Last night, the Patriots lost to the Ravens in the AFC Championship Game. After the game, the Patriot’s Head Coach, Bill Belichick, refused the customary interview with CBS prompting this from studio analyst Shannon Sharpe:
“There’s something to be said about being gracious in defeat,” Sharpe said on CBS’ postgame show. “We’ve seen the New England Patriots five times in the last 12 years be victorious [in the AFC championship game). We’ve seen the opposing coaches who lost come out and talk to our Steve Tasker. Coach [Bill] Cowher did it when they lost to them, we saw this last week.
“Bill Belichick makes it real easy for you to root against the Patriots. You can’t be a poor sport all the time. You’re not going to win all the time, and he does this every time he loses. It’s unacceptable.”
I’m a Patriots fan (I know, don’t hate me–I’m a Tom Brady fan. Ok, you probably hate me more now) but I have to admit, Coach Belichick has a history of broken sports. See below:
The 2007 New England Patriots videotaping controversy, widely dubbed “Spygate,“refers to an incident in the 2007 National Football League season when the New England Patriots were disciplined by the National Football League (NFL) for videotaping New York
Jets’ defensive coaches’ signals during a September 9, 2007 game from a sideline location, an act deemed by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to be in violation of league rules.
The lasting vision of Belichick Sunday night – provide your own caption – is of him walking off the field with one second left on the clock, leaving his team to watch the Giants close out their date with destiny and seal a Super Bowl victory.
The Handshakes…or lack thereof
Because of the ever-growing animosity between Eric Mangini and former mentor Bill Belichick, the postgame handshake has become almost bigger than the actual game. It’s always good theater when two adversaries, jaws clenched, extend their hands for an obligatory, if not heartfelt moment of sportsmanship.
