“I swear it seems like Bill Belichick has listening devices in their locker room” - NFL coach talks just how ruthless the 'Patriot Way' can be
Bill Belichick and Tom Brady's relationship ended due to a lack of respect from coach to player. "The Patriot Way" is a phrase that Bill Belichick has used to run his team for over two decades.
Essentially, this means winning is the most important thing, even over personal matters.
Brady has been more personable and authentic in the media since leaving the Patriots. "The Patriot Way" was responsible for a lot of Brady's unhappiness, and we're just now finding out how ruthless that phrase is.
A long-time NFL coach reveals how ruthless Bill Belichick's "Patriot Way" is.
This information comes from a book written by Lars Anderson. The book is titled "A Season in the Sun: The Inside Story of Bruce Arians, Tom Brady, and the Making of a Champion." An anonymous longtime NFL coach said,
I swear it seems like Bill Belichick has listening devices in their locker room. “If there’s a player with a bad attitude, he’ll know about it and then that player will be gone. There is an element of fear on that team – the fear of getting shipped away to a place like Cleveland – but that keeps everyone in line. It keeps everyone going the Patriot Way. Everyone is expendable. Unless you’re Bill Belichick or Tom Brady, you could be gone at any minute.”
Bill Belichick won six super-bowls while running the New England Patriots with a cutthroat mentality. Former teammates of Brady, like Mike Vrabel, Willie McGinest, and Ty Law, were cut by the Patriots despite being high-level players.
After Brady left, controversy began over whether "The Patriot Way" was the creation of Bill Belichick or Brady. Given the comments in Anderson's book, it appears more likely Bill Belichick is responsible.
Brady was also very eager to join the Buccaneers and leave the disrespect Bill Belichick showed him behind.
Despite what some ex-players and friends might say, it was the Patriots culture who made Tom Brady. It wasn't the Brady way winning those first 3 Super Bowls with rushing & defense. The Patriot Way starts with 1 guy...BB.
Tom Brady was in love with the Buccaneers before they even called him.
In Anderson's book, he revealed the conversation Jason Light, Bruce Arians, and Brady had. When Light called, Brady's answer was:
“What’s up, babe? Jason, this is going to be a hell of a lot of fun.”
Brady was looking forward to having fun with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Since leaving the Patriots, Brady has had a better career than Bill Belichick. Not only did he win a Super Bowl on his own, but he also beat the Patriots in Foxborough.
Haven't done these standings in a while, so here's the update after Thursday Night Football ...
Tom Brady 20-6
Bill Belichick 9-12
Brady got to 20 wins post-breakup faster than Bill got to 10.
We've seen a different side of Brady since he left the Patriots. This side of Brady has shown more of his personality while remaining the best quarterback in the NFL.
He's on pace to break Peyton Manning's record for passing yards in a single season. Brady has proven you can still dominate the NFL while having some personality.