Bush League

I'll admit up front that I'm not a Patriots fan. I almost didn't watch the Super Bowl because they stood a pretty good chance of winning it, and that would have been too much. Why don't I like the Patriots? Good question. Is it Tom Brady? Kind of cocky, but you need to be a little cocky to play at the professional level. No - I don't think that's it. Is it Randy Moss? Don't like him much at all, but I don't think that's it either. How 'bout that new kid, Welker? Don't know much about him, but he looks like a fantastic receiver. Nope. It's not an individual player. No, I think it's the coach. Bill Belichick. He has the worst attitude of any coach I've ever seen, and that includes Parcells. Belichick despises the public and I think the feeling is mutual. So why is this post called "Bush League". Because of spygate? Or spygate 2? Partly. Some of it has to do with his challenge to the non-call penalty for 12 men on the field (since when can you challenge a uncalled penalty and why hasn't anybody asked for a challenge on an uncalled pass interference?)? All of those are valid reasons, but I think this one trumps them all.

With one second left on the clock, Belichick ignores everyone and runs over to the Giants' sideline to "congratulate" Tom Coughlin. Oops! Talk about lack of situational awareness. Okay, okay. Let's give him the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he thought there was still time on the clock (although if it hadn't been a 4th down play, I'm sure he would have been arguing that there were 3 seconds left). When Belichick finally makes it to Coughlin, referee extrodinaire Mike Carey is there to tell Belichick that there's still time left on the clock! So, dutifully, Belichick heads back to the sideline to let the Super Bowl finish its full sixty minutes (just like every other football game). WHOA! No, Belichick heads through his sideline and heads to the lockeroom! BUSH LEAGUE!!!! What a terrible display of childish and boorish behavior! And the cherry on the top? In the post-game interview on Fox (loser's lockeroom is always a drag) not once does Belichick say that the Giants had a good game, or they were the better team or any number of other cliches that sports figures use at times like these.

He wasn't repentant after spygate, and he acted childish after his Super Bowl loss. That's why I don't like the Patriots. Because Belichick is Bush League.

Addendum: If I were commish for a day, I would suspend Belicheck his Super Bowl Bonus plus 1 game for leaving the field early. You'll remember that the Pats were stripped of their first round draft choice next year for their cheating in the game versus the Jets. That would be selection 31 overall. I found out today that they had previously acquired San Francisco's first round pick in a trade. Guess where the Patriots draft? Number 7 overall! Losing the 31st pick wasn't that much of a penalty when they are able to pick up a top notch player via trade! And if the "Spygate II" rumors are proven to be true, I have a recommendation for the league. Strip the Pats of their title versus the Rams, and suspend Belichick for 5 years - or go the Pete Rose route and ban him for life!