New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft reportedly called Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank and warned him to not trust former Patriots coach <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/bill-belichick" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bill Belichick</a>.
The January call, reported by <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/39955777/how-patriots-legend-bill-belichick-end-nfl-job" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN</a> on Wednesday, played a major role in why the Falcons decided not to hire Belichick and instead opted to hire Raheem Morris.
Blank and Belichick met just a few days after Belichick was let go by the Patriots after coaching there for nearly a quarter century.
The job interview, which happened on Blank&#8217;s Yacht in the Caribbean, left Blank very impressed, the report said.
Blank&#8217;s view of Belichick changed after Blank decided to call Kraft, who is considered to be his closest friend among NFL owners.
&#8220;Kraft delivered a stark assessment of Belichick&#8217;s character, according to a source who spoke to two people: a close Kraft friend and a longtime Belichick confidant,&#8221; the report said. &#8220;The source quoted the Belichick source as saying, &#8216;Robert called Arthur to warn him not to trust Bill.&#8217; That account was backed up, the source said, by the close Kraft friend.&#8221;
&#8220;One source close to Belichick said Kraft &#8216;was a big part&#8217; of why the Falcons passed on hiring him,&#8221; the report added. &#8220;The sources said Kraft made clear to Blank that &#8216;you&#8217;ll never have a warm conversation with&#8217; Belichick, echoing what Bill Parcells told Kraft in 1996 when he wanted to bust the budget and hire Belichick. &#8216;Blank likes coaches who feel part of a family,&#8217; a Falcons source said, &#8216;and it wasn&#8217;t going to be that way with Bill.'&#8221;
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Kraft had been unhappy with Belichick, who won six Super Bowls with the team, for months and did not trust him because he believed that Belichick was responsible for leaking stories.
&#8220;[Kraft] found Bill to be extremely difficult and obstinate and kind of stubborn and, in the end, not worthy of his trust,&#8221; a source told ESPN. &#8220;And also very, very, very arrogant.&#8221;
The source said that the Kraft family felt &#8220;betrayed&#8221; by Belichick, but did not think that Kraft would try to harm the coach.
&#8220;I don&#8217;t think they&#8217;d try to help him either,&#8221; the source added. &#8220;They weren&#8217;t going to try to sink him. He was finished as an effective head coach. Just look at his last four years in New England. A disaster. &#8230; If you&#8217;re Arthur Blank, why do you want the headaches?&#8221;

AMFOOT-NFL-PATRIOTS-BELICHICK

Bill Belichick Not Hired By Atlanta Falcons After Patriots Owner Warned Falcons Owner: Report

Atlanta

Bill Belichick

Football

General

Robert Kraft

Sports

U.S.

MixCollage-12-Jan-2024-09-54-AM-7217

The Wildest Coaching Carousel In Football History: Here’s Who’s Retired, Been Fired, And Hired 

College Football

Nick Saban

Readers Pass

Bill Belichick is out as head coach of the New England Patriots after 24 years and leading the team to nine Super Bowl trips and six rings.
The veteran coach took to the podium on Thursday and told members of the <a href="https://x.com/Patriots/status/1745490547303686547?s=20">press</a> he would be a Patriot forever as he thanked the fans and the organization, <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/39285303/bill-belichick-leaving-patriots-24-seasons-sources-say">ESPN</a> reported.
&#8220;[Patriots owner] Robert [Kraft] and I, after a series of discussions, have mutually agreed to part ways,&#8221; Belichick said. &#8220;For me, this is a day of gratitude and celebration.&#8221;
&#8220;We had a vision of building a championship football team that has exceeded my wildest dreams and expectations,&#8221; he added. &#8220;I&#8217;m very proud of that. I&#8217;ll always have those great memories, I&#8217;ll carry those with me the rest of my life.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
LIVE: Robert Kraft and Bill Belichick media availability 1/11: <a href="https://t.co/A3htiZoUin">https://t.co/A3htiZoUin</a>
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) <a href="https://twitter.com/Patriots/status/1745490547303686547?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 11, 2024</a></blockquote>
&#8220;It&#8217;s with so many fond memories and thoughts that I think about the Patriots, and I&#8217;ll always be a Patriot,&#8221; Belichick continued. &#8220;I look forward to coming back here, but at this time, we&#8217;re going to move on. And I&#8217;m excited for the future.”
Kraft followed Belichick at the press conference and said, &#8220;This is a move that we mutually agreed that is needed at this time. What Bill accomplished, in my opinion, will never be duplicated.&#8221;
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&#8220;Coach Belichick will forever be celebrated as a legendary sports icon here in New England, and I believe go in as a Pro Football Hall of Famer on the first ballot,&#8221; Kraft added. &#8220;Why? Because he is the greatest coach of all time. Which makes this decision to part ways so hard.&#8221;
<a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/39285303/bill-belichick-leaving-patriots-24-seasons-sources-say" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Belichick</a> will undoubtedly be in the NFL Hall of Fame for the incredible run he had in New England, which includes six Super Bowl titles, 333 career victories (including playoffs), second only to Don Shula’s 347, and nine conference championships, the most by a head coach in the Super Bowl era.
Speculation that Belichick&#8217;s reign in New England would end has been trickling out all week as reports surfaced that the coach and Kraft had met several times throughout the week.
Belichick leaves the team after a dismal season as New England finished with a 4-13 record. Since the Super Bowl-winning QB <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tom-brady-posts-cryptic-quote-about-betrayal-after-gisele-bundchen-breaks-silence-on-their-divorce" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tom Brady</a> left the Patriots after the 2019 season, the Patriots have had a losing record three of the last four years, ESPN noted.

