It Comes Around

It’s become something of a Christmas tradition for me to find a football book under the tree.  “The Education of a Coach” by David Halberstam, “Moving the Chains” by Charles Pierce, Michael Holley’s “Patriot Reign” and this year Holley’s “War Room.”  (If there are books about Rex Ryan and Mark Sanchez I am blissfully unaware of them.)  Light reading compared to something like “Team of Rivals” (another Christmas book) but perfect for that week of downtime between Christmas and New Year’s.

The subtitle for “War Room” is “The Legacy of Bill Belichick and the Art of Building the Perfect Team.”  Initially Belichick-centric, it also covers the early years in Kansas City for Scott Pioli and in Atlanta with Thomas Dimitroff.  Pioli and Dimitroff, of course, played key roles in building the Patriots’ championship teams before moving on to their respective General Manager gigs.  The book starts in Cleveland where Belichick and Mike Lombardi begin work on a system for evaluating players that will evolve into a complex but consistent lexicon as essential to success on the field as a flawlessly executed block or perfectly timed blitz.  Developed and refined by Belichick and his many collaborators, including Pioli and Dimitroff, a pigskin Esperanto that facilitates an ability to communicate with depth and precision is created and implemented.  We see through numerous examples that teamwork, not only in the locker room and on the field but across the entire organization, is absolutely critical to success and the key to teamwork is communication.

Holley does a good job humanizing his lead characters; no easy task given the public persona of Belichick and relative anonymity of Pioli and Dimitroff during their Patriots’ careers.  About 20 pages before Holley mentions “The Godfather” (Eric Mangini is nicknamed “Fredo” for his role in “Spygate”) I noted that the story of these men – fathers and sons, friends and enemies, mentors and students – read more like a story of mafia families than football scouts and coaches.  There is struggle, accomplishment, disappointment, betrayal and forgiveness; the death of parents, the birth of children and the enduring friendships that transcend victory and defeat.  We are reminded by numerous examples that how we do something is as important as what we do. 

I know I’ve said I was over “Spygate” but reliving the 2007 season was more difficult than I thought it would be.  It was also cathartic.  I don’t know if I buy Eric Mangini’s “nobody was supposed to get hurt” explanation for his actions but I did enjoy seeing the Colts called out as sign stealers, too.  It struck me for the first time that – like any good action-adventure movie – the Patriots 2007 season had two endings.  Go all the way back to “Die Hard.”  Hans Gruber has been dropped from the 31^st floor of the Nakatomi building, all of his henchmen are dead or in custody, the hostages are free and then, just as John and Holly McClane are about to kiss, here comes psycho-mercenary Karl with a machine gun.  

The loss in the Super Bowl was the first ending.  Brady’s season-ending injury in the first game of the 2008 season was psycho-mercenary Karl with a machine gun. 

And yes, I do get the fact that the Patriots were the bad guys in “18-1, The Movie.”  Timothy Olyphant would’ve played Tom Brady with a malevolent sneer.  I would’ve gone with Stellan Skarsgard to play Belichick.  Michael Cera would’ve played Eli Manning, of course.

Ultimately, the book helped me dismiss my maudlin nostalgia for the championships, separate (finally) from the 2007 season, the one and done playoff appearances of 2009 and 2010 and even from last week’s win over the Dolphins.  I’m with you now, Bill.  I get it.  The only thing that matters is the game this Sunday with the Bills.  It is another chance for the players to take everything they have learned and experienced and test themselves as individuals and as a team.  I will dig deep into the memories of the young boy who once upon a time put his hand in the dirt, crouched and waiting for the snap count.  I will howl in frustration and yell in celebration and when it’s over I will be content knowing there will be another Sunday, another season, another ending and another beginning.