"It used to be that there was no stronger brand in football than a Bill Belichick-coached outfit. For most of his nearly 50 years in the pros, the phrase connoted teams that prepared for every scenario, executed directions to perfection and met all the moments in between to secure victory time and again. But since the NFL turned its back on Belichick, who stepped down to the college ranks and took the head job at North Carolina seemingly for appearances,"
"The concerns at this juncture, still short of midway through Belichick's freshman season, are overwhelming. The misleading record, the stark images of home fans deserting a blowout loss to Clemson before half-time, the dramatic talent deficit those were predictable outcomes for a septuagenarian taskmaster trying his hand at coaching college kids. Belichick isn't simply out of his element. He looks for all the world to be asleep at the wheel, too."
Bill Belichick's first college season at North Carolina has produced alarming signs of a struggling program. The team shows a misleading record, visible fan apathy (fans left a blowout Clemson loss before halftime) and a clear talent deficit, attributed to a septuagenarian coach adapting poorly to college players. A WRAL report collected off-the-record accounts alleging discord, preferential treatment for Belichick recruits, ignored parent concerns, and players selling spare tickets for cash rather than sharing with teammates. Ticket scalping raised potential NCAA eligibility issues. Cornerbacks coach Armond Hawkins was implicated and took the fall for facilitating improper benefits.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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