Shannon Sharpe Thinks Spygate Should Affect Bill Belichick’s Legacy

Feb. 5 will be a historic day for New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick.

Super Bowl LI will mark the seventh Super Bowl appearance for Belichick as a head coach, an NFL record. Not to mention, if the Patriots go on to defeat the Atlanta Falcons, Belichick would become the winningest head coach in Super Bowl history with five Lombardi Trophies.

Despite Belichick’s illustrious career, Fox Sports 1’s Shannon Sharpe is unwilling to proclaim the Patriots head coach as the greatest of all time. On Thursday’s episode of “Undisputed,” Sharpe argued that past allegations against the Patriots curbs Belichick’s case.

“No, I can’t go there,” Sharpe said. “I can’t. Spygate happened. It’s on his resume. It’s like Olympic sprinters when they test positive: Everything they do after that you call into question. Even though he’s winning these games, I still (wonder), ‘Are they doing something underhanded? Are they still cheating?’”

Sharpe did not stop there with his criticisms of Belichick.

“Because let’s just say this: They got caught in 2007,” he said. “They were punished in 2008. He became the coach in 2000. Did it start in 2007? Does it go back? And I know this for certain: Had he not been caught, he would not have stopped. Because winning is like alcohol. It’s drug, it’s addictive, and it’s intoxicating.”

While we don’t know for sure, we’re guessing that Belichick probably isn’t too concerned about what Shannon Sharpe thinks of him.

Thumbnail photo via Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports Images