Justice comes as a flying man in red
Can you hear that? If not, listen closer.
“Ding dong! The witch is dead! Which old witch? The wicked witch! Ding dong! The wicked witch is dead!”
Just in case you don’t own a TV, New England Patriots quarterback, NFL MVP, magazine cover boy and Bridget Moynahan’s baby daddy Tom Brady suffered a season-ending knee injury Sunday afternoon.
Upon hearing the news, league executives and sponsors cringed, but many sports fans outside Boston danced and chanted the aforementioned lyrics. We rejoiced not for Brady’s pain and misfortune but rather a break (or possible end) of Patriots head coach Bill Belichik’s reign of terror.
I don’t wear jerseys of any kind, and I’m certainly not a Chiefs fan. However, I may be wearing Pollard’s red number 49 jersey in the near future. This Indiana native did the sports world a great service. Yes, he sidelined one of America’s sports icons, but that’s not what I’m happy about. Instead, I’m happy to see Belichik get his just desserts, albeit indirectly.
If you read my article on Bob Knight several months ago, you may remember that I stated I believe “The Omen” is loosely based off Belichik’s childhood. Hollywood labeling him as the Antichrist is a bit much, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t evil. His cold looks can make dogs howl and children cry, and his condescending tones make reporters consider new career paths. If you are not familiar with the man, any of his press conference videos will confirm these statements.
And if Belichik’s “screw you, I can wear cut-off hoodies and be a jerk if I want to” attitude isn’t enough to make every non-Pats fan despise him, there’s the whole spying incident that he was caught for last year.
Last season’s rule breaking was just the most recent of Belichik’s long list of questionable tactics, and even though he was penalized and fined for his illegal camera usage, to me and many others that dislike the man, the punishment still seemed inadequate.
That’s why if someone told me that Pollard fell from the sky into Brady’s leg, I would believe it, because this act of justice seems almost supernatural. The NFL only issues wrist slaps, but Belichik can’t escape comeuppance.
Belichik, to me, is a man who cheated his way to the top and acted like a jerk while doing so. While everyone else was following the NFL’s approved yellow brick road to success, he cut through the woods and probably shoved some kids aside in the process. Nothing aside from last year’s “Spygate” incident is actually proven, but that episode and his attitude are enough to classify him as a heel and a cheater.
Football analysts deemed Brady’s injury a league tragedy, but unfortunately for him it was necessary. The NFL will miss Brady’s talent and star power, but a lack of further punishment for Belichik’s long list of seemingly obvious, yet unproven transgressions would be the real tragedy. The circumstances are far from ideal, but in this case justice did prevail. The wicked witch appears dead – for now.
