Bill Belichick, earlier today, officially parted ways with Robert Kraft and the New England Patriots organisation after nearly 2 and a half decades of head coaching and control over personnel.
After 17 AFC East division titles, 10 Super Bowl appearances and 6 Lombardi Trophies, the GOAT NFL coach of all time is leaving New England, post a joint press conference with both parties present and speaking.
Tom Brady, who’s legacy will forever be tied to Belichick’s released a statement regarding his relationship with Coach Belichick in light of the news of his departure, per Tom Pelissero.
“I could never have been the player I was without you Coach Belichick. I am forever grateful. And I wish you the best of luck in whatever you choose next.”
– A message from 🐐 to 🐐 pic.twitter.com/l1Jw0oOmgO
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 11, 2024
Tom Brady Had a Long And Complicated Relationship With Bill Belichick
Tom Brady left some truly warming words from his former coach and mentor, who like him, prized winning over pretty much everything else in his life, to a degree that most people are not even able to truly grasp.
These words reflect his feelings rather well, referring to Belichick as a great leader, a tone setter and someone who, like Tom, shined best in the midst of true adversity.
Yet, notably, in this entire statement, Brady does not once refer to the man who he spent two decades with as a ‘friend’, something that is borderline incredulous considering the vast amount of time spent with one another, the many highs and some few lows.
At some point in an amidst these endless meetings and game plans, one would have thought that Tom Brady, widely regarded as one of the great teammates (along with players) of all time, would have formed a reasonably strong bond with the man that selected him with the 199th overall pick in his very first draft as head coach.
However, it seems as this was not so: Brady and Belichick had a very strong working, professional relationship, but this, incredulously, never really veered into the personal. Bill and Brady, famously never went to dinner in their two decades together – not even to celebrate one of their 6 Super Bowl wins.
But, as this message shows, not all bonds are the same, and sometimes the success of relationships lies not in the depth of personal attachment, but in the functionality that it brings for both parties – and in this case, it bought both unprecedented triumph.
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