New England Patriots v New York Giants

Bill Belichick Leaves New England Patriots After 24 Years

Bill Belichick Out In New England After 24 Years

New England Patriots

Superbowl

Tom Brady

Iconic NFL quarterback Tom Brady, who just announced his retirement, spoke of his long-time coach Bill Belichick, with whom he won six Super Bowls, revealing that he gave Belichick permission to chew his butt in front of teammates in order to set an example.
Belichick joined Brady’s SiriusXM podcast, “Let’s Go,” where they reminisced about old times and noted Belichick’s talent for creating an egalitarian structure for the team.
“That was as much a part of Tom as it was me,” Belichick <a href="https://www.masslive.com/patriots/2023/02/bill-belichick-ripped-tom-bradys-expletive-because-of-bobby-knight-michael-jordan.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>, as Mass Live reported. “There were a couple meetings where I would say something to Tom after the meeting. Like, ‘Hey, I didn’t really think that was that bad, but I just wanted to include you in there with everyone else.’”
“Tom would say, ‘Coach, you have to. If you don’t yell at me, then what am I going to do with all the rest of my teammates?” Belichick continued. “I’ve gotta be in there with all the rest of them and say, ‘Hey, he’s yelling at all of us and we’ve all gotta do better.’ But if you leave me out of it, then I don’t really have a platform to work from. So yeah, go ahead and rip my ass, too. Go ahead.’ I got the green light on that, so I went ahead and took it.”
“Players, they’d always come back to me and say, ‘Hey, the first meeting Belichick got on Brady. I’m like, Christ, if he’s going to talk to Brady like that I’d better be straight. I know what’s going to happen to me,’” Belichick added.
Belichick said he got the idea from legendary basketball coach Bobby Knight when Knight coached the 1984 Olympic basketball team led by Michael Jordan.
“Where I got that from was Coach (Bobby) Knight, because Coach Knight told me that’s what he did with Michael Jordan on the Olympic team,” Belichick recalled. “He said, ‘Michael, I’m going to rip your (expletive) because I can’t rip some of those other guys without ripping you.’ Jordan said, ‘Bring it on, because I need that and it’ll help me with my teammates.’”
Jordan, who played for another legendary coach, Dean Smith, at the University of North Carolina, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/glory-days-excerpt-summer-1984-foreshadowed-michael-jordan-nba-greatness-usa-basketball-bob-knight">joked</a>, “The only different thing is the vocabulary. From Coach Smith I learned the four-corner offense. From Coach Knight I learned the four-letter word.”
Belichick <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/sports/patriots-bill-belichick-lauds-tom-brady-reminisces-coaching-greatest-player.amp">summed up</a> Brady’s contribution on the field: “The greatest player, the greatest career. A great, great person. It was such an opportunity and an honor for me to coach Tom. I guess it’s gotta end at some point. But it’s the greatest one ever. So, congratulations, Tom.”

