The first question has to be does Bill Belichick cheat? Because if you cheat–just ask Mark McGwire–that takes the luster off your accomplishments. New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick has been accused of cheating–even punished for it. But these are relatively small incidents, never even rising to the level of Belichick’s being suspended. (Should he have been?) So why do so many people hate Bill Belichick–especially in a nation that really loves a winner? Under Belichick the Patriots have gone to the the playoffs 12 times in 15 seasons, an astonishing 80%. Belichick is tied for most playoff wins in history with a chance this week to take the top slot. Five Super Bowls, three Super Bowl victories.
Is it all just jealousy? The gruff attitude? But people like–even revere–San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich. And Popovich has more championships while losing to nobody on the gruff front. So what is it? The sweatshirts? Is it the “running joke about Belichick being evil,” as one Redditor puts it? A lot of people think it’s the fans’ fault. That Belichick haters don’t hate Belichick as much as they hate Belichick lovers, who can be more annoying than glitter. Maybe it’s that Americans don’t like to be told what to think–and the NFL seems so determined to tell us of the Patriots’ great great-y greatness. As another Redditor writes, he’s tired of hearing about “Bill Belichick being a genius without equal who does things the ‘Patriot Way.'”
