Bill Belichick’s shift from NFL legend to college football coach has taken a second controversial turn. The UNC head coach, who is worth $70 million, is now facing unique scrutiny from ESPN’s Paul Finebaum due to his decision to ban Patriots scouts from team facilities.
Finebaum was unfiltered during his appearance on the Rich Eisen Show this week, calling Belichick’s actions “downright stupid” and deeming the coach “petty and small-minded.”
“I want to be a fan of Bill Belichick but he makes it impossible”
“The first game was just an absolute and total disaster, on the biggest stage he probably— not probably, will ever have at North Carolina. The second game meant nothing. I mean they’re playing at Charlotte. Not exactly the bastion of college football”, Finebaum stated.
“I want to be a fan of Bill Belichick but he makes it impossible.”@finebaum shares his thoughts on Bill Belichick’s first two games as head coach of North Carolina 👀
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“I think he’ll struggle. I think his comments this week make it even more difficult. Why do you have to continue to be Bill Belichick? I guess maybe because you’re 73 years old. But to say what he did about locking the Patriots out, it’s just downright stupid… In deference to your players, you can’t say that. You want to open the door. But Bill Belichick has always been a petty, small-minded man”, he further elaborated.
The issue arose from Belichick’s postgame comments after UNC’s week 2 victory over Charlotte. He claimed that Patriots scouts were no longer welcome at team facilities. This was a surprising comment for those who wanted a less disruptive start to coaching in Chapel Hill.
Things couldn’t be worse for North Carolina. They lost to TCU in week 1 with a subpar performance and created doubt about their competitiveness. They came back against Charlotte; however, that victory has now been overshadowed by off-the-field distractions.
Patriots Coach Stresses Belichick Remains Welcome in New England
Bill Belichick is officially in the win column as a college head coach now. The North Carolina Tar Heels defeated Charlotte to give their new coach Belichick his first win as a head coach, following an embarrassing blowout loss to TCU.
Belichick, after his win on Saturday, confirmed he has banned New England Patriots scouts from attending UNC practices due to them making him feel unwelcome at the Patriots’ place.
Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel discussed it recently as well. During his appearance on “The Greg Hill Show” Monday morning, Vrabel addressed Belichick’s ban.
“Bill came back for, to the best of my knowledge, Tom’s (Brady) ceremony,” Vrabel stated.
“I guess (Belichick’s) welcome back based on the fact that he was there, so I’ll just go by that. Since his departure as a head coach here, he’s been back, and I’ll leave it at that”, he further added.
Vrabel reminded everyone that Belichick is welcome in New England. His comments are likely an attempt to lessen any tension. He pointed out a public example of Belichick’s recent participation, implying that the Patriots’ side is still open for Belichick to return to their facility, contrary to Belichick’s statements.
Also Read:
- “I Saw Him 2 Nights Ago”- Tom Brady Reveals Bill Belichick’s Current State Of Relationship With Him Amid UNC Stint
- Mike Vrabel Boldly Claps Back at Bill Belichick’s Patriots Facility Ban Claim
- Day After Hubert Davis’ Squad Lands $7,000,000, Bill Belichick Sounds Alarm on UNC Revenue Share
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