Patriots Past And Present Tell Stories Of Bill Belichick, 'Master Of The Sick Burn'
By Matt Dolloff, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- Bill Belichick spends most of his time in the public eye stonewalling the media and keeping his true feelings about anything and everything close to the vest. But he's often described as having a sharp, dry sense of humor that often extends to his coaching style with the Patriots, including his ruthless film-room eviscerations of players who made mistakes. For instance, nobody wants to be Cyrus Jones in that room this week.
Belichick has shown flashes of his deadpan comic brilliance this season, such as the time he sarcastically expressed his excitement over the media's storylines or when he quipped "Great question though, really that's awesome" to a reporter who asked him about the butt fumble.
A new story on Belichick by The Ringer somewhat pulls back the curtain on the coach's personal style of motivating players when they're not playing well, his own brand of insult humor that earned him the label of the "Master of the Sick Burn." Belichick has a deep well of material that he apparently keeps going back to as long as it works; it usually involves the Foxborough High School football team.
"Coach Belichick hit me with 'Foxborough High School has been getting snaps right all year,'" Jimmy Garoppolo told The Ringer about the time he kept fumbling snaps in training camp during his rookie year in 2014. Former Patriots backup QB Zac Robinson had the same problem with fumbling snaps, so Belichick reportedly once told him, "I'm going to go down the street to Foxborough High School and find someone to take the snap."
Former Patriots fullback Heath Evans also tells an amusing anecdote about the time he was the target of Belichick's burns during a film session in 2005. At the time, Evans had been making too many finesse moves instead of utilizing his skill set to play a more bruising style. So in the film session, Belichick kept calling Evans "Gale Sayers" as he analyzed the tape, referring to the nimble 198-pound Hall-of-Fame running back. Needless to say, Evans eventually started running people over.
"I tell people [Belichick's] the funniest guy I've ever been around," Evans said. "And when I say that to people, they tell me I need to get out more."
Both current and former Patriots players laud Belichick's ability to distil complex arguments down to biting one-liners and effectively get his point across to players with as little words as possible.
"The funniest thing for Coach Belichick is when he starts cursing, but his tone doesn't change," said Patriots safety Devin McCourty. "So he gets really mad but he's still just so dry and he's so calm when he [says], 'What the ... you can't be doing that.' But he says it so simply."
Former Patriots guard Ross Tucker, who played in one game for Belichick in 2005, was apparently not a fan of Belichick's style. He found it ... too negative.
"Other coaches are a little more sincere and treat you respectfully. This was all entirely negative reinforcement and very biting," said Tucker. "I guess guys get used to it." He added that the Patriots' atmosphere is "generally less happy" than other teams.
Tucker's assessment makes it clear that while Belichick's brand of insult comedy clearly works to motivate a lot of players, it isn't for everyone. It's shown over the years that the Patriots locker room demands a certain kind of person, one who would prioritize winning football games over being happy or comfortable.
One has to wonder how Cyrus Jones has handled Belichick's surely relentless barrage of Foxborough High School jokes. Hey, maybe they can catch some punts.
Matt Dolloff is a writer for CBSBostonSports.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect that of CBS or 98.5 The Sports Hub. Have a news tip or comment for Matt? Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff and email him at mdolloff@985thesportshub.com.