriot's salary cap space. I really don't have enough facts or a good enough understanding of the salary cap rules in football to appreciate the Patriot's specific scenario this year and for future years. I think it's been widely reported that the Patriots left some "money on the table," so to speak, and was just repeating that. What's not clear to me, however, is whether the hit that the Patriots will take in future years is really of the nature of a luxury tax (i.e., paying money into some sort of revenue-sharing pool or a general NFL fund) or will count against their salary cap in future years. If it is the former, it's a rather straightforward economic decision for the team to make in terms of figuring out the impact on the bottom line. If it is the latter, it's a much more strategic decision in terms of what you can do from a personnel position with less money to work with in terms of payroll size. As to grum's comment on the force-out rule, the point is well taken. I imagine the NFL could create a rule that would permit the refs to exercise discretion (not always a great idea) if the player was clearly in-bounds and "caught" (literally wrapped up) and moved versus just knocked out of bounds. There's a line-drawing problem however you address it; I just think the current line drawn favors offenses too much when they should be in a position to adjust their tactics accordingly with a different rule.

posted by holden at 11:42 AM on January 22, 2007

Reading comprehension issue: "[T]he Patriots project to be one of a handful of teams who will actually be penalized by the league as part of the new CBA, and I believe will lose some cap space in a future season (possibly 2007) because of that. So it looks like it is more of a case of the latter two scenarios I noted above, at least if Mike Reiss' analysis is correct. What happened to the comment edit feature?

posted by holden at 11:47 AM on January 22, 2007

"The pass is to the back of the endzone, Smith leaps up to grab it...caught it! But before his feet hit the turf, he's CAUGHT by the two cornerbacks! He's struggling, but they are carrying him sideways to the edge of the endzone and they throw him out of bounds! Oh! Tough break for Smith. I guess they are going to have to go for the field goal now." If they ever change that rule and I was the coach of a team, we would add the WR tip drill to our practices to make sure we could take advantage of just that situation.

posted by bender at 11:56 AM on January 22, 2007

"The pass is to the back of the endzone, Smith leaps up to grab it...caught it! But before his feet hit the turf, he's CAUGHT by the two cornerbacks! He's struggling, but they are carrying him sideways to the edge of the endzone and they throw him out of bounds! Oh! Tough break for Smith. I guess they are going to have to go for the field goal now." Actually, in college, your feet have to come down in bounds, period, just like this proposal. Never seen the sort of thing grum describes happen in college. It would be pretty hard. I'd second this proposal, and add the other part of the college rule, which only requires one foot in bounds. (Personally, I wish such a rule change had been in effect before the Nate Poole pseudo-catch that cost the Vikings the NFC North title a few years back.) That being said (and this being from a de-facto Colts fan), I agree with the officiaiting mistakes Howard pointed out. That being said, the Pats don't choke away 15-point leads everyday, either. I wonder: Did the Colts turn up the temperature in the RCA Dome on purpose? The announcers were talking about how hot it was, and New England clearly looked exhausted.

posted by TheQatarian at 01:33 PM on January 22, 2007

I sense there is a perception out there that the team is not spending compared to other teams. In actuality, they've spent to a level that is actually going to penalize them. I cannot figure out what he is talking about. I have looked it up and the latest CBA and cannot find any penalty related to spending under the salary cap. The Patriots do have to share revenue as one of the top revenue producing teams. If anyone can find info on what he is talking about, I'd like to read more. Could he be making this up?

posted by bperk at 01:46 PM on January 22, 2007

I thought New England's clock management was really poor on their final drive. They got the ball with a minute left and two timeouts, and and let a lot of time (25-30 seconds?) run off the clock.

posted by kirkaracha at 02:23 PM on January 22, 2007

There were some pretty interesting decisions by the officials on both sides. I don't think any of those penalties called were the wrong calls, but they certainly didn't jive with the pattern the rest of the game followed, which was to let them play and let a lot go. There were some other little things that got missed too, like for instance that fumbled kickoff before the INT where Wilkins was clearly down. The replay (I'm watching on tivo right now) shows that he was facemasked first off, and was very clearly down, yet they spotted the ball at the spot of Hagler's "recovery." I think that for a supposed all-star crew, they did a mediocre job. I don't think that any of it really affected the outcome though. Had the ball been left at the 22 instead of the 11 at the end there, it just would've taken them another thirty seconds to score. That wide open Caldwell play happened right in front of me. Had he caught it, he likely would have been stopped at about the five. I don't remember the down and distance, so I can't say if that would've been a big deal or not, but obviously those yards would've helped the Pats. By the way, that was an amazing pick by Samuel. Great read, jump, and especially a nice catch. I've seen a lot of DBs drop balls like that. He had some sticky fingers there.

