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Sunday, 05 February 2012 15:15

Written by Bob Smizik

There may not be a better or more hated quarterback/coach combination than Tom Brady and Bill Belichick. They're hated in Pittsburgh because of Spygate and the threat they are to the Steelers, present and past. But there's no denying their excellence. The New York Times takes an insightful look into their unique relationship and provides this great quote from Drew Bledsoe about Brady:

``I thought he’d be a guy who would hang around for a decade, maybe be a perennial backup.”

By Greg Bishop, New York Times

INDIANAPOLIS — During football season, Bill Belichick’s better half is Tom Brady, and vice versa. Belichick is the grumpy old New England coach; Brady his famous quarterback heartthrob. Belichick wears rumpled hooded sweatshirts; Brady endorses unisex boots made from sheepskin. Brady is an offensive star; Belichick a defensive guru. Brady smiles. Belichick does not.

But B&B are not an odd couple. Far from it, in fact. Instead, those close to them believe they reached 124 regular-season victories, more than any head coach-quarterback combination in N.F.L. history, and their fifth Super Bowl together, another N.F.L. record, because they have become more and more alike.

“What’s unique about Bill and Tom is how sometimes they seem like the same person,” said Tedy Bruschi, a retired Patriot and now an ESPN analyst. “What they say, how they say it, the way they conduct themselves — it’s very similar. Both of them are so calculated in everything they do.”

Among history’s great pairings, few, if any, seemed more unlikely at the outset than Belichick and Brady, the head coach who had once been fired and the sixth-round draft choice. Yet on Sunday, when the Patriots play the Giants here in Super Bowl XLVI, B&B will pass the formidable combinations of Chuck Noll-Terry Bradshaw, Tom Landry-Roger Staubach and Marv Levy-Jim Kelly for championship appearances. B&B will stand alone, again.

Read the rest of the story.

Comments (23)

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written by John Lease, February 05, 2012 - 01:57 PM

They both are super arrogant and annoying, I'll give them that. Brady has the hotter wife though.

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written by Edgybear, February 05, 2012 - 02:00 PM

Such an endearing piece HOF is their destiny but would they have survived any previous era of the NFL? They are a product of "the offense wears skirts" era. BR, IMO, would have but I don't think many of today's QBs would. But the game has changed and we will never see the likes of Mean Joe and Jack Lambert destroying QBs again We the fans still love it though.



I'm not quite sure where the myth began that Brady isn't tough. I refuse to believe that. I think he's plenty tough. Being sacked a lot is not a sign of toughness. -- Bob Smizik

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written by Jopa-n, February 05, 2012 - 02:11 PM

Belichick- Brady shows like soooo many other QB-Coach tandems of teams that make a habit of winning over a long period of time- and/or win multiple championships takes two.

Great coach might win/get to a SB. Great QB might win/get a SB. Great combo wins a SB and and is always in the frey to be there, whether they get to more than one or not.

Lombardi/Starr Stram/Dawson, Landry/Staubach, Noll/Bradshaw, Grant/Tarkenton, Madden/Stabler, Flores/Plunkett Walsh/Montana, Levy/Kelley, Parcells/Simms, Johnson/Aikman, Shula/Marino, Reeves/Elway, Holmgren/Favre Shanahan/Elway Dungy/Manning, Belichick/Brady, Cowher/Roethlisberger, Tomlin/Roethlisberger, Payton/Brees, Coughlin/E. Manning.....



Great teams win Super Bowls. Sometimes they have great QBs, sometimes they have great coaches. -- Bob Smizik

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written by Max, February 05, 2012 - 02:24 PM

The more interesting story is why Belichick wears the hoodie. He doesn't like being told what to wear by the NFL/Reebok agreement, so he picked what he thought was the ugliest outfit, and cut the sleeves off to make it look even less attractive.

Now, the NFL sells a Belichick hoodie!

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written by Edgybear, February 05, 2012 - 02:44 PM

Bob, Your welcome to your opinion just as I am welcome to mine. I get mine from his whining to the officials every time he is touched. Peyton does/did it too. So your myth that he is tough is just as right as mine.