New England Patriots Practice

‘Rip My A**’: Tom Brady Recalls Advice He Gave To Bill Belichick

'Rip My A**': Tom Brady Recalls Advice He Gave To Bill Belichick

With six Super Bowl wins to his credit, Bill Belichick will most likely go down as the greatest head coach in NFL history, and deservedly so.
Fast forward to today, though, and I feel confident in saying that Belichick is on his way out and will never win another Super Bowl. I am not saying he will be fired &#8211; his team did make the playoffs last year &#8211; but he has earned the right to leave the NFL in his own way.
It seems Belichick is still trying to win the same way he did with Tom Brady. And early returns are showing that it isn&#8217;t going to work.
Brady proved he could be surrounded by average weapons and still elevate everyone&#8217;s game. They were able to generate enough points to be effective during normal and crunch times.
Belichick has relied on good defense, elite special teams, and a once-in-a-lifetime quarterback to help him secure a dynamic legacy. It seems the only mountain he has left to conquer is being able to win the big one: post-Tom Brady.
Brady, on the other hand, went down to Tampa Bay and won another ring &#8211; and came close to playing for another &#8211; so it wasn&#8217;t just being in the Belichick system that made Brady the player that he is.
The stubbornness of using the same formula is proving to not always be the best way to go about things.
Belichick wants to leave a legacy that’s separate from being lucky enough to have Tom Brady as his star player. He wants his legacy to be his system &#8211; a system that has not only created Super Bowl winners, but also produced the best quarterback who ever lived.
Every coach and player who makes it to this level has to have some sort of ego, and while it varies from person to person, the most successful people in this business usually have a pretty big one.
One could even go as far as saying the biggest dragon Belichick has left to slay is Tom Brady.
We always say what makes Nick Saban so great is his ability to be malleable as the game changes over time. Saban used to have the same identity as Belichick, but he realized that paces of the offense and the rule changes will affect one’s success — so he changed his style. Will Belichick do the same?
To this point, he hasn’t, and I don’t see that happening any time soon. Asking Mac Jones to win the same way Brady did is not only unfair, it isn&#8217;t going to work. Mac is going to be a good quarterback, but he is not and will never be Tom Brady.
It seems Belichick is going even further outside of the box by letting defensive coordinator and former head coach Matt Patricia become an offensive coordinator. 
The Patriots continue to deprive Jones of legitimate playmakers who can make his job easier, while trying to rebuild what is usually a stout defense — especially in the back end.
Patriots fans are not satisfied with just making the playoffs and don&#8217;t want to fall back into obscurity because their winningest coach wants to make it about his system and not the signal caller.
We may just find out that Belichick was more of a system coach than Brady was a system quarterback.
None of this diminishes all that Belichick has accomplished as a head coach. There is, however, one common denominator in all of the Super Bowls wins by the future Hall of Fame coach: Tom Brady. 
Without Brady, it seems like the ride is over.
Jake Crain is co-host of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/show/crain-and-company">&#8220;Crain &amp; Company.&#8221;</a> the Daily Wire&#8217;s sports show, also featuring co-hosts Blain Crain and David Cone.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Carolina Panthers v New England Patriots

Is Bill Belichick On His Way Out?

Super Bowl

Following the news on Tuesday that Tom Brady would retire after 22 years in the National Football League, the tributes poured in. 
Former teammates, coaches, and members of the NFL Hall of Fame all shared their thoughts on Brady’s illustrious career, but one very important character in the career of Brady was missing — Bill Belichick. 
The famously ornery coach of the New England Patriots had yet to share his thoughts on Brady’s retirement, which was especially interesting considering Brady did not mention the Patriots — his team for 20 years — in his lengthy Instagram post announcing the end of his playing days. 
Belichick has finally weighed in, and did so with effusive praise. 
&#8220;I am privileged to have drafted and coached Tom Brady, the ultimate competitor and winner,” Belichick <a href="https://www.patriots.com/news/statement-from-bill-belichick-on-tom-brady-s-retirement">said</a> in a statement posted to the Patriots website on Wednesday. “Tom&#8217;s humble beginning in professional football ultimately ended with him becoming the best player in NFL history. Tom consistently performed at the highest level against competition that always made him the number one player to stop. His pursuit of excellence was inspirational. Tom was professional on and off the field, and carried himself with class, integrity, and kindness. I thank Tom for his relentless pursuit of excellence and positive impact on me and the New England Patriots for 20 years.&#8221;
Under Belichick, Brady and the Patriots built the greatest dynasty in the history of the NFL, winning six Super Bowls in nine appearances in the 20 years they worked together. While the marriage did end on a relatively sour note, neither side has had anything negative to say about each other in the two years since the divorce. 
Brady officially announced his retirement on Tuesday, days after reports surfaced over the weekend that the three-time MVP would be taking off his shoulder pads for good. 
“I have always believed the sport of football is an ‘all-in’ proposition – if a 100% competitive commitment isn’t there, you won’t succeed and success is what I love so much about our game,” Brady <a href="https://twitter.com/rapsheet/status/1488521931158695940?s=27">wrote</a> in an Instagram post. “There is a physical, mental, and emotional challenge EVERY single day that has allowed me to maximize my highest potential. And I have tried my very best these past 22 years. There are no shortcuts to success on the field or in life.”
“This is difficult for me to write, but here it goes: I am not going to make that competitive commitment anymore,” Brady continued. “I have loved my NFL career, and now it is time to focus my time and energy on other things that require my attention.”
Brady finishes his illustrious career with seven Super Bowl rings — the most by a player in NFL history — and as the NFL’s all-time leader in passing yards, completions, and passing touchdowns. 
At 44-years-old, Brady led Tampa Bay to a 13-4 regular season, and led the league in passing yards (5,316) and passing touchdowns (43), though the Bucs were upset in the divisional playoffs by the  Rams. 
Brady was drafted by the New England Patriots with the 199th pick of the 2000 NFL Draft, and took over as the starting quarterback during the 2001 season after an injury to Drew Bledsoe. He would go on to lead New England to the organization’s first championship, and win five more Super Bowls with the Patriots in his 20 seasons under head coach Bill Belichick.
He left New England following the 2019 season, and won his seventh Super Bowl in his first season in Tampa Bay.
Joe Morgan is the Sports Reporter for The Daily Wire. Most recently, Morgan covered the Clippers, Lakers, and the NBA for Sporting News. Send your sports questions to sports@dailywire.com.