posted by Bernreuther at 02:55 PM on January 22, 2007

The Pats coach showed what an ahole he is in the post game "interview". Did you see the guys in the studio shake their heads and smirk at his disrespectful attitude? For a guy that has had such success to show so little class in defeat speaks volumes about his character. Everyone from the colts made it a point to say how good the pats played. I can’t remember a coach show so little class after a loss. After the last few years of his team getting away with pass interference on every play against the colts you can’t call it if they do it on EVERY play. I was glad to see Indy over come it last night. Peyton deservers this so much. I have met him several times and he is a class person all around. He talks to people on the street and shops at wal-mart himself. I used to run into him there when we lived in Indy. Not sure if he still does since he got married. People call Peyton a cry baby, when he is just a perfectionist who holds himself up to such a high standard that it is almost impossible to achieve. He is mad at HIMSELF for mistakes. But has been always gracious in defeat. The Pats could learn a lesson in that respect.

posted by vipers-pit at 05:32 PM on January 22, 2007

Vipers-pit, can you please provide a citation for the nonsense you are spewing. Here are the comments I saw from Belichick: ""It was a very tough football game against a good team. You've got to give the Colts credit. They made more plays than we did and they deserved to win. It was about as competitive a game as you can get. They just made a couple more plays than we did." - Belichick yesterday Maybe you have a problem with his sour demeanor - he is ALWAYS LIKE THAT, win or lose. Quite frankly I think your comments are a load of crap. Manning doesn't deserve to go to the Super Bowl because he is a nice guy who shops at Walmart. He deserves to go because he couldn't be denied yesterday. The Patriots committed pass interference on every play? What a load of hyperbolic nonsense. STFU. I strongly believe that the Patriots organization and fans have just as much "class" as anyone else in the league, no more, no less, and all this stereotyping is a bunch of bullshit.

posted by Venicemenace at 06:12 PM on January 22, 2007

Go get you that ring PEYTON..........

posted by nafsfeihc at 06:19 PM on January 22, 2007

He talks to people on the street and shops at wal-mart himself. I used to run into him there when we lived in Indy. I don't think shopping at Wal-Mart is a ringing endorsement for anything good. Peyton may be a great, folksy kind of guy, but doing business with a company that treats their employees as a lower life form is not a feather in his cap.

posted by Texan_lost_in_NY at 06:32 PM on January 22, 2007

Venice You are no one to tell me what to do. I never said a word about the Pats fans or organization. I was talking about the Coach ONLY. Look back at the video and you will see that EVERY member of the broadcast team had the EXACT same reaction to the interview as I did. So you should look at the crap you are shoveling. I am an Arizona Cardinals fan since the 1970s. I do not leave my team. We lived in Indy for 10 years and went to countless games. A game in the dome is like watching one in your living room. Perfect lighting, temperature and views from anywhere in the stands. Also keep in mind that the roof is kept up by AIR PRESSURE ONLY. Ask anyone that walks out after a game and is nearly sucked out of the building. It was very cold in Indy yesterday, my brother still lives 10 min from the dome, and he commented on it, Maybe the heat was turned up for the cold, maybe for an advantage, either way, that is why it is called home field advantage. I do not believe the Colts have ever had a home game this late in the season and the temp maybe SOP to keep snow off the roof. You never see any on it when it snows in town. Manning deserves to go to the Super Bowl because he is the best player in the NFL (don’t bother attacking me on this). My point addressed people calling him a cry baby. You need to read and UNDERSTAND before you comment. The Colts line up better against the Bears than they do the Saints. So I was very happy to see the Bears win. Can’t wait for the party!!!

posted by vipers-pit at 06:36 PM on January 22, 2007

You said, "But has been always gracious in defeat. The Pats could learn a lesson in that respect." And I'm saying, bullshit.

posted by Venicemenace at 06:53 PM on January 22, 2007

I just think if someone is going to come into this thread throwing bombs, they need to come correct. "Did you hear what he said...and the broadcast team was outraged!" is not working for me.

posted by Venicemenace at 07:07 PM on January 22, 2007

I wonder how the 'Edge' likes Arizona now?

posted by shudacudawuda at 08:19 PM on January 22, 2007

Maybe video will shine some light on it for you. I really don't think he was being an asshole, as you said. I don't think that one interview defines class versus classlessness. He was succinct and not much for talking. It's how Belichick is and always has been... which you're obviously aware of and have found humor in, since you linked to the animated clip spoofing Belichick.

posted by jerseygirl at 09:36 PM on January 22, 2007

I can’t remember a coach show so little class after a loss. Well, Cardinals fan, how much class did your coach show this season after losing to Chicago?

posted by Venicemenace at 09:50 PM on January 22, 2007

I hate to come to Belichick's defense, but JG is right. He is a man of few words. And while I admit I was not impressed with the interview right after the game (I did not see any other interview) that is just the way he is, and always has been. His team just lost a title game, what do you want, that he should sing the praises of the Colts and be all "balloons and champaign"? However I would like to congratulate the Colts on their much overdue win! The game was fantastic, right down to the last minute! I am glad is wasn't a blow out by either team. As for Peyton Manning all I can say (in my best Etta James voice with the hair brush microphone in front of the bathroom mirror) is "Aaaaatt laassst!"