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written by hammertime, February 05, 2012 - 03:01 PM

like the steelers, the pats have another major asset: a great owner. the kraft's run the pats just like the rooney's run the steelers. there's no doubt who is in charge and they expect to win. bob kraft is a super guy and his son jonathon is smart and aggressive. they both have the respect of the players and the coaches. i love the fact that brady actually apologized to kraft for not playing well after they won the afc championship and promised to play better today. i expect he will.

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written by Whistle Pig, February 05, 2012 - 04:24 PM

We only despise those we adore. Were these two Steelers? We'd be looking at ring 8 (or more) thanks to the great we hate!

There are not many organizations superior to ours. This is likely one.

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written by Whistle Pig, February 05, 2012 - 04:26 PM

Their magic is much like the 70s Steelers and Art Rooney Jrs. BLEDSOE bunch. They've figured out how to evaluate (and use) talent where others are blinded.

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written by Daquido_Bazzini, February 05, 2012 - 04:34 PM

Cheaters unite!
Brady tough? ..... Don't make me laugh.

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written by Mark Basile, February 05, 2012 - 04:41 PM

Cheaters indeed. All under the radar of sissified rules.

Jack Lambert would have ripped Brady a new you-know- what back in the day.

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written by Jopa-n, February 05, 2012 - 04:43 PM

"Great teams win Super Bowls. Sometimes they have great QBs, sometimes they have great coaches." -- Bob Smizik

Great teams don't always win SB's. Sometimes good teams win. If the Giants win, they are still not a great team. Great teams don't slither back and forth over the .500 line then win their last two games almost by default. the common denominator between this year and the last time they reached the SB is the QB-coach.

Great teams win a large percentage of their games, have a long sterling post season resume, and usually have a great coach and great QB.

With great teams, it is not a question of if they make the playoffs, but what they will do once they get there. They also usually have a great QB-Coach combination.

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written by GetAGrip, February 05, 2012 - 04:46 PM

They're a great combination...but Belichick can never be called the greatest of all time for Spygate.

I can't understand why the media gives him such a pass, when he's never given a decent interview.



Perhaps because the most members of the media don't judge a person on the quality of their interview. -- Bob Smizik

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written by gmarascoiv, February 05, 2012 - 04:49 PM

I don't like Brady but I respect him. Belichick is the most arrogant, shady person in sports. He's an embarrassment to the league with the displeasure he shows in interviews and the fact he dresses like a hobo.

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written by northsidebuick, February 05, 2012 - 05:37 PM

I hope the game is a tie.

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written by PiratesFanSince1960, February 05, 2012 - 08:13 PM

Yes both have had fantastic careers... Hate rooting for either team, but rather NY Giants win than Patriots.
cheers
David

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written by Jopa-n, February 05, 2012 - 09:00 PM

Does this means the marriage could end in divorce?

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written by Darkhorses, February 05, 2012 - 09:02 PM

Honeymoon is over!

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written by t2pyah, February 05, 2012 - 09:16 PM

Outstanding Super Bowl.

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written by BarelySane, February 05, 2012 - 09:40 PM

I never thought results of the Super Bowl could be satisfying minus the Steelers as participants. Well, it ain't great, but it's pretty darn good.

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written by Edgybear, February 05, 2012 - 09:51 PM

This was an outstanding game but not an epic! There were two teams involved that had aspects of greatness and clay feet. I am very thankful that the Pats lost. There were no real attention grabbing plays, it was just two teams, pretty much equal, trying to beat the other. I enjoyed the Pats loss, just because I can't stand them and do not want them compared with the Steelers.

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written by SRV, February 05, 2012 - 09:54 PM

Great teams win Super Bowls? The Pats came very close to winning a Super Bowl tonight and yet they beat ONE, just one good team all year (the Raisins) and it took almost a miracle to beat them?

As for Brady being tough? Don't make me laugh. He has an a phenomenal O line. When he has a nice fat pocket he is amazing. When you get in his face and harass him most times he becomes ordinary. He is a very good QB, but he can't handle getting hit.

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written by t2pyah, February 05, 2012 - 09:54 PM

no 'attention grabbing plays' - really ?

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written by mustard, February 05, 2012 - 10:06 PM

Think how Brady would do behind the Steelers O-line the last eight years. He would never make it. Then give Brady the Steelers O-coordinator. Brady wouldn't have a chance. Ben is the ultimate warrior at quarterback.

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