A narrow victory in Ireland can't mask the chaos as a legendary coach yields control to his young girlfriend while TCU faces its own locker-room meltdown.
FORT WORTH - A year ago, on the heels of Bill Belichick's disastrous CBS News interview that created the impression that the legendary 74-year-old coach was being led about by the nose by his granddaughter-aged cheerleader girlfriend, I submitted to a magazine a column that painted a brutal picture of what the future Hall-of-Fame was doing to his career.
The editor called me and said, "We can't run this.''
"Why not?'' I asked.
"Because you're making it sound kinda like he's lost his fastball, like he's not going to succeed at North Carolina, and like his reputation is going to be permanently damaged.''
My reply: "You can take the 'kinda' out of there.''
The magazine did not run my story ... but a year later, I stand by it, nevertheless - yes, even after Belichick's Tar Heels' 15-10 weekend win over TCU in Ireland.
This isn't a Horned Frogs-fueled attack on Belichick; the truth, at this moment, is that TCU coach Sonny Dykes also finds himself under siege for fielding a squad that in Week 0 looked unprepared and maybe distracted by the locker-room controversy that now involves an arrest and a credential removal.
Seriously, there is a social-media petition circulating calling for the firing of Dykes. ... and the TCU coach losing to Belichick is indeed a serious offense.
The bigger story, though, on a national level, is the inevitable fate of Belichick.
What I was told (regarding my submitted column) a year ago?
I was overreacting! What right did I have! Bill’s career has been constructed on no-nonsense values, with no use for the media, with no coddling of superstars, wiith no bells and no whistles. … a man so powerful he doesn’t even need sleeves on his hoodies!
But I was right.
My critics were wrong.
Belichick – a legend in New England, of course, with those six Patriots Super Bowl rings - beat TCU. But he's not going to beat the criticism.
He took the North Carolina job because the NFL wouldn't hire him. He brought along with him his 24-year-old girlfriend, Jordon Hudson, who is helping him run his life - and his football program.
He also brought with him his son, Steve, to be North Carolina's defensive coordinator.
This weekend, Steve was absent from Ireland as he is "on an indefinite medical leave.''
Bill's other "right-hand man'' is long-time crony Mike Lombardi, and he's the GM in trouble in-house at UNC.
His people are calling what's happening a "witch hunt,'' as Lombardi has been on paid administrative leave since July 27 while UNC investigates allegations that prompted the action.
So what's this mess about?
"If UNC had grounds to fire Michael for cause, they wouldn't need to conduct such a far-ranging, lengthy witch hunt. They would have done so by now," his attorney, Tom Mars told The Athletic.
It was Lombardi who foolishly predicted a year ago that UNC would be so powerful that it'd be "the 33rd NFL team.'' The reality? UNC went 4-8 in Belichick's first season and none of his players were drafted.
More reality?
Belichick has surrounded himself with "staffers'' who are friends and family and lovers and sycophants. ... but they 1-0 now, so there will be no crowing from here in Fort Worth, where Dykes has plenty of his own problems.
But in a way, some of the problems mirror one another because they have very little to do with actual football.
Belichick's girlfriend regularly posts photos of the couple on her Instagram, including one where Belichick dresses like a a fisherman to her mermaid and one where the coach is balancing her on his feet on the beach.
It's goofy, for sure.
Career suicide, maybe.
Dykes' countermeasure?
There was at least a moment of turmoil in the TCU locker room, and the school's hamfisted response to it all was to ban the locker newspaper from covering the team.
How does that help the student learn?
How does that help the team win?
Bill Belichick didn’t break any ethical codes or any laws. He simply allowed himself to look foolish. … and yes, to tarnish his legacy.
That view isn't about a "witch hunt.''
Sonny Dykes didn’t break any ethical codes or any laws, either. He simply allowed himself to look foolish. … and yes, to tarnish his legacy.
That view isn't about a "witch hunt,'' either.
Belichick's career will - I stand by this - die in Chapel Hill, a death by 1,000 cuts.
Here's hoping Dykes' career at TCU doesn't face the same fate.