AFC Championship – Jacksonville Jaguars v New England Patriots

‘The Best Player In NFL History’: Bill Belichick Weighs In Following Tom Brady’s Retirement

In May, Buffalo Bills GM Brandon Beane alluded to cutting a player who chose to not receive the COVID vaccine, calling it an “advantage.” 
“We’re laughing, but these meetings [last season] were not as productive as before,” Beane <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/buffalo-bills-gm-says-team-might-cut-players-who-refuse-covid-vaccine">said</a>. “You guys saw it in the field house — sometimes we’d have three to four meetings going on, and sometimes you’re talking over each other. But it was the only way to pull it off and be socially distanced. So it would be an advantage to cut a player and fall under that umbrella.” 
For his comment, Beane received a call from the league in which it was reiterated that a team may not release a player solely because of their vaccination status. 
This week, two NFL coaches have broached the subject, and they’re going about it in vastly different ways. 
Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer — in his first year coaching at the NFL level — may have placed himself in hot water with his approach.
On Tuesday, Meyer told reporters that a player&#8217;s vaccination was considered during final roster cuts. 
&#8220;Everyone was considered,” Meyer <a href="https://www.nfl.com/news/nflpa-conducting-investigation-after-urban-meyer-s-vaccine-comment">said</a>. “That was part of the production, let&#8217;s start talking about this and also, &#8216;Is he vaccinated or not?&#8217; Can I say that that was a decision-maker? It was certainly in consideration.&#8221;
The answer to Meyer’s question is murky. While a player cannot be cut solely due to their vaccination status, Meyer said that it was a “consideration.” Vaccines are not required for players, though they are strongly encouraged. The NFL Players Association has launched an investigation after Meyer’s comments and confirmed in an email to <a href="https://www.nfl.com/news/nflpa-conducting-investigation-after-urban-meyer-s-vaccine-comment">The Associated Press</a>. 
On Wednesday, the Jaguars released a statement saying that no player was released due to their vaccination status.
&#8220;Availability is one of the many factors taken into account when making roster decisions,&#8221; the statement <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/32126156/jacksonville-jaguars-say-no-players-were-released-due-vaccination-status">read</a>. &#8220;We have vaccinated and unvaccinated payers on our roster and no player was released because of their vaccination status. Ultimately, decisions are based on a player&#8217;s ability to help the Jaguars win. We educate our players and respect personal decisions as it pertains to the vaccine. We want to keep our players, staff, and families safe as we comply with protocols related to both health and safety and competition on game days.&#8221;
Then there is New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick. 
The six-time Super Bowl champion released veteran quarterback Cam Newton on Tuesday, with many speculating that Newton’s vaccination status played a role in the decision. Last week, Newton was forced to spend five days away from the team facility after a “misunderstanding” of the NFL’s COVID testing policy. Newton has declined to say publicly whether he is vaccinated, but the nature of his absence points to him being unvaccinated.
Per <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/patriots/2021/08/23/cam-newton-unvaccinated-miss-patriots-practices-covid-19-protocols/8242393002/">USA Today</a>, &#8220;The regimen of daily testing means that Newton isn’t vaccinated for COVID-19 given only unvaccinated players are subject to the five-day reentry process.&#8221;
Belichick squashed that rumor Wednesday morning and gave reporters something to think about at the same time. 
“No,” Belichick <a href="https://youtu.be/uStZ0uUUKSY?t=273">said</a> when asked if Newton’s vaccination status had anything to do with him being released. “You guys keep talking about that, and I would just point out — I don’t know what the number is — you guys can look it up &#8230; the number of players and coaches and staff members that have been affected by COVID in this training camp who have been vaccinated, is a pretty high number. So, I wouldn&#8217;t lose sight of that.” 
The NFL season kicks off Thursday, September 9 when the Dallas Cowboys play the defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Bucs. New England opens their season Sunday, September 12, against the Miami Dolphins and the Jaguars open their season on the same day against the Houston Texans.
Joe Morgan is the Sports Reporter for The Daily Wire. Most recently, Morgan covered the Clippers, Lakers and the NBA for Sporting News. Send your sports questions to <a href="mailto:Sports@dailywire.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">sports@dailywire.com</a>.

