Bill Belichick Is a Hypocrite for Joining NFL Media Machine

Networks have to stop hiring Bill Belichick. Someone who openly mocked the media for two decades as head coach of the New England Patriots shouldn’t be able to walk right in and get multiple media jobs. He never said anything useful as an NFL coach and now he’s going to get paid talk? As brilliant as Belichick is, find someone else.

Belichick was recently added to the cast of “Inside the NFL” on the CW. He’ll also be seen each week on ESPN’s “ManningCast” and the “The Pat McAfee Show.” It’s still early, maybe he’ll add FS1 or the Cooking Channel gigs before the season starts.

Being nice or open with reporters should not be a requirement to becoming a television analyst. Tom Brady offered nothing but clichés as a player and he’ll probably be outstanding. But Belichick showing disdain for the very existence of the media and grumbling his way through every media session is too much to ignore.

When Belichick famously responded to each question in a 2014 press conferences with “ We’re on to Cincinnati ,” his answer became a rallying cry for Pats fans. It was also obnoxious and unnecessary. He didn’t need to make reporters look silly to motivate his guys. That team was full of pros, including Brady, who knew the mission. They didn’t need Belichick stonewalling the press to get the point. Every person in that room was trying to do their job. Belichick of all people should have understood that.

No one doubts Belichick’s acumen. He is the greatest living football coach . The teams that passed on him in the last hiring cycle made a terrible choice. Belichick is also the most calculating coach of all time — in any sport. He controlled every detail in New England and will do the same as a broadcaster.

Everything Belichick says on camera will have an angle. He’ll use the platform to secure future employment on the sidelines. If he rips a coach, how do we know he’s not angling for that coach’s job? If he praises a quarterback, is that because he wants to join him next season? Belichick was critical of college players during the draft on ESPN, but that’s because there were no stakes. He’ll be more careful when it comes to the NFL.

If Belichick really wants to be honest in the booth, then maybe we can clear up a few things. Before he tells me how to attack the Ravens’ defense or slow down Patrick Mahomes, how about he answers these questions....

• Why didn’t you play Malcolm Butler against the Eagles in Super Bowl LII?
• Why was your equipment manager nicknamed “The Deflator” if he didn’t deflate footballs?
• How far did your “video-taping procedural errors” go?
• How much did you know about Aaron Hernandez’s past?
• Was it just technical difficulties when the Steelers and other teams had problems with their headsets in Foxboro?
• How did you feel about Brady winning a Super Bowl in Tampa Bay?
• What do you think of Patriots owner Robert Kraft?

Belichick won’t touch any of these topics. For reasons no one can guess, he’s taking the Malcolm Butler story to the grave. And he’s too smart to feed into the public perception that he split with Kraft or Brady on bad terms. Even McAfee, who is as good as anyone in getting guests to lower their guard, will only uncover so much. McAfee had a nice rapport with Belichick at the draft, but he didn’t really come away with the goods.

Can we also skip the lecture on how Paul Brown transformed the game? Belichick was outstanding with Rich Eisen and Cris Collinsworth on the NFL Network’s All-Time Team special. That show was where that kind of analysis belongs. Don’t hide behind two minutes of explaining Sid Gillman’s role in the modern passing game to avoid giving a candid evaluation of Sean Payton in Denver.

I would love to know what Belichick really thinks. Former players say he has a sneaky sense of humor. Coaches respect and admire him. Behind the scenes, he even has friends in the media. Belichick on TV will offer a facsimile of all that, but will it be authentic? The gold standard of former-coaches-turned-broadcaster is John Madden. He came off as one of the most genuine people on television. Belichick is closer to a tobacco executive trying to hide something on “60 Minutes” after Madden’s late afternoon game ended.

I realize I’m alone on this mission to slow down the Belichick media train. If he makes an off-handed comment on the Titans’ offensive line, it will be sent out on social media like Moses just delivered the 10 Commandments. Of course Belichick’s insight has gravity. Just don’t pretend the last 20 years was a mirage and he is so eager to educate us on the game. Belichick wants to make money and land a coaching job. Anything else is trivial to the future Hall of Fame coach.

Sorry, Bill, I’m on to the next analyst.

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Radio personality Andrew Perloff is a contributor to Athlon Sports. You can hear Andrew on the “Maggie and Perloff Show” from 6 to 10 a.m. ET on the Infinity Sports Radio Network, Sirius Channel 158 and YouTube .