Just when the noise around the New England Patriots was starting to be centered around Tom Brady’s lack of weapons and not his reported rift with Bill Belichick, Ian O’Connor’s book, “Belichick: The Making of the Greatest Football Coach of All Time,” set the sports world ablaze.
The ESPN reporter’s new book will be released Sept. 25, but excerpts released Wednesday reignited the discussion around the supposed rift between New England’s power couple. Per O’Connor’s book, the Patriots legendary quarterback would “divorce” his head coach if he could.
O’Connor went on “SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt” on Tuesday night to discuss his book and the chasm between Brady and Belichick, divulging what his sources told him has been the source of the friction between the two.
“I think the first thing, Scott,” O’Connor said, “It’s remarkable it took 17 to 18 years for any fracture to come into public view. It’s a testament to them really that it didn’t happen for so long. But once Belichick drafted (Jimmy Garoppolo) in 2014, and said that night, he cited Tom’s age and contract status, ‘I’d rather be early than late at this position,’ it made it inevitable, and it happened last year, our very own Seth Wickersham did a masterful job portraying the escalating tension between those two.
“It came down to Garoppolo’s presence, and also 17 to 18 years of being coached in an unforgiving way by Belichick wore Brady down. And then, of course, the way Belichick marginalized Alex Guerro, his business partner and life coach, it all sort of came together to represent a last straw.”
O’Connor also noted that, according to his sources, Brady was unsure whether or not he would play for Belichick this season as late as March.
It seems Brady and Belichick will continue to deal with the whispers of palace intrigue surrounding their dynasty for the remainder of their time together. And if there is any truth to the mountains of rumors piling up, the end of their relationship could be coming sooner rather than later.
