Bill Belichick is a cheater. Plain and simple. Whatever you think of the genius head coach of the New England Patriots or how much video taping run through practices had to do with his three championships doesn’t matter. He broke the rules, he’s a cheater.
For the record, I think Bill Belichick is only as smart as Tom Brady is good. I’m not a numbers expert like Ross Gore but here’s an advanced stat for you: Bill Belichick – Tom Brady = slightly above average coach.
When I read about the “scoreboard malfunction” during the Ravens final drive that resulted in Billy Cundiff’s sideline distraction and eventually a shanked game tying 32 yard field goal, I immediately thought that The Hoodie was at work. In that conniving monotone voice of his, Belichick told his minions upstairs to keep the incorrect down on the scoreboard and watched chaos ensue on the Ravens sideline.
Cundiff came running onto the field with ten seconds left on the play clock thinking it was third down instead of fourth and in his panicked state missed a perfectly makable chip shot.
Look, I’m not sure that I believe the conspiracy theory. The scoreboard operator could have made an error or maybe he decided on his own to mess with the Ravens. But I do know that this whole issue could have been resolved by the Ravens, but their coaching staff let them down.
As former special teams coordinator John Harbaugh watched his kicker race out to the field to attempt the biggest kick of his career the Ravens head coach sat on a timeout. A timeout that went unused during this game could have slowed things down for Cundiff and sent this game into overtime. But it didn’t.
Coulda. Woulda. And without a doubt, SHOULDA.
No one knows if Belichick was gaming the Ravens or if a simple error caused a whirlwind of confusion, but a timeout would have given the poor kicker some breathing room.
By now Baltimore has begun to cool off, iced the bruises and start looking forward to Wilson Betemit and the Orioles. Hopefully you’ve taken Dave Gilmore’s advice and avoided sending death threats to Cundiff or Lee Evans — or at least deleted them by now.
But if you want to point a finger or still need to spread the blame, look no further than the coaching staff.
Zach Wilt is the Founding Editor of BaltimoreSportsReport.com and Host of the BSR Podcast. You can follow him on Twitter @zamwi or send him an email: zach@baltimoresportsreport.com.
No fear people , I just heard that Cam Cameron will be returning as offensive guru for the Ravens,,,, doesn’t that just make your day , and yes he did travel with the team to scout the Senior Bowl this weekend , ruined my day as I wanted him gone……….
The only people “gaming” the Ravens were the Ravens, turd ball. How about those big orange markers on both sides of the field, or that extra timeout they could have used? Give me a break.
Either team could have won the game. I seriously doubt evil Bill was behind any scoreboard malfunction. However, he WAS behind not calling a timeout, and even psyching out Harbaugh (perhaps) by motioning to the ref like he WAS going to call a TO and then not doing it. That’s pretty smart, don’t you think?
Reading comprehension isn’t your forte, I’m assuming…
Zach Wilt,
You do understand that the scoreboard (in the playoffs) is run by an NFL official??? (not by Pats Personnel) Take Suggs advice and stop being a DB!!!
Stopy crying and get over the loss. You are pathetic.
Art
ANOTHER EXCUSE ON WHY THE RAVENS LOSE TO THE PATRIOTS. IT NEVER ENDS WITH THESE RAVENS FANS. THE REFEREES IN OTHER GAMES, AND THE SCOREBOARD, IN THIS ONE. HOUSTON, WITH A THIRD STRING QUARTERBACK, ALMOST BEAT THE RAVENS. JUST BE GLAD YOU GOT TO THE AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME.
If Harbaugh had called that timeout and Cundiff still missed the kick, imagine how much talk they’re would be about him icing his own kicker and costing the team the game
Your pretty much an idiot to suggest that since the scoreboard is run by the nfl. And if your team, can’t keep track of downs, then they are idiots also. Sounds like sour grapes. You’ll get a chance to see the best coach in sports in the Super Bowl, so don’t worry.
“Your” pretty much an idiot too for not knowing that it’s “You’re”.
Glass houses bill, glass houses…
Really? Calling people out on grammar mistakes while posting comments on a second-rate website like this? MGW, you are grasping at straws. Nice diversion. Way to stray away from the topic at hand. Which is probably for the best because the gentleman who wrote this article should be ashamed at his display of ignorance. To suggest that Belichick had some kind of influence or control over the scoreboard is just testimony to the author’s lack of credibility. Anyone who would make such a claim has no business writing for any kind of legitimate website.
If “YOUR” going to call someone an idiot, make sure you at least know how to spell it.
Harbs will never admit to a mistake. He didn’t even think the whole Cundiff scene was rushed! As for the timeout, “It didn’t occur to me to call a timeout.”
This is the reason the Ravens don’t have to worry about winning any super bowls for the foreseeable future. No one employed by the organization will eve admit to making a mistake or hold themselves or anyone else accountable. As long as they can keep coming up with skirt excuses like this they will never improve. Enjoy watching the class of the NFL on TV next weekend fellas.
This post is about as correct as you can get , good job……….
Time to let it go. The best team in the AFC is not representing the AFC in the SB — way it goes. Neither is the best team in the NFC (which in fact lost in the Divisional Round)– way it goes.
Sometimes the “storybook ending” doesn’t happen the way it was supposed to happen (ie Game in Indy, Trophy hand-off, etc)
Thanks for a great season Ravens! Love you guys. Can’t wait til next year.
THE BEST TEAM IN THE AFC IS GOING TO THE SUPER BOWL. NEW ENGLAND (15-3), BALTIMORE (13-5). THAT IS A DIFFERENCE OF 2 GAMES, IN CASE YOU DIDN’T KNOW. NEW ENGLAND 23 BALTIMORE 20. NEW ENGLAND “AFC CHAMPIONS”. ENOUGH SAID!
Evans should have clamped down on that ball like a Pitt bull, and waited till the ref called it a TD. Shannon Sharp called it, but apparently nobody but me heard him. Evans relaxed, period. I cant help thinking that he had a little dance move in mind that he went into a little early. We had this game in the bag until the incredibly stupid call where we threw down the middle instead of staying on the ground and running the clock down. Too many stupid mistakes. You cant go to the show making them.