A Tale Of Two Coaches: Urban Meyer And Bill Belichick Dish On Player Cuts, Role Of Vaccines

COVID-19 Vaccine

Who had Bill Belichick on their 2021 Unlikely Virtue Signaler Bingo Card? Come collect your winnings. 
That’s right — the Lord Vader of the NFL’s Evil Empire has publicly rejected a Presidential Medal of Freedom because being in the same room as Donald Trump is apparently too icky.
Here’s his <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/belichick-rejects-medal-of-freedom-from-trump-statement">statement</a>, in part: “Above all, I am an American citizen with great reverence for our nation’s values, freedom and democracy. I know I also represent my family and the New England Patriots team. One of the most rewarding things in my professional career took place in 2020 when, through the great leadership within our team, conversations about social justice, equality and human rights moved to the forefront and became actions. Continuing those efforts while remaining true to the people, team and country I love outweighs the benefits of any individual award.”
Translation: I coach in the NFL, and standing up to the mob is risking career suicide, even for a six-time champion, and I’m going to use the “riot” as an excuse to weasel out of going to the White House.  
Et tu, Bill? You would think that resistance to bending the knee would be in his DNA. The guy’s GAF (Give a f***) meter has been pegged at zero since I’ve been paying attention. He shuffles into press conferences in his cut-off hoodie looking like he just missed last call and is pissed about it, mumbles a few occasionally coherent thoughts and leaves, apparently unconcerned with protocol, decorum or even personal dignity. 
But not even Bill Belichick is immune to the woke virus rampaging through pro sports. Roger Goodell is NFL Commissioner in name only; Colin Kaepernick apparently calls the shots.  
As with any former Republican president who garners a Strange New Respect for not being as bad as his successor, the announcement has given Belichick some unexpected cachet with leftists, who celebrated it as “the latest rebuke to Trump from the sports world.” Deadspin’s headline blared: “Bill Belichick has some integrity, turns down Trump’s Medal of Freedom.”
To his credit, hard-core leftist Mike Florio of NBC Sports saw the announcement for what it probably was: a cynical reading of the room at Patriots HQ and attempt to deflect the guilt-by-association that has haunted Belichick since he supported Trump in 2016. Florio wrote, “This was not a deathbed conversion. It was an effort to avoid what would have been the death knell for Belichick’s coaching career.”
Of course, it follows a certain twisted logic that the author and instigator of Deflategate and Spygate, a win-at-all-costs, whatever-it-takes NFL Machiavelli, would align himself with those who would consider cheating Trump out of an election (whether it actually happened or not) a moral necessity. 
My thoughts on the matter? Get over yourself, Belichick. These Medals of Freedom are often nothing more than a chance for the President, whoever he is, to fangirl over his sports and pop culture idols. Bruce Springsteen, Barbra Streisand, Lorne Michaels and Robert DeNiro — all Medal of Freedom recipients during the Obama years — are the kind of company Belichick would be keeping. A good reason to turn down the award, now that I think about it.  
The views expressed in this opinion piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Pittsburgh Steelers v New England Patriots

Belichick Bends The Knee

Cancel Culture

Donald Trump

The head coach of the New England Patriots announced Monday that he will not be accepting the Medal of Freedom from President Donald Trump.
&#8220;Patriots’ HC Bill Belichick will not be traveling to Washington nor accepting the Presidential Medal of Freedom, he announced today,&#8221; reported ESPN&#8217;s Adam Schefter.
Belichick said in a statement that he was &#8220;flattered&#8221; by the opportunity but had to decline in light of the &#8220;tragic events of last week,&#8221; referencing the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday.
“Recently, I was offered the opportunity to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which I was flattered by out of respect for what the honor represents and admiration for prior recipients,&#8221; the statement started. &#8220;Subsequently, the tragic events of last week occurred and the decision has been made not to move forward with the award.&#8221;
&#8220;Above all, I am an American citizen with great reverence for our nation’s values, freedom and democracy,&#8221; Belichick said. &#8220;I know I also represent my family and the New England Patriots team.&#8221;
&#8220;One of the most rewarding things in my professional career took place in 2020 when, through the great leadership within our team, conversations about social justice, equality and human rights moved to the forefront and became actions. Continuing those efforts while remaining true to the people, team and country I love outweigh the benefits of any individual award,&#8221; the coach concluded.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Patriots’ HC Bill Belichick will not be traveling to Washington nor accepting the Presidential Medal of Freedom, he announced today. <a href="https://t.co/uvLLigFlHU">pic.twitter.com/uvLLigFlHU</a>
&mdash; Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) <a href="https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/1348790788046680067?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Trump and Belichick have a friendship that the president publicized on the eve of the 2016 election,&#8221; Mass Live <a href="https://www.masslive.com/patriots/2021/01/president-donald-trump-to-award-bill-belichick-the-medal-of-freedom-on-thursday-report.html">noted</a> Sunday. &#8220;At a campaign stop in New Hampshire, Trump said Belichick had written him a letter and recited its contents on stage.&#8221;
The letter read as follows, according to the news site:
<blockquote>
Congratulations on a tremendous campaign. You have dealt with an unbelievable slanted and negative media, and have come out beautifully — beautifully. You’ve proved to be the ultimate competitor and fighter. Your leadership is amazing. I have always had tremendous respect for you, but the toughness and perseverance you have displayed over the past year is remarkable. Hopefully tomorrow’s election results will give the opportunity to make America great again. Best wishes for great results tomorrow.
</blockquote>
Democrats moved to impeach President Trump in reaction to the breach, claiming POTUS &#8220;willfully&#8221; &#8220;encouraged&#8221; and “incited” the “insurrection.”
House Democrats released the article of impeachment Monday that they will file against the president, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-house-democrats-file-single-article-of-impeachment-against-trump">The Daily Wire</a> reported.
Trump “willfully made statements that encouraged — and foreseeably resulted in — imminent lawless action at the Capitol,” the article of impeachment <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-house-democrats-file-single-article-of-impeachment-against-trump">states</a>. “Incited by President Trump, a mob unlawfully breached the Capitol, injured law enforcement personnel, interfered with the Joint Session’s solemn constitutional duty to certify the election results, and engaged in violent, deadly, destructive, and seditious acts.”
&#8220;We’re going to walk down to the Capitol — and we’re going to cheer on our brave senators and congressmen and women and we’re probably not going to be cheering so much for some of them,” Trump said at the “Save America Rally” that preceded the riot at the Capitol, as <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-told-supporters-stormed-capitol-hill/story?id=75110558">reported</a> by ABC News. “Because you’ll never take back our country with weakness. You have to show strength and you have to be strong.”
“We have come to demand that Congress do the right thing and only count the electors who have been lawfully slated,” he claimed. “I know that everyone here will soon be marching over to the Capitol building to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard,” Trump added. “Today, we will see whether Republicans stand strong for integrity of our elections.”

