Even after all of their years of success together, Bill Belichick did not show Tom Brady any favoritism.
Currently, we have an explanation for why.
Belichick said on Tom Brady’s SiriusXM podcast, “Let’s Go,” that he imitated the manner in which Bob Knight tore into Michael Jordan during the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.
According to Mass Live, Belichick stated, “That was as much a part of Tom as it was of me.” “There were a few meetings in which I spoke with Tom after the meeting. Like, “Hey, I didn’t think that was all that bad, but I wanted you to be included with everyone else.”
“Tom would tell the coach, ‘You must. What am I going to do with the remainder of my comrades if you do not yell at me? I’ve got to get in there with the rest of them and tell them, ‘Hey, he’s yelling at us all, and we all need to perform better’ But if you leave me out of it, I have no genuine platform from which to work. So go ahead and rip my arse as well. Go ahead.’ I had the go-okay for it, so I went ahead and took it.”
Together, Brady and Belichick ultimately won six Super Bowls with the Patriots. The psychology had an effect on the team as a whole.
“Players would always come back to me and say, ‘Hey, Belichick’s first meeting with Brady. I’m thinking, Christ, if he’s going to speak to Brady in such a manner, I’d better be straight. “I know what will happen to me,’” Belichick said.
Similar to how the NFL is a copycat league, it is not uncommon for excellent coaches from different sports to draw ideas from one another. Belichick claimed that riding Brady was a strategy he learned from former Indiana basketball coach Bob Knight.
Belichick stated, “Coach Knight told me that’s what he did with Michael Jordan on the Olympic team, so that’s where I got the information.” “He said Michael, ‘I’m going to shred your (expletive) because I can’t rip those other men without ripping you.’ “Jordan responded, “Bring it on, because I need it and it will assist me with my teammates.”
After leaving New England, Brady would play three seasons for Tampa Bay, winning his seventh Super Bowl in his first season with the Bucs. Following 23 years in professional football, he announced his retirement from the NFL last week.
On Monday, Brady said on “The Herd” with Colin Cowherd that he will take a year off before joining the Fox Sports NFL announce crew in 2024.
»Bill Belichick’s Tom Brady approach was Bob Knight-Michael Jordan-inspired: Rip my ass«