Despite Showing No Reaction On Sideline, Bill Belichick Is Indeed Happy When Patriots Score
BOSTON (CBS) -- Bill Belichick is not one to show off much emotion.
Sure, you can get the occasional smile from the curmudgeon of a head coach with a question about the intricacies of special teams, or lacrosse, or even a quick Bon Jovi reference. He's allowed himself to show some moments of joy after his five Super Bowl titles with the Patriots, but chances are, you aren't going to get much out of the coach.
That much was clear on Thursday when the NFL released their "Mic'd Up" segment featuring the New England head coach. The head coach's stoic reaction to all five of New England's touchdowns last week against the Miami Dolphins led many to believe the coach just doesn't get fired up when his team scores.
He explained his stone face on the sidelines during his Friday morning press conference at Gillette Stadium, admitting that, yes, he is indeed happy when the Patriots find the end zone.
"Yeah, I dunno, I'm happy when we score. I'm really happy when we score," Belichick said in the most casual Belichickian way. "But there's a decision to be made on the next play and the next play and the next series, and now the game has changed. Either we narrowed the gap or widened the gap or whatever it is, and then there's something that has to be done going forward. That's really a big part of my job."
Belichick said the cheering is for the faithful fans in the stands.
"We've got a lot of fans that come to the game. They cheer, they do a great job," he said. "I feel like a big part of my job is decision-making and planning ahead for the next play, the next series, the next situation. There is sometimes a little bit of time between a score and the kickoff when you go out on defense or how you're going to kick the ball off or so forth. I feel like I need to do a good job of that. I don't want to let the team down with the responsibilities that I have."
That doesn't mean Belichick doesn't show any emotion on the sideline. It's just reserved for things fans may not pick up on or see develop, like his reaction to a block by Dwayne Allen that sprung running back Rex Burkhead for a big run.
But we can all rest easy now knowing that Belichick is pleased when the Patriots score touchdowns. Phew.