posted by steelergirl at 10:19 PM on January 22, 2007

People call Peyton a cry baby, when he is just a perfectionist who holds himself up to such a high standard that it is almost impossible to achieve. He is mad at HIMSELF for mistakes. But has been always gracious in defeat. I'm a big fan of Peyton Manning, but I'm going to call bullshit on that one. I'm guessing your memory doesn't extend all the way back to last year when he trashed his offensive line on national television after they got beaten by the Steelers. It's cool to be a fan of your local team and to think nothing but good thoughts about them. Just be sure not to get too wound up in the whole thing and lose a sense of perspective.

posted by grum@work at 11:10 PM on January 22, 2007

If Wal-Mart is so bad, then why do so many Americans shop there? It's cheap. But let's not get into a walmart is great/ walmart is evil debate. On topic, you believe belichick's classless. As someone who really has no opinion on the man your links don't say that to me at all. Angry, maybe antisocial, but not classless.

posted by justgary at 11:34 PM on January 22, 2007

I can’t remember a coach show so little class after a loss. Then it's a good thing you don't watch the Pats weekly show on Channel 5. That is exactly how he talks on that show and he's friendly with the host. After all the talk on 'EEI about his post-game smackdown of Solomon Wilcotts, I am amazed to finally see that video. What did he do that was so classless? The post-game interview is such a brain-dead idea anyway. How many variations on "We won"/ "We lost" can there possibly be? You expect Shakespeare at a time like that?

posted by yerfatma at 05:45 AM on January 23, 2007

Wow, that took no time: Dennis and Callahan were killing Belichick this morning. Dennis claimed his psychology degree¹ allowed him to see that Belichick didn't go out and gladhand after games because Bill probably thinks it shows fear and that's why he's "not enough of a man" to go congratulate Peyton Manning after a game. Because Lord knows BB wants to have to wade through another throng of media members after a crushing loss and get called out for shoving another photog. Callahan was pleased that Dennis had finally realized it, as he had known all along Belichick was an awful person. You see, football coaching is just like talk radio, where you have to put up the numbers above all else. Herr Callahan then went on to point out a guy like Thomas Oliphant, a columnist "no one reads", would never make it in the real world, where liberal opinions aren't allowed. The truly frustrating thing is these assholes will get away with sitting in judgment. As much as I am not a fan of teams restricting media access to only friendly voices, it'd be nice to see the Pats pull all the players from 'EEI and let them fill those programming holes, rather than watch these failures who spend their lives running down world-class athletes² push Belichick back into the situation he was in in Cleveland. 1. The amazing thing here is that Dennis doesn't have a degree in psychology. "Physician heal thyself" and all that. 2. I'm not talking about legitimate criticism of performances, I'm talking about running Nomar out of town, calling Jose Offerman "a bag of you-know-what" for the sole crime of not being an All-Star, etc.

posted by yerfatma at 06:41 AM on January 23, 2007

Nearly all coaches in their post-game interview congratulate the other team. It is pretty much part of the script. The most Belichick could muster was that they played better than his team. Classless is probably not the right word, but there has to be some adjective to describe the man. Just this year with Mangini and the shoved photographer and the weak acknowledgement of Peyton after the game, he definitely isn't going to win any personality contests. There was a promo on this year that they kept playing on the NFL Network and you could win a lunch with a head coach and they had the image of Belichick, I immediately thought what a nightmare that would be. You could probably get maybe ten words from him the whole meal. Still he is the best coach in the league, maybe one of the best coaches ever.

posted by bperk at 09:05 AM on January 23, 2007

they had the image of Belichick, I immediately thought what a nightmare that would be. You could probably get maybe ten words from him the whole meal. My honest, if homerific, opinion is that is not so. When he talks to people he's comfortable with, he can be a really interesting guy. The only reason I watch the local Pats show is for the 5 minutes of "Belistrator" time each week. Authors who get to know him seem to really like him. My elitist opinion is he doesn't suffer fools and so the vast majority of sports writers and commentators get a brush-off from him. It's interesting D&C compared his press conference demeanor unfavorably to Parcells; Parcells was much beloved (until the Superbowl) around here for his "witty" press conferences, but the fount of his wit was exclusively stupid sports writers who he would kill for the enjoyment of others. Interesting they're ok with a guy being cruel if he's entertaining, but it's not ok to be bland.

posted by yerfatma at 09:46 AM on January 23, 2007

"I’ve just got to say what a class organization the New England Patriots have," Manning said, who said he was also approached by Head Coach Bill Belichick, Vice President of Player Personnel Scott Pioli and running back Kevin Faulk with congratulations.

posted by yerfatma at 11:51 AM on January 23, 2007

didn't give Peyton Manning a handjob in the cheap seats after the game, who gives a shit? that's not a pretty picture

posted by louisville_slugger at 05:00 PM on January 23, 2007