New England Patriots v Los Angeles Chargers

Belichick Rejects Medal Of Freedom From Trump: Statement

Seemingly trying to avoid a distraction, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Devlin Hodges reportedly deleted pro-Trump tweets soon after he was named the team&#8217;s starting QB.
&#8220;While Hodges may have been ecstatic about getting the start, he quickly became the target of social media trolls who resurfaced his past tweets – mostly about President Trump,&#8221; <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/sports/steelers-devlin-hodges-trump-tweets">Fox News</a> reported Wednesday. &#8220;The Samford product was caught deleting the tweets about Trump, but Twitter users saved the receipts.&#8221;
One of the tweets Hodges deleted simply says &#8220;Donald Trump&#8221; with a thumbs-up and an American flag emoji.
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Steelers new QB deleted this quick too lol FEDS still gotcha thoe <a href="https://t.co/g9pmJCw4sb">pic.twitter.com/g9pmJCw4sb</a>
&mdash; Angela Rockford (@angie_goodwood) <a href="https://twitter.com/angie_goodwood/status/1199384154162520065?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 26, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Another now-deleted tweet from Hodges, according to <a href="https://www.complex.com/sports/2019/11/devlin-hodges-deletes-tweets-supporting-trump?utm_campaign=sportstw&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter.com">Complex</a>, said, &#8220;Wanting Donald Trump to fail is like wanting the pilot to crash the plane that we are ALL on.&#8221;
Hodges was recently named to fill in for Mason Rudolph, who took over after QB Ben Roethlisberger was lost for the season over an elbow injury, noted <a href="https://247sports.com/Article/Ezekiel-Elliott-reacts-to-Jerry-Jones-criticism-139299073">247 Sports</a>.
&#8220;We met as a staff, we&#8217;ve decided that we&#8217;re going to start Duck this week,&#8221; Steelers coach Mike Tomlin announced, according to <a href="https://www.complex.com/sports/2019/11/devlin-hodges-deletes-tweets-supporting-trump?utm_campaign=sportstw&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter.com">Complex</a>. &#8220;Really, the decision is clear for us and [there are] some really clear reasons why. Like I talked about after the game, I thought he provided us a spark in-game. I&#8217;m hopeful that he&#8217;s capable of continuing to provide that spark as we step into this stadium.&#8221;
<a href="https://www.foxnews.com/sports/steelers-devlin-hodges-trump-tweets">Fox News</a> reported Wednesday that Hodges, predictably, was met with mockery and rage from the anti-Trump Left over his Trump support, clearly lending some insight into the QB&#8217;s move to delete the posts.
A few in the sports world who are supporters of President Trump have gone a different route. For example, earlier this month, Washington Nationals catcher <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nationals-catcher-dons-maga-cap-at-white-house-event-celebrating-championship">Kurt Suzuki</a> rocked a &#8220;Make America Great Again&#8221; hat during a White House visit.
“I love you all,&#8221; the catcher yelled to a crowd of supporters.
Suzuki and his teammates were invited to the White House after the Nationals won the World Series.
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&quot;I love you all! Thank you!&quot; 
Nationals catcher Kurt Suzuki walks up to a microphone outside the White House and whips out a <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MAGA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MAGA</a> hat.
Check out <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a>&#39;s reaction: <a href="https://t.co/PdR8wFnfN8">pic.twitter.com/PdR8wFnfN8</a>
&mdash; Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) <a href="https://twitter.com/dcexaminer/status/1191429202609868800?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 4, 2019</a></blockquote>
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New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick famously wrote a positive letter to Trump, which the president read at a campaign rally in New Hampshire the day before the 2016 election, though Belichick later emphasized his personal relationship with the president.
&#8220;I&#8217;ve received a number of inquiries relative to a note that I wrote Donald on Monday,&#8221; the coach said soon after Trump&#8217;s read-aloud, according to <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/18006423/new-england-patriots-bill-belichick-says-letter-donald-trump-not-political">ESPN</a>. &#8220;Our friendship goes back many years.&#8221;
&#8220;I think anybody that has spent more than five minutes with me knows I&#8217;m not a political person,&#8221; Belichick continued. &#8220;My comments are not politically motivated — the friendship and loyalty to Donald. A couple of weeks ago, we had Secretary of State [John] Kerry in our locker room [after a win over the <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/team/_/name/pit/pittsburgh-steelers">Pittsburgh Steelers</a>]. He&#8217;s another friend of mine. I can&#8217;t imagine two people with more different political views than those two. But to me, friendship and loyalty is just about that. It&#8217;s not about political or religious views.&#8221;
&#8220;I write hundreds of letters and notes every month,&#8221; he added. &#8220;It doesn&#8217;t mean I agree with every single thing that every person thinks about politics or religion or other subjects. But I have multiple friendships that are important to me, and that&#8217;s what that was about. So it&#8217;s not about politics. It&#8217;s about football.&#8221;

