When you're out in Denver with a deadline to meet, this is how you do it - write
the majority of the column beforehand, adding unconfirmed speculation to make it interesting:
DENVER — Pay attention, Patriots fans.
You want Bill Belichick to stick around? I think I have the solution.
Belichick is climbing the ladder of NFL coaching legends. The Patriots’ stunningly easy 41-16 victory over the once-tough Denver Broncos Sunday night was Bill’s 270th career win, tying him with Cowboys legend Tom Landry for third place on the all-time list. The only guys ahead of him are George Halas (324) and Don Shula (347), whom Belichick hates.
...insert a paragraph or two of predictable responses by coach Bill Belichick:
An hour after it was over, I tried and failed to get Bill to talk about the meaning of his new ranking among the elite NFL coaches.
“Look, it’s flattering, but honestly, I don’t think that’s the story tonight,’’ he answered. “The story tonight is the way our team performed. To win games in this league you need great players and I’ve been fortunate to have some great players and a lot of great assistant coaches and great staffs. That’s really what it’s about. The players are the ones that make the plays and they did it tonight.’’
...and voila!
And yet he is instantly a pats expert all of a sudden. I think the coach who is at the podium had more of an idea of the game than dan
ReplyDeleteShank would not be able to explain what situational football means if you asked him.
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