BELICHICK TO BE NAMED COACH OF THE YEAR
Less than a day after yours truly predicted on WEEI in Boston that Pats coach Bill Belichick won't be (but should be) named the coach of the year, the Boston Herald reports that Belichick will win the award.
The Herald came to the conclusion by polling voters who cast their ballots on Monday. (And, as we understand it, the Herald reporting has prompted the AP to move the announcement of the award from January 12 to today.)
In the end, a perfect regular-season record delivered the votes, prompting those who decide the prize to overlook the Spygate scandal -- which clearly didn't affect any of the 2007 victories since the videotaping ring was busted up at halftime of a close Week One game that the Pats ended up winning by a wide margin.
The best news is that the writers were able to set aside the general disdain for Belichick's general disdain for the public trappings of his job. Belichick's demeanor suggests that he views dealing with the press as a bothersome chore, and his approach over the years to protecting information has made it harder for the writers to generate content.
So kudos to the "real" media for looking beyond that stuff and awarding the plaque or the trophy or the T-shirt or whatever the winner gets to Belichick.
Hey, maybe he should get a crappy hoodie with cut off sleeves that says on the front: "I was named the NFL coach of the year and all I got was this crappy hoodie with cutoff sleeves." Something tells us that he'd like it. It might even make him smile.
