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Never Too Old to Turn Free Agent

 Bill Belichick is enjoying himself -- in public yet.

The former Patriots coach went on Pat McAfee's show to discuss the NFL draft, and sure seemed to have a good time doing it. He then appeared as a featured guest in the roast of Tom Brady shown on Netflix, and had a rip-snorting good time and incidentally was reasonably funny. 

(Back in his early Patriots' days, before he treated public appearances as league-mandated torture, Belichick would flash humor to reporters. His sense of humor was dry, understated, Christopher Guestish. This was and still is contrary to the prevailing comedy ethos of our culture. Maybe that's why he gave it up.)

Belichick also announced plans to be a guest on the Manningcasts of Monday Night Football next season, the crown jewel of Peyton Manning's media empire. A man famous for taciturnity verging on churlishness is seeking out football-related opportunities to kick back rather than to kick off. Is it possible that an historically great coach has found that life offers more pleasant ways to pass the time than trying to drag the Atlanta Falcons' sorry asses to the NFC South title?

None of Belichick's current or planned diversions could possibly offer him the fulfillment he took from a lifetime of competition in the NFL and his total commitment to the cruel, maddening profession in which he reached the top rung of the ladder and a few rungs beyond that. But fulfillment and fun are not the same thing. Did Michelangelo enjoy himself painting the Sistine Chapel? Did Ulysses S. Grant have a good time at Appomattox Court House? For that matter, was comedy itself FUN for Richard Pryor and Robin Williams. No, no, no, and no. In each case, their quests were something way more than fun. Something way less, too.

Without total commitment, greatness in any field is impossible. But total commitment takes its toll. Think of Belichick last December. Did he look fulfilled? Did he even look or sound like a person wholly involved in what was his life's work? He looked miserable. He looked like a guy confronting a problem he knew he couldn't fix and worse, that he knew he'd helped create. My guess is the sarcastic, mean coach's voice Belichick's players often heard was ringing loud and clear inside his own head, a tongue lashing he couldn't stop nor appease.

The New England Patriots are no longer Belichick's problem. And it appears, or he wishes it to appear, as if he's now struck by the recognition that as far as football goes, he no longer has any problems at all. He is a revered, coveted guest wherever he goes in that sport's community. His thoughts on the sport are sought after. He's going to start the 2024 NFL season undefeated, and with luck, he'll end it that way too.

It's not like I think the guy has mellowed. Competition is one of the most powerful drugs humanity knows, and it's not a habit four months away from it can break. It's a given that by midseason, a significant number of NFL teams will suck. It's close to a given that one of the competition addicts that owns one of those unhappy franchises will offer Belichick a way back into the fulfilling, horrible trade he once mastered and then, well, didn't. I wouldn't bet that Bill would turn the guy down.

And that's OK. If if his soul and destiny drive Belichick to the Cowboys, Browns (again) or God help us all, the Jets, so be it. We don't remember Michelangelo for his hobbies.

But for now, Belichick seems committed to deriving entertainment from the first real offseason he's had since he was in college. It's a pleasant sensation, having more options than responsibilities. At Belichick's age, which happens to be close to my age, it's also a damn miracle no matter how long it lasts.

posted by Michael Gee @ 12:58 PM