The ground shook in Jetville the day that Bill Belichick, one day into the job, stood at a franchise-changing press conference and announced he was resigning as “HC of the NYJ.”
And so here we are, 13 years later, and the guy is still staring down at the Jets from his perch atop the AFC East.
With his three rings.
We’ll never know for sure whether Tom Brady, without Belichick, would have gotten Bob Kraft and the Patriots those three rings. Those who choose to disparage Belichick for his Spygate treachery or his monotone coachspeak can make that point all they want.
Phil Jackson is a Hall of Fame coach because of Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. Bill Parcells is a Hall of Fame coach because of Lawrence Taylor … and Bill Belichick. Belichick is a Hall of Fame coach because of Brady. That’s the way it works in sports. Brady or no Brady, Belichick is this generation’s Lombardi.
Even if it’s been a decade since he won his last Super Bowl, thanks in no small part to Eli Manning at the end of Super Bowls XLII and XLVI.
He is not without fault, or blame. Leaving little Ellis Hobbs on an island against Plaxico Burress in the last minute of Super Bowl XLII was a mistake. Going for it on fourth down deep in his own territory so Peyton Manning wouldn’t get the ball back was a mistake that cost him a 2009 game against the Colts. Spygate was disgraceful. Taking a flier on Chad Johnson and Albert Haynesworth was a disaster. Plenty of high draft choices never worked out.
And here he is again anyway, still winning, still chasing that elusive fourth Super Bowl, forever a threat to capture it, still the bully on the Jets’ block.
He is a recurring nightmare to the Jets and their long-suffering fans, stalking them remorselessly as he does in his gray Hoodie, saying all these nice things about Rex Ryan and the Jets, killing them with kindness, then killing them on game day — if not so much on the scoreboard, then emotionally and psychologically.
Here we are all these years later, and the Jets still haven’t found a coach who can beat him or a quarterback who can beat Brady.
You bet he saw what Dick LeBeau did to Geno Smith (and Marty Mornhinweg) on Sunday, and you bet he’ll try to bait the rookie quarterback into three fourth-quarter picks once again …
The fates of the Jets and Patriots could have been so different. All Belichick had to do on that fateful day was say: “I am proud and honored to be HC of the NYJ. GM Bill Parcells and I will begin our pursuit of a Super Bowl as soon as this press conference is over. Questions?”
There isn’t a Jets fan I know who hasn’t wondered how the past 13 years might have played out, if only Belichick had uttered those words.
There would have been no Al Groh, no Herm Edwards, no Eric Mangini, no Rex Ryan pacing the sideline. No Brett Favre at quarterback, no Mark Sanchez, no buttfumble, no Tim Tebow, perhaps no Geno Smith. Santonio Holmes would never have been named captain, never would have been on the first jet out of town after quitting on his team in Miami.
Rob Gronkowski might have been a Jet. Darrelle Revis might have been a Jet for Life. Woody Johnson might have three rings. Spygate might have happened anyway.
There would have been no hilarity at press conferences, mostly give-and-takes such as this one Wednesday:
Q: Where do you value depth in terms of building a team, in terms of its importance?
Belichick: It’s pretty important. You can’t have a team without players.
So here he comes again. He’s 5-1 without Gronkowski, and no one is certain whether the monster tight end will play Sunday. He doesn’t have Vince Wilfork or Jerod Mayo, the integral linebacker being placed on IR. It doesn’t look as if he’ll have Danny Amendola.
He still has Brady. And the Jets still don’t have him.