Is it time for Belichick to retire?

There is a reason for all these college bowl games

Good morning, all. I hope your week is off to a better start than the New England Patriots.

I am sure most of you have seen the whacky ending to Sunday’s game between the New England Patriots and Las Vegas Raiders. Patriots coach Bill Belichick’s comment, “Obviously we made a mistake,” on the lateral that went awry is just the tip of the iceberg. In reality, the Patriots played another ho-hum game behind their disappointing third-year quarterback, Mac Jones.

Trailing 17-3 at the half against a team coached by former Pat’s OC Josh McDaniels, New England mounted a comeback. However, their defense collapsed, allowing the Raiders a last-minute drive to tie the game. Still, the Pats had a chance to win, if they drove the ball downfield quickly or settled for overtime. Instead they pulled off the dumbest, last-second play in history.

I think Belichick is the greatest coach in NFL history. His record proves it with the most Super Bowl wins as a head coach (6), nine Super Bowl appearances, 13 AFC Championship game appearances and 17 AFC East titles. But after Sunday’s debacle, the drumbeat for chance in New England is growing louder. Questions abound. Are the Patriots well-coached? Is Belichick’s coaching staff up to the task? Is age (70) catching up to Belichick? Why was Mac Jones drafted? Why has he not lived up to expectations?

Belicheck’s news conferences are painful to watch, as evidenced by his latest one. I am sure most reporters would rather have a root canal than ask him a question. The same might be said for Belichick too, as he conducts this exercise in futility.

Remarkably, at 7-7, the Patriots still have a chance to make the post-season. The schedule, however, is tough, as they host red-hot, defending conference champ Cincinnati, followed by old nemesis Miami, before winding up at Buffalo.

To put it another way, if you told me this is Belichick’s last season as Patriots coach, I would not be surprised. The next month of Patriots football could be quite noteworthy.

Why all the bowl games?

The college football bowl season is underway and per usual there are a slew of games. I have lost track of the number to be honest. The process has also become somewhat of a joke, as many seniors and underclass players opt out of playing for their school to prevent injury before the NFL draft.

So why all the bowl games? Well, the usual answer…money. Even if you witness numerous empty seats at these games the enterprise is making dough. The reason? They attract eyeballs. A second or even third-rate bowl game draws viewers, many more, in fact, than watch a college basketball conference tournament make. In the end, the school makes money, the network carrying the game makes money and the advertisers - who pay the bucks to the network - get their message out in front of a sizeable audience. It is a win-win for all. So don’t expect the number of bowl games to be reduced anytime soon.

I am not counting out Apple

Speaking of money, word is Apple has withdrawn from negotiations over carrying the NFL’s Sunday ticket. But I would not rule out Apple just yet. The sticking point seems to be the NFL’s refusal to allow Apple-TV to provide its paying subscribers the Sunday games without a surcharge.

As the major sports continue to develop more options for streaming games - Generation Z is cutting the cord at a record rate - Apple, Amazon and Google all know streaming sporting events will attract the younger generations. Apple has already made a major commitment to MLB and pro soccer. Something tells me Apple and the NFL are not done talking just yet.

Technology ahead of its time

Coaches wearing microphones? Cameras and mics in the huddle? Football 2022? No! How about football 1961.

With the upstart AFL challenging the NFL, ABC and its innovative producer Roone Arledge telecast a preseason game between the Dallas Texans (today’s Kansas City Chiefs) and San Diego Chargers. Coaches and players were wired. Cameras were permitted in numerous locations. The legendary Curt Gowdy and Jim McKay were among the broadcasters. The telecast was ahead of its time and fun to watch.

That is it for this week’s newsletter. To all who celebrate, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! I will not be producing a newsletter next week but will return in 2023. Be safe and as always, thank you for your support.

SPORTSCASTER DAN