Belichick, Coughlin are out of character

PHOENIX - New England coach Bill Belichick had sailed through several days of media sessions without getting a question on "Spygate." That's the favored euphemism for the Patriots' rules-breaking when they videotaped the New York Jets' defensive signals way back on Sept. 9.

It took the New York Times and Arlen Specter, the Republican senator from Pennsylvania and a politician with an impressive résumé for gaining publicity, to get the subject back in front of Belichick.

The Times reported on its website late Thursday and in Friday's editions that Specter planned to look into the NFL's decision to destroy the "Spygate" tapes.

"That requires an explanation," Specter told the Times. "The NFL has a very preferred status in our country with their antitrust exemption. The American people are entitled to be sure about the integrity of the game. It's analogous to the CIA destruction of tapes ... or any time you have records destroyed."

On Friday morning, Belichick was asked the possibility of Specter becoming involved in his notorious indiscretion in the season opener.

"That's a league matter," he said. "I don't know anything about it."

This was the most predictable answer of the week for either Belichick or the New York Giants' Tom Coughlin.

These were two coaches with reputations as humorless and hard-nosed, yet they were so affable this week in Arizona it almost made you nervous.

This is a league where coaches feel as though condescension is a job requirement, and they look to Belichick as the master of the art. This week, he didn't even get haughty when Tony Grossi, a longtime NFL reporter for the Cleveland Plain Dealer, asked about Belichick's five seasons (1991-95) with the Browns shaping him as the coach he became in New England.

"Always with the easy ones, hey Tony?" said Belichick, smiling, and then answered: "You learn something every game we coach. Certainly, the five years in Cleveland taught me a lot."

And the contrast in New England? "Managing the entire football team as a head coach was something I had not done before," he said.

This was a subtle shot at Browns owner Art Modell, who was notorious for meddling in personnel matters. Belichick was 5-11 and was fired after 1995, which was the same season Modell announced he was moving the franchise to Baltimore.

Belichick was so frustrated by the Modell experience that he lasted only 24 hours as the coach of the New York Jets in January 1999.

His mentor, Bill Parcells, had decided to quit as coach and remain as general manager. On Jan. 3, the word got out that Belichick would be promoted from defensive coordinator to head coach.

There was a news conference the next day. Belichick showed up, scrawled "I resign as head coach of the NYJ" on a piece of paper, and then spent a half-hour in front of reporters trying to explain his decision.

He went with the always-popular "burnout" angle, which went from a suspected lie to a blatant lie when Belichick was hired on Jan. 27 by owner Robert Kraft to coach the Patriots.

The reason for Belichick's preference of the Patriots was simple: He would have full control of the football operation with Kraft, and Parcells still would've been around with the Jets.

"I had known Bill since he joined Parcells here in 1996, and I was confident he was the right man," Kraft said. "I told Bill our goal was not just to jump up and win one Super Bowl, but to be able to have a good team every year even in this salary cup era."

Condescending all the way, Belichick has done that. He was 5-11 in his first season. He is 86-26 in the regular season and 13-2 in the playoffs over the next seven seasons. A victory on Sunday would mean 19-0 for this season, and four Super Bowl victories since Kraft stole away Belichick from the Jets.

On Friday, Belichick was asked about the current state of his "complicated" relationship with Parcells, his boss going back to the '80s with the New York Giants.

"I think it was the way it was characterized [complicated] then," Belichick said. "I've spent more time with Bill since then