“Are you eating Pretzels?” Bill Belichick asked as he entered the press room at the DFB Frankfurt campus. One of the great football legends came in, with a cultivated reputation for being surly with the press, and we met an affable, smiling man. I would almost dare to say that I am looking forward to participating in this NFL party in Germany. As the reporters froze, he repeated the question: “Really, Pretzels to eat?” And this time yes, the room burst into laughter. Questions followed about his trip (the European journalist is very concerned about the rest of the players or perhaps not getting his head too hot), about the event in Germany, and about the Patriots’ poor season. The appearance was a haven of peace, a warm, homely place, so much so that the journalists who traveled from Boston nodded appreciatively at such a display of kindness from Belichick.
When I finished, I went out to take some fresh air near one of the fields where the German team usually trains and which the Pats had taken over to prepare for the game. I had to digest the shock of having had such a figure a few meters from me (excuse the personalism, but from Barcelona one does not usually have the opportunity to meet NFL legends often). I wondered why Bill (at this point I dare to call him a familiar name) was such a brief coach with the press, so little given to headlines, as if dealing with her were a tedious task implicit in his position but which he would skip if it were his. It depended. In an organization, the NFL, that is so clear about the role of the media, its importance and the need to establish strong ties with them, Bill, possibly the most successful coach in the history of any sport, is a complete outsider.
Obviously, I don’t follow all of Bill’s press conferences. I don’t have the time nor am I paid for it, and therefore, I run the risk of using prejudice and speaking by ear. But since this is the noble art that allows us to have power rankings on a Tuesday morning, I hope you don’t judge me too much for it. I remember some answers in relation to the topic I mainly follow: analytics. “I prefer good players, good fundamentals and good execution.” This is not the first time the press has asked Bill about his relationship with the data. “He’s not going with me” he even responded on one occasion. When faced with another opportunity provided by journalists, he was much more forceful: “You can take all those metrics and advanced websites or whatever you want. I have no idea, I have never used them.” Almost always, when asked the same question, he insatiably repeats the same concept: “It’s timing, decision making, execution of the entire offense. That’s the passing game.” At first glance it seems that Bill has not used nor is interested in using analytics in his day-to-day life. At least that’s the message he wants to convey. Although I suspect that we are facing the purest version of the “troll” Bill, or that he simply does not want to give clues to his rivals.
2023-11-18 21:11:00
#Bill #Belichick #genius #field