Devlin Hodges

Steelers’ QB Devlin Hodges Deletes Pro-Trump Tweets After He’s Named Starter

After taking down the Los Angeles Rams on Super Bowl Sunday, multiple players on the New England Patriots have already said that they have no interest in a White House visit.
Caught up with by a reporter from TMZ following the Sunday win, New England safety Duron Harmon said he won&#8217;t visit President Donald Trump in the White House because he&#8217;s supposedly not wanted there.
&#8220;Nah, man,&#8221; he <a href="https://www.tmz.com/2019/02/04/duron-harmon-patriote-white-house-trump/">told</a> TMZ, when asked about a visit to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. &#8220;They don&#8217;t want me in the White House.&#8221;
However, Harmon did say that he&#8217;d love to meet Trump&#8217;s predecessor, Barack Obama.
&#8220;That would be dope,&#8221; the safety said. &#8220;Hey, Obama, come holler at me, man. We love you over here.&#8221;
The McCourty brothers, too, are uninterested in a White House visit.
Devin McCourty, a defensive back, and his twin brother Jason McCourty, a cornerback, told the Associated Press on Monday that they won&#8217;t be making the trip to Washington. &#8220;A day after the Patriots beat the Los Angeles Rams for their sixth NFL title, Devin McCourty said flatly that he would not join the team for a White House visit,&#8221; <a href="https://pro32.ap.org/article/mccourty-twins-nix-white-house-visit-mum-retirement">reported</a> AP.
Jason was a bit more diplomatic about the decline. &#8220;I haven&#8217;t thought about it, but I highly doubt it,&#8221; he said. However, the report added that &#8220;Devin playfully accused him of lying and Jason agreed there was virtually zero chance he would go.&#8221;
When the Patriots won the Super Bowl in 2017, at least two dozen players were no-shows to the White House celebration, including quarterback Tom Brady, who caught heat for having an iconic &#8220;Make America Great Again Hat&#8221; in his locker. Brady said he could not attend because of family matters.
As <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/19/sports/-new-england-patriots-visit-white-house-donald-trump.html">noted</a> by The New York Times, Patriots spokesman Stacey James pointed out that &#8220;34 players had attended, similar to the turnout when President George W. Bush hosted them in 2004 and 2005. He said that more than 45 players attended the ceremonies in 2002, after the franchise&#8217;s first Super Bowl, and that in 2015, when Barack Obama was president, the number of players approached 50.&#8221;
Last year, the Philadelphia Eagles were disinvited to the White House by President Trump after their Super Bowl win.
&#8220;President Trump has disinvited the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles from their planned visit Tuesday to the White House. The invitation was canceled over what Trump says is a disagreement on standing during the national anthem,&#8221; <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/eagles-white-house-visit-canceled-tuesday-trump-disinvites-philadelphia-eagles-super-bowl-champions-over-national-anthem-dispute/">reported</a> CBS News.
&#8220;The Philadelphia Eagles Football Team was invited to the White House. Unfortunately, only a small number of players decided to come, and we canceled the event. Staying in the Locker Room for the playing of our National Anthem is as disrespectful to our country as kneeling. Sorry!&#8221; Trump wrote in a tweet.
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The Philadelphia Eagles Football Team was invited to the White House. Unfortunately, only a small number of players decided to come, and we canceled the event. Staying in the Locker Room for the playing of our National Anthem is as disrespectful to our country as kneeling. Sorry!
&#8212; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1003832766511894528?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;They disagree with their president because he insists that they proudly stand for the National Anthem, hand on heart, in honor of the great men and women of our military and the people of our country,&#8221; a statement from the president said.
Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney said rescinding the invitation &#8220;only proves that our president is not a true patriot, but a fragile egomaniac.&#8221;

