Although Bill Belichick (Patriots) is likely one of the best NFL coaches in recent history, he has become famous for his distinctive “sore loser” attitude. This was exposed after Sunday’s AFC Championship game loss versus the Ravens.
As Reported by ESPN, Bill Belichick declined a post-game interview with reporter Steve Tasker after the 28-13 loss. This is a customary tradition for all losers of the AFC championship. He instead proceeded to the Away-Team locker room immediately after exchanging handshakes with (and only with) Raven’s Coach John Harbough. The Patriots did eventually provide some insight on the loss by arranging an interview with Patriot’s safety Devin McCourty.
Shannon Sharpe had more than a few words to say about the situation in the CBS Post Game Analysis. “There’s something to be said about being gracious in defeat. We’ve seen the New England Patriots five times in the last 12 years be victorious. And we’ve seen the opposing coaches that lost come out and speak to our Steve Tasker. Coach Cowher did it when they lost. We saw this last week. Bill Belichick makes it very easy for you to root against the Patriots. You can’t be a poor sport all the time. You’re not going to win every time. And he does this every time he loses. It is unacceptable.”
This was not Bill Belichick’s first time facing scrutiny for his actions. Eric Mangini had accused Bill Belichick of taping New York Jets play calling during the 2007 season. This situation was investigated by the NFL and was discovered to be true. The incident, dubbed “Spygate,” resulted in a $500,000 fine for Bill Belichick. He has also declined a myriad of post-game loss interviews over the years.
Nobody expects a head coach to be cheerful and delighted following post-game losses. Although Bill Belichick wins many more games than he loses, he should consider changing his unpleasant attitude and perhaps learn to face some adversity. Then maybe he will transition his losing record in Super Bowls into a winning one.