Patriots

As Bill Belichick turns 70, here are 8 funny moments that define him

Belichick has given several memorable press conference quotes and looks over the years.

By Conor Roche

April 16, 2022

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“We’re on to 71.”

That’s likely what Bill Belichick would say if you wished him a happy belated birthday. The longtime Patriots head coach turned 70 on Saturday.

While Belichick’s 70th birthday also marks the 22-year anniversary that the Patriots drafted Tom Brady, kick-starting one of the great runs by any duo in professional sports history, Belichick’s given us a lot of memorable and funny moments by himself.

As Belichick reaches a milestone birthday, let’s remember some of the moments where he’s already shown his old soul.

‘I don’t have SnapFace.’

Belichick has made it abundantly clear over the years that he’s not on social media.

Dating back to 2011, Belichick has constantly mixed and matched the names of social media platforms.

“I don’t Twitter, I don’t MyFace, I don’t Yearbook,” Belichick said in 2011 not long after the team acquired Chad Johnson. “I don’t do any of those things, so I’d probably be the last to know.”

He did it again when talking about draft prospects and their use of social media ahead of the 2014 NFL Draft.

“We have a ton of information on all the players that are in the draft. What’s online, you should go talk to the geniuses that are online. I don’t know,” Belichick said. “MyFace, YourFace, InstantFace. Go talk to whoever you want that does that stuff. I don’t know.”

In 2017, he incorporated Snapchat and Instagram in his “bungling” of social media names.

“Not on SnapFace, not too worried what they put on InstaChat,” Belichick told WEEI ahead of the 2016 AFC Championship Game.

Belichick did it again in 2018 when asked if he watched Brady’s “Tom vs. Time” series on Facebook.

“No, I don’t have Snapface,” Belichick said at Super Bowl LII Media Day. “I don’t do it.”

Making a fashion statement

Bill Belichick’s been known for wearing his hoodie while roaming the sidelines for nearly his entire in New England. But his most memorable moment with the hoodie came during practice in 2020. Following a dramatic Week 2 loss to the Seahawks, Belichick looked the part of a man who traveled cross-country after a devastating moment. His hoodie, which practically had no sleeves, was filled with holes. To top it off, his hair looked as disheveled as ever.

Belichick’s wardrobe choice on that September day actually sparked debate among NFL media, players, and fans. Several former Patriots players, including Danny Woodhead and Matt Chatham, shared how much they liked the move by their old coach.

Phone toss

The 2020 season brought a pair of memorable moments from Belichick. As New England’s season faltered and it being eliminated from playoff contention by mid-December, the frustration with the Patriots reached a boiling point in Week 16. The Bills came to Foxborough after claiming the AFC East title a couple weeks earlier, and they played like they were the new kings of the division on “Monday Night Football.” During the Bills’ 38-9 blowout of the Patriots, Belichick lost a challenge which caused him to huck the phone used to coordinate with coaches and staffers in the coaching box upstairs.

Introducing his dog, Nike, to the world

For many people, the first time they learned about Bill Belichick’s dog, Nike – an Alaskan Klee Kai, came during the 2020 NFL Draft. After the Patriots selected Kyle Dugger with their second-round pick, the television camera panned to Belichick’s war room at his house in Nantucket. But the coach was gone, and instead, Nike was sitting in front of the laptops, looking like he was making the Patriots’ big decision.

Belichick and his longtime girlfriend, Linda Holliday, actually shared they had adopted Nike in 2018, discussing what it was like to be a pet owner in an interview with CNBC. During the interview, Belichick actually gave a little scouting report on the pup, saying he’s a “fun dog,” who “enjoys playing” and is “pretty good with his paws.”

Belichick revealed during the interview he wanted the dog to be called another name.

“He could be a Jack,” Belichick said, hoping he’d win the name battle.

Leaving ’em hanging

If you ask Bill Belichick for a high-five, he might not give it to you.

That certainly was the case for a pair of kids in Detroit. When the Patriots made their way to Ford Field in 2018, the Patriots head coach was either so locked in that he didn’t notice the kids looking for a high-five…or he just ignored them.

The moment instantly went viral on social media and became a meme. A version of the video dubbed with music to make it look like a WWE wrestler’s entrance quickly became popular. Patriots fans have also used it as a GIF whenever a star player in the NFL becomes available via free agency or trade.

A fan of ‘My Cousin Vinny’

The Patriots entered a tense week going into Super Bowl XLIX. Not only was the team preparing to win their fourth Super Bowl, but they were levied with accusations that they deflated footballs in the AFC Championship Game against the Colts.

Shortly before the team departed for Arizona, Belichick called an impromptu press conference to deny any illegal activity in what became known as “Deflategate.” As he tried to explain that the Patriots didn’t deliberately tamper with the air pressure of the footballs, Belichick dropped a random movie reference.

“I’m not a scientist. I’m not an expert in footballs. I’m not an expert in football measurements. I’m just telling you what I know,” Belichick said. “I would not say I’m Mona Lisa Vito of the football world, as she was in the car-expertise area.”

In the end, Belichick wasn’t personally found of any wrongdoing during Deflategate. Maybe mentioning a character played by Marisa Tomei helped him.

Dressing up for Halloween

Belichick certainly isn’t known to have a fun side. He hasn’t been caught cracking a smile much during his time as a head coach, and players have shared stories in the past about how strict he can be.

But we found out that Belichick is a big fan of one holiday in particular. When NFL Films followed Belichick and the Patriots in 2009 for the documentary series “A Football Life,” Randy Moss had the camera crew record him asking Belichick to come to the team’s Halloween part. To Moss’s surprise, Belichick was game.

“It’s a great holiday,” Belichick said. “Candy and costumes, how could you beat that?”

Belichick showed up with Holiday and was dressed as a pirate, getting a chuckle from the team.

‘We’re on to Cincinnati.’

Quite possibly the lowest moment of the Patriots’ dynasty came in the first month of the 2014 season. New England started the year off 2-2, but in its fourth game, it was blown out by Kansas City in primetime, sparking questions if the Patriots’ dynasty was over and Tom Brady’s time as an elite quarterback was finished.

As questions those questions rose in the football world, Belichick was focused on one thing: The Cincinnati Bengals, who were the Patriots’ Week 5 opponent.

During his midweek press conference, Belichick responded to several big picture questions about the Patriots by simply saying “We’re on to Cincinnati,” and nothing else.

Belichick’s press conference turned into a rally cry. New England demolished the defending AFC North champions later that week, winning 43-17. That sparked a seven-game win streak, which helped the Patriots win the AFC East once again and gave them home-field advantage in the AFC playoffs.

The rest is history, as the Patriots broke their 10-year Super Bowl drought that season when they defeated the Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX.