Chris Berman shares four anecdotes from Bill Belichick’s early days
Sportscaster Chris Berman would be the first to admit that he and New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick are by no means best friends. They don’t hang out. They don’t go on vacation together. But that doesn’t mean the two haven’t been able to forge a close bond over the past 20 seasons of football.
Berman first met Belichick when he was the defensive coordinator of the New York Giants in the late 1980’s. Their first real conversation, however, came roughly a decade later when Belichick had moved on to become the defensive coordinator of the New York Jets. Since then, the pair has stayed in touch as they’ve continued to rise in their respective industries.
“I cherish our relationship as one of the most important that I’ve had,” Berman told Boston.com.
During New England’s upcoming bye week, the two sexagenarians will be reuniting on November 2 in honor of the Bill Belichick Foundation’s fourth annual “Hall of Fame Huddle.” Hosted at the Seaport Hotel and World Trade Center, the event will feature a sports-themed panel discussion, trivia led by former Patriots offensive lineman Matt Light, and a question-and-answer session. All proceeds from the night will support student athletes and athletic programs in need, as part of BBF’s mission to provide coaching, mentorship, and financial support to future leaders.
“Boomer is a rare gem of the sports world, and I am extremely excited to share the stage with one of the most popular sports figures of the last quarter century,” Belichick said in a statement. “To hear his perspective on sports media, professional sports and the NFL, all in his unique style, will be a special treat.”
Berman will share some of his more memorable moments covering the Patriots in a conversation with Belichick at the fundraiser, but he gave Boston.com an exclusive look at some of his favorite memories with the five-time Super Bowl champion.
It all began on the USS Missouri.
In January 1999, the New York Jets lost the AFC Championship to the Denver Broncos. As is tradition in the NFL, the losing coach of the conference title game would go on to participate in the annual Pro Bowl in Hawaii. However, the Jets head coach at the time, Bill Parcells, was unable to attend, giving his “understudy” the opportunity to take his place. So in February 1999, Belchick was off to Honolulu to lead the AFC stars past those of the NFC.
Prior the game’s kick-off, there was a media reception hosted on the USS Missouri, one of the battleships from the Pacific Fleet of World War II. While mingling on the deck, Berman remembers talking to Belichick for about 20 minutes for the pair’s first real conversation outside of short pre- and postgame talk. He called the meeting a “very fitting” and “very symbolic” first encounter.
“Before everyone had made up their mind that Bill wasn’t conversational, I had a little different vision through the window,” Berman said.
The military has always been a topic that is near and dear to Belichick’s heart — as well as one of the few subjects that he will gush effusively over. His father, Steve, served in World War II before coaching at the Naval Academy for 34 years. Belichick was just four years old when his dad accepted the job, making that influence an integral part of his current coaching perspective.
“I didn’t know any differently,” he said in an interview with N Magazine. “I just assumed that’s what football was. Guys were very disciplined. They worked very hard. They did extra things. They were always on time, alert, ready to go, team-oriented, unselfish. I thought that’s the way it all was. I wasn’t aware of it at the time, but I can see how that molded me.”
“I had a feeling that the team was going somewhere.”
As Belichick transitioned to his new role as head coach of the New England Patriots — following his resignation from his post as Jets head coach after merely one day — Berman and Belichick continued to cultivate a friendship. The pair talked quite a bit on the phone and engaged in several playoff interviews, as the Patriots began to mount what would become a dynasty.
With Drew Bledsoe’s replacement, Tom Brady, leading the group through the postseason, Berman remembers he “had feeling that the team was going somewhere.”
And he was right.
Brady led the Patriots to an 11-5 regular-season record and a division title. In the playoffs, they took down the Oakland Raiders in the infamous “Tuck Rule” game before uprooting the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Championship. In February 2002, the team was headed to face “The Greatest Show on Turf” in Super Bowl XXXVI as substantial underdogs.
Following a sit-down interview with Belichick leading up to the big game, Berman requested that everybody else, including his cameramen, exit the room. Once it emptied, the ESPN broadcaster turned to the head coach and simply said, “So, these Rams are a big favorite?”
Belichick’s responded, “Boomer, I don’t know how it’s going to turn out. But we will not let Marshall Faulk beat us. We’ll take our chances with everything else.”
Faulk, who was the league MVP in 2000, was coming off of another monster year. The running back not only rushed for 1382 regular-season yards but he also logged 765 receiving yards with nine touchdowns. In the Super Bowl, however, Faulk was limited to just 76 rushing yards — over 20 yards below his season average.
The Patriots ended up earning a 20-17 victory in the final seconds of regulation for the franchise’s first Super Bowl title, but Berman was almost more impressed with Belichick’s ability to execute his preseason comments. He called his interview “a peek-in behind the curtains,” a perspective that many reporters crave but often don’t receive.
It’s time to plant some seeds.
One of Belichick’s most notable strengths is his extensive knowledge of the game. A football historian, the head coach’s affinity for trick plays began to manifest itself over the years, so Berman thought, “Let me suggest something to him.”
He decided to inform Belichick of a little fun fact he had learned from watching New England’s back-up quarterback Doug Flutie play in the Canadian Football League.
“Doug can drop kick, you know,” Berman said.
“He can?” Belichick responded.
“Yeah, I’ve seen him screwing around with it.”
Let the gears start turning.
Before you knew it, in January 2006, the Patriots were playing an inconsequential game against the Miami Dolphins in their regular-season finale. Down 25-19 in the fourth quarter, New England appeared to be trying for a two-point conversion with Flutie on the field. But what do you know? It ended up being the first drop-kick since 1941.
“It sort of screwed me up,” said Nick Saban, who was the Dolphins head coach at the time. “I couldn’t figure out what was going on. They had a quarterback in, four tight ends and a receiver, and there was no kicker.”
Needless to say, Belichick was very pleased with the outcome.
“I think Doug deserves it,” he told reporters following the game. “He’s got a skill, and we got a chance to let him use it, and I am happy for him. First time since ’41.”
“Water on the right.”
A Belichick smile or laugh might be a highly coveted commodity nowadays, but the head coach isn’t afraid to crack a few jokes himself.
Berman, a Connecticut native, remembers golfing in Cromwell with Belichick at the Greater Hartford Open, which is currently known as the Travelers Championship. The pro-am tournament took place at TPC River Highlands, where holes 15 through 17 are played around a four-acre lake.
As Berman is about to tee off at the 17th hole, he remembers Belichick giving him a little pointer.
“Hey, Boomer,” he said, with a huge grin across his face. “Water on the right.”
“Anyone could see that the water easily went for 300 yards,” Berman told Boston.com. “Like what? No sh–, Coach.”
When asked how he thinks Belichick has changed since they first met, Berman said he’s certainly noticed something a little different, though it’s somewhat hard to place exactly what.
“He doesn’t look back and revel in the success at all,” he said. “But I think he’s experienced the real feeling of ‘I’ve enjoyed the journey of life and football.’ He’s not content, my God, no. And I don’t want to say he’s mellowed, but — I think I saw it after the Seattle win in Super Bowl XLIX — he’s just got a little bit more of a smile on his face.”
