Is Bill Belichick on the hot seat?

You bet he is

Good morning, all. I hope your week is off to a terrific start. In the sports world, changes are afoot…

The NFL’s regular season is history, following a harrowing week, when Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest on the field last Monday in Cincinnati. Thanks to quick-thinking medical personal, Hamlin was revived and, though not out of the woods, is making a miraculous recovery.

The day after the NFL regular season, “Black Monday,” usually means seismic changes in the coaching ranks. It did not take Houston long to fire Lovie Smith, after he coached the Texans for just one season. Other dismissals are soon to follow, which leads me to the GOAT, Bill Belichick. It is not a stretch to suggest the legendary Patriots coach is on the hot seat, despite six Super Bowl titles and nine Super Bowl appearances, as the leader of a now crumbling dynasty.

In losing at Buffalo on Sunday, the Patriots finished the season 8-9. For the second time in three seasons and only the fourth time since 2001, New England did not qualify for the playoffs. The last time the Patriots won a postseason game was four years ago, when Tom Brady led them to a Super Bowl victory in Atlanta.

In a lengthly missive reminscent of the days Yankees owner George Steinbrenner isued his season-ending salvos, Patriots owner Robert Kraft pulled no punches, including the following statement:

“In the weeks ahead, we will be making critical evaluations of all elements of our football operation as we strive to improve and return to the playoffs next year.”

Translation, Belichick, who turns 71 on April 16, is on the hot seat. At some point, even the great ones reach the end, either by being forced to retire or being fired. After Belichick enjoyed carte blanche in calling all the shots for the organization, the guess here is his every move will now be under scrutiny by ownership. That includes why he did not officially name coordinators in 2022, while ostensibly placing Matt Patricia in charge of the offense even though he is supposedly a defensive guru. It would not surprise me if some of Belichick’s power is taken from him. Whether he can accept that remains to be seen.

The fan base is restless. It should be. Patriots nation spends big bucks to attend games in Foxboro. Their stadium is undergoing a $300 million renovation to “enhance” the fan experience. Losing records and failing to qualify for the playoffs are not ways to enhance fan experience.

Look for numerous media reports about Belichick’s future with the organization. Belichick has said he wants to return as Pats’ head coach for a 24th season and he probably will. But the clock is ticking on his tenure. The coach is on the hot seat and like everything else, all good things eventually come to end, even dynasties and coaching tenures.

Al Michaels loves his halftime meals

According to Al Michaels’ broadcast partner on Amazon Prime’s TNF, Kirk Herbstreit, the renowned broadcaster is provided a table and the best silverware in the back of the booth at halftime so he can down a surf and turf meal in eight minutes. He refuses to eat vegetables. In fact, if you want to raise Michaels’ ire, serve the meal with some broccoli and potatoes. It will be the last time you wait on Michaels.

Being a Hall of Fame broadcaster has its perks. Apparently what, when and how you eat are among them. It is certainly a far cry from the days Michaels called Hawaii Islanders games in the old PCL.

Why so much football on TV?

There is an old line “why did Willie Sutton rob banks?” Because that’s where the money is. Well there is a good reason there is so much football on television; because that is where the viewers are.

Variety is reporting that of the 100 most-viewed television programs in 2022, 40 of them were NFL games. In fact, 66 of the 100 programs were sporting events, including college football, the NBA Finals, the World Series, the Olympics and the NCAA March Madness.

Advertisers love sporting events because they can reach a sizeable segment of a specific audience and get a return on their investment (ROI). It is why media conglomorates pay mega bucks for the broadcast rights to these events. Even if they turn out to be loss leaders, in the end, the rights’ holders make a profit.

Don’t kid yourself, however, these same broadcast entities are nervous, as Generation Z changes its viewing habits by consuming media via streaming. It is why any traditional network worth its salt is now hyping its streaming services. In broadcasting, like in anyother business, once you have one generation addicted, it is all about strategizing to hook the next.

That is it for this week’s newsletter. As always, thank you for your support and feel free to share the newsletter with a friend. Our goal is to grow the subscriber list in 2023 and with your help, we can do it.

SPORTSCASTER DAN