Bill Belichick has suddenly become a very controversial figure. Everyone knows that the NFL and any sport are all about money and perception, which ironically work together in parallel. That is why a second or third-string player may be suspended from the league, while an All-Pro player can seem to get away with the same thing with nothing more than a short suspension or a fine.
For the second or third-stringer, the perception of the act or crime outweighs the value they bring to their team or the league. For the star player, their impact on the field and the attention they bring to the game outweigh the negative attention they get from what they do. For that reason, players like Draymond Green, Antonio Brown, and Barry Bonds were continually able to come back from issues on and off the field/court, while players like Isaiah Buggs were cut from the team and never thought of again.
And this doesn’t just happen with illegal activities. Sometimes, it is a matter of controversial decisions or beliefs. Wonder why Kyrie Irving is still considered a star while Colin Kaepernick couldn’t get an NFL job? Kaepernick likely would have continued to play if he had succeeded before his controversial actions. Instead, he had lost 10 of his past 11 games and three straight losing seasons.
Bill Belichick is the man in the spotlight, but will he be considered ‘good enough’ to be overlooked, or will the negative press keep him out of a job?
Bill Belichick Isn’t Doing Anything Illegal…Somehow
Technically speaking, a 72-year-old dating a 23-year-old isn’t illegal. In most cultures, and with most people, it is frowned upon and gross, but again, it’s not illegal. It’s weird to think that Belichick won his first Super Bowl with Tom Brady in 2001 before his girlfriend Jordan Hudson was born, but legally, there is nothing wrong with what he is doing.
However, he isn’t getting great press from it. Everywhere Belichick goes, the story and headline will be about his new relationship. This isn’t something that the NFL or many teams would necessarily love. The exception, of course, would be if he is still viewed as the kind of coach that can win a Super Bowl. Nobody will care about his relationship status if he holds the Lombardi trophy at the end of the year. However, everyone will care and criticize him if he is coaching a 5-12 team, similar to what he did in his final years in New England.
How Would the Media Treat Belichick?
Just like Travis Kelce can go nowhere without being asked or speculated about around Taylor Swift, Belichick cannot go anywhere without the story of his 24-year-old girlfriend being brought up. Instead of the storylines being about Belichick’s return, the stories will be about his players’ thoughts about their new coach dating someone their age or younger. Players will be asked if their wives hang out with Belichick’s girlfriend.
In other words, it will be odd.
Again, if Belichick starts winning immediately, the narrative will change. Still, a mediocre or bad season would result in a lot of negative press and press on issues unrelated to the NFL or the team he is coaching.
Considering that Belichick would likely only come in for a team coming off a losing season, it is very unlikely that the team would improve to a Super Bowl-contenting type of squad in year one.
Will a Team Hire Belichick?
Whether or not a team would hire Bill Belichick now becomes the big question. This situation complicates things a bit. A smaller market team dealing with a lack of press would probably want to avoid the negative press. When was the last time a story about the Carolina Panthers went national? It’s very unlikely they would want the press and attention that Belichick would be bringing, because that would be all the press they get.
A larger market team may not care. Take the Dallas Cowboys, for example. Their market and the storylines surrounding that team are so numerous that nobody cares. Sure, there may be stories if Belichick is seen kissing his new girlfriend after the game, but for the most part, nobody will care since the stories will be about the players and the success of the team.
Additionally, Belichick isn’t going to just take whatever job becomes available. He’d have a job right now if he were willing to do that. This past offseason showed that Belichick wants to go somewhere the pieces are already, or very close to being, in place to win immediately. He doesn’t want to inherit a team in a full rebuild mode. That already limits his options since 75% of the teams who fire their coaches are normally well under .500.
Given his current situation, I believe Belichick will need to be hired in a large market where either a good coach retires (Andy Reid?), a team doesn’t accept mediocre results (Dallas?), or there is some kind of coaching scandal that leads to a team losing its coach.
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