This week, when the NFL kicks off its 2024 season, many eyes will be on Tom Brady. How will he fare in FOX’s top broadcast booth? What will the restrictions the NFL placed on him as minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders mean for him as a game analyst? All of that is interesting but personally, I’m a little more interested in Bill Belichick.
Belichick has a deal with ESPN that will see him appear across multiple shows, including the ManningCast. If he nails it, ESPN could boast the biggest hires of 2024 in both college football and the pro ranks.
When a coach moves from the sideline to the studio, he has to make a decision. What does he want out of life? If Belichick can accept that at 72, and with his last two NFL seasons being something between aimless and hopeless, his coaching days are probably over, he could be an asset to any broadcast.
If he can’t accept that? Well, I’m a little less optimistic about what he will provide television audiences.
A lot of people praised Jon Gruden’s work in the Monday Night Football booth. I never liked him in that role. His quarterback interviews ahead of the draft were always interesting. His Monday morning visits with Mike & Mike were usually entertaining, but as a game analyst, I never thought he said anything of real value.
But in fairness, why would he? He was thinking about getting back to the sidelines someday.
That’s what I always worry about when a great coach signs on with a network. Are they dedicated to the craft enough to actually do the job they are paid to do?
I’m not demanding negativity from Belichick. I know he knows ball. All I demand is honesty. I don’t want to see one of the best to ever do the job pulling punches because being too good is against his best interest.
I would love to know what Bill Belichick wants out of this relationship with ESPN. A trio of the network’s journalists did an excellent job of cataloging just how badly he wanted to become the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons after exiting New England. It’s reasonable to assume that he views being on ESPN as the perfect way to advertise his services and knowledge and not the start of a new chapter. We won’t really know until Black Monday hits after Week 18.
I think at this point, it’s pretty well-documented that the standoffish, mono-syllabic version of Belichick that talked to Greg Hill on WEEI every week was sort of an act. Plenty of people that know him and have talked with him in a purely football-centric setting, have said that he has the kind of personality that can make him an asset to any network.
That’s the Belichick I want to see, and I’m not alone. ESPN joins Underdog Fantasy, Inside the NFL and SiriusXM in putting their faith in the guy too. Perhaps that should ease my mind. Enough people have seen and heard enough to believe that Bill the broadcaster is a bet worth making.
It’s just hard to believe. Even if he’s a revelation on television, there still must be some part of Bill Belichick that wants his coaching career to end on his terms. Cite the press release from the team, if you want, but it’s hard to believe there was anything mutual about Belichick’s exit from New England.
No coach has won more Super Bowls. No coach has ever been selected for two All-Decade teams. Yes, Belichick seemed less unimpeachable when Tom Brady left for Tampa, but it doesn’t diminish those “most ever” and “first ever” accomplishments. A guy like that doesn’t usually accept defeat.
Demetri Ravanos is a columnist and features writer for Barrett Media. He is also the creator of The Sports Podcast Festival, and a previous host on the Chewing Clock and Media Noise podcasts. He occasionally fills in on stations across the Carolinas in addition to hosting Panthers and College Football podcasts. His radio resume includes stops at WAVH and WZEW in Mobile, AL, WBPT in Birmingham, AL and WBBB, WPTK and WDNC in Raleigh, NC.
You can find him on Twitter @DemetriRavanos or reach him by email at DemetriTheGreek@gmail.com.
