Bill Belichick Changed the Course of Human History 19 Years Ago Today
There are certain dates in human history that stand out because they changed the world forever.
July 21, 1969: Man lands on the moon.
June 28th, 1914: Gavril Princip assassinates Archduke Ferdinand, launching World War I and its sequel.
October 14, 1066: The Battle of Hastings is fought, completing the Norman Invasion of England.
December 25, 0000: Jesus is born.
And so on. Well January 4, 2000 is just such a day. As a matter of fact, it had a greater impact on human history than some of the other dates I listed. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin spent less than 24 hours on the lunar surface and we stopped going three years later because everyone was bored with it. But on this day in 2000, Bill Belichick ended his two-day stint as head coach of the New York Jets and 19 years later the ripple effects are still creating tsunamis around the globe.
Most people who were adults back then know most of the story. But it bears repeating since probably half our readership was in onesies back then. Either way, it is truly one of the greatest stories ever told. One that someday will make an Emmy-winning 30 for 30 or NFL Films documentary.
Briefly, when Bill Parcells went through a messy public divorce from Robert Kraft after losing Super Bowl XXXI to the Packers, he eventually ended up with the Jets. Thanks in large part to Commissioner Paul Tagliabue, who got involved and negotiated a settlement where the Jets would send the Patriots a ton of draft picks in exchange for releasing Parcells from his contract. A major problem for the Pats was that, along with his talent for coaching and franchise building, Parcells took with him almost his entire coaching staff. Including Belichick, who had developed a mutual respect for Mr. Kraft, in spite of all the bad blood going on between the owner and the coach.
Parcells was planning to do what Parcells always did, which was to take over the worst team in the league, build them into a contender, then grow bored and retire to the racetracks of Florida after three years or so. So like any good monarch, he had a Plan of Succession in place. He’d stay on the Jets sidelines for three years or so, move up to the front office and let Belichick take over. Belichick was named assistant head coach and given a million dollar bonus by owner Leon Hess, whom he had also grown close to, as payment for him to stay in New York and not take a job elsewhere.
This was the same Leon Hess who a few years earlier had named Rich Kotite his head coach and famously said “I’m 80 years old and I want results now.” He died waiting for them, even as Parcells led the Jets from 1-15 before he showed to the AFC title game. By the time Belichick was getting his shot the team was up for sale, the future of ownership was in doubt and, since the man he’s signed the agreement with was now worm food, he decided the deal was no longer binding.
Still, on January 4th, a press conference was scheduled at Weeb Ewbank Hall to introduce Belichick as Parcells’ replacement. My favorite detail of this saga is that shortly before the presser, Jets assistant and former linebacker on Parcells/Belichick’s Giants teams Carl Banks found his new boss running on the treadmill and asked if he needed anything. “No, Carl. Thanks,” Belichick replied. “I’ll be fine.” The words of a man who was, well … fine. Who had made a decision and was prepared to live with it. It just wasn’t the decision anyone expected.
On his way to the podium, Belichick detoured by G.M. Steve Gutman’s office and casually handed him a napkin he’d casually scribbled this on:
(Note: Not the actual napkin. I believe that’s in the Smithsonian, next to where they keep the Ark of the Covenant.)
Not since a Union soldier found Gen. Lee’s battle plans for Antietam wrapped around a bunch of cigars has one piece of paper had such a profound impact on America. He confidently strode to the podium and announced to the assembled media he was turning down the job as jaws landed all over the tacky carpeting. To say they were shocked is an understatement, but there’s no word in English to adequately describe it, so shocked will have to do. If Belichick had come out in a gorilla suit and started flinging poop around the room, they wouldn’t have thought he was any crazier than they did at that moment.
“I feel like I’m making a dexision based on the circumstance and the situation as it is right now,” Belichick monotoned. “The agreement I had was with Mr. Hess. … “The situation has changed and I have to do what’s fair for everybody.” He deflected all the stunned questions with “I just can’t do what I need to do here” and as many references to “unanswered questions” as he deemed necessary. While also alluding to the time he was the head guy in Cleveland and the owner moved the team right out from under him and he wasn’t going to walk into an uncertain situation like that again.
Parcells was reportedly livid. Gutman got up and talked about Belichick like a man who needed to be put under 24 hour observation and have all sharp objects removed from his room. He mentioned Belichick’s obvious “internal turmoil” adding, “I’m no psychiatrist, but I think we’ve listened in the last hour to a man who deserves our understanding and consideration.”
The next day the New York tabloids acted like he’d personally betrayed them, calling him “Belichicken” and “Belichick Arnold,” respectively. They described him as “disheveled,” “nervous,” “rambling” and “a wreck, his voice cracking at his own gall.”
Belichick responded to none it, despite being called an insane, incoherent traitor to his people. Save for one interview he gave years later when he dropped one of my favorite quotes of all time. “I’m going to say this one last time so that we can close the book on all this,” he said. “In all my years of football, I’ve never known a man who talked more and won less than Steve Gutman.” I’m not sure Gutman has made it out of the Shriner’s Burns Institute since.
And so, over the weeks that followed, the Pats and Jets did a total role reversal of The Border War from three years earlier. Now it was them trying to hire the Jets coach and them insisting they had him under contract. Only this time, it was somebody else who called the truce. Mr. Kraft answered his phone and a voice said “Hello. It’s Darth Vader.” The voice belonged to Parcells. He insisted on the Patriots 1st round pick in 2000 to release Belichick. Kraft agreed. Despite that video saying the Jets used the pick on Shaun Ellis, he in fact was the 12th pick and the Pats pick was 16th. Which the Jets traded to San Francisco, who took LB Julian Peterson.
One thing that’s been kind of lost to history is the reaction from the media, who thought Mr. Kraft was as nutty as his new head coach to agree to such a ripoff. The Pats beat writers and talk show guys mainly wanted Chan Gailey. And the author of a recent 450-page hatchet piece on Belichick had this hot take:
I don’t know. Sixteen division titles, 12 trips to the AFC championship game, eight Super Bowls and five championships to the Jets 6-6 playoff record since then sort of tells me the Patriots got the better of the deal. But then again, it’s only been 19 years. Let’s see how it plays out before we say Belichick did them a favor by resigning as hc of nyjs.