Bill Belichick (finally) weighs in on Barbenheimer craze
BOSTON -- For months, the whole internet has been abuzz with Barbenheimer fever. The origin of this craze is hard to pin down, but generally speaking, it stems from excitement in the cinema world for the release of two major summer blockbusters -- "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" -- on the same day.
Both movies hit theaters on July 21, so the hysteria has certainly died down a bit. Yet while seemingly everyone and their mother had weighed in on the twin billing, the silence from Bill Belichick was deafening.
What did the coach think of Margot Robbie's performance? Are the intricacies of Christopher Nolan's 70 mm IMAX discernible to the average viewer? Where do we stand on this brilliant bit of female empowerment in cinema? What can the moral implications in the story of J. Robert Oppenheimer teach society at large today?
The American public demands to know, Mr. Belichick.
Fortunately, the 71-year-old head coach of the Patriots finally broke his silence on the Barbenheimer craze on Wednesday.
Scott Pioli -- Belichick's former personnel director, now an analyst on NFL Network -- interviewed Belichick prior to Wednesday's training camp practice session. The tough questions about Barbenheimer were asked, as Pioli noted that Belichick has opted to take the team on an outing to the movie during training camp several times over the years.
Will "Barbie" get the call for a team outing this year?
"That wouldn't be one of them," Belichick answered.
OK, what about "Oppenheimer"?
"I haven't seen that," Belichick answered with intrigue in his voice. "That'd be interesting."
That's no surprise coming from a history buff like Belichick. But it also may inspire the Barbie superfans out there to try to convince the coach that no viewing of "Oppenheimer" is complete unless it's a double feature.