HERE WE GO: These Patriots Players Already Refusing White House Visit After Super Bowl Win

White House

If you were tuning in to watch a shootout between the best quarterback ever and the high-powered offense of the leagues&#8217; youngest coached team, you were probably disappointed by Super Bowl LIII, which bucked the league-wide and years-long trend of offenses ruling the field and instead became an old school defensive battle over who could score more than 3 points. That doesn&#8217;t mean it wasn&#8217;t a thriller in its own way, of course, as the game was a one-score game all the way until the last minute of play-time.
The Sean McVay-coached Los Angeles Rams came into the post-season having only failed to score 30 points in 3 regular season games, but, with star running back Todd Gurley hobbled and Jared Goff looking a little shaky, the Rams&#8217; offensive production slowed down in the post-season. They managed to score 30 against the Dallas Cowboys, but it took overtime for the Rams to get to 26 to defeat the New Orleans Saints in the conference championship. But Bill Belichick, as usual, had the perfect game plan for the Rams&#8217; formerly formidable offense, holding them to just 3 points after gaining just <a href="http://www.espn.com/nfl/boxscore?gameId=401038115">62 yards</a> on the ground and 198 in the air.
The Patriots fared better, though they certainly fell far short of their performances in the preceding playoff games. After torching the Los Angeles Chargers 41-28 in the divisional game and then amassing 37 against the Kansas City Chiefs in the conference championship, the Pats managed to score just 13 points against the Rams &#8212; which turned out to be 9 more than they needed &#8212; running for 154 and throwing for 253. Brady went 21-35 with one interception and no touchdowns, which isn&#8217;t terrific, particularly for Brady&#8217;s lofty standards, but still bested Goff, who went 19 for 38 with one interception and no TDs. The MVP of the game was receiver Julian Edelman, who had 10 receptions for 141 yards and looked uncoverable for most of the game.
Here are the full-game highlights provided by the NFL, including the longest punt in Super Bowl history, followed by some post-game clips:
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
The <a href="https://twitter.com/Patriots?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Patriots</a> took home their SIXTH <a href="https://twitter.com/SuperBowl?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SuperBowl</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SBLIII?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SBLIII</a> Full Game Highlights &#11015;&#65039; <a href="https://t.co/wQZgBJL993">pic.twitter.com/wQZgBJL993</a>
&#8212; NFL (@NFL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1092287831504912385?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Brady and MVP Edelman hugging it out:
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
A special moment for Tom Brady &amp; <a href="https://twitter.com/Edelman11?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Edelman11</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SBLIII?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SBLIII</a> <a href="https://t.co/MGzg6hETEU">pic.twitter.com/MGzg6hETEU</a>
&#8212; NFL (@NFL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1092260875933835265?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Brady&#8217;s post-game comments:
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Tom Brady reacts to winning his SIXTH <a href="https://twitter.com/SuperBowl?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SuperBowl</a> ring! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SBLIII?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SBLIII</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EverythingWeGot?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EverythingWeGot</a> <a href="https://t.co/8rMqGxqWxg">pic.twitter.com/8rMqGxqWxg</a>
&#8212; NFL (@NFL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1092269849789624320?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Here&#8217;s Edelman having some fun after helping his team win it all:
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
ADORABLE! &#65039; <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SBLIII?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SBLIII</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/James_Develin?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@James_Develin</a> <a href="https://t.co/SFBP9juyfa">pic.twitter.com/SFBP9juyfa</a>
&#8212; NFL (@NFL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1092272131759620096?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Gronkowski being Gronkowski:
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&#8220;WOOOOOOOOOOOO!&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/RobGronkowski?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RobGronkowski</a> checks in after winning <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SBLIII?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SBLIII</a>! <a href="https://t.co/29GFAuDPRT">pic.twitter.com/29GFAuDPRT</a>
&#8212; NFL (@NFL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1092261403644305415?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/42994/daily-beast-writer-smears-patriots-preferred-team-emily-zanotti">Daily Beast Writer Smears Patriots As &#8216;The Preferred Team Of White Nationalists&#8217;</a>

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