Under fire at home amid a 2-7 campaign, Belichick’s demeanor took on a different tone with the international press.
— Quick-hit thoughts and notes around the New England Patriots and NFL:
1. Belichick’s warm welcome: Under fire at home, Patriots coach Bill Belichick received a warm welcome from international media members leading up to Sunday’s game against the Colts at Frankfurt Stadium (9:30 a.m. ET, NFL Network).
The contrast was striking, both in Belichick’s demeanor and the delivery of questions, as media coverage of American football takes on a different tone here.
«To have arguably the greatest coach of all-time in the flesh, and also considering what he’s done for the sport, it was amazing to have him here in Europe,» said Skye Pank, who hosts «The Franchise Tag» podcast out of London. «He seemed to be in good spirits, really embraced the questions in the room. It was an honor for anyone who is a fan of the sport.»
Back home, the questions to Belichick have been more pointed with the 2-7 team and in last place in the AFC. There are other hot-button topics such as a team decision to leave cornerback J.C. Jackson home because of disciplinary reasons, offensive tackle Trent Brown not making the trip to Frankfurt because of personal reasons, and cornerback Jack Jones missing curfew last Saturday and having his playing time reduced last week as a result of it — which create optics that not everyone is fully on board.
Belichick wasn’t spared questions about that upon the team’s arrival in Germany and did what he usually does in those situations by deflecting them. That wasn’t lost on Pank, who took note of Belichick’s mostly friendly responses to international media members, some of whom wore team-specific apparel, welcomed him to town and referred to him as «Mr. Belichick.»
«I’ve watched so many of his press conferences, and I think he enjoyed some of the softer questions,» Pank said.
One question that produced a notable answer came from Nadia Quast, a former German football player who now hosts podcasts and blogs on the sport.
«I had written a story in the past about the age of coaches in the NFL, and how many were over 50, and of course you have Coach Belichick and his career. So I thought it was a great opportunity to ask him about his experience and how it feels to have six [Super Bowl] trophies,» she said. «It was fun to see him smile and laugh and joke around a little. I was surprised.»
Belichick, 71, poked fun at the longevity of his career, but also shared insight into how he views the job, even in the midst of one of his most challenging seasons.
«I enjoy all aspects of it,» he said. «The preparation, the team building, the competitiveness on Sundays, the guys that I work with — the staff, the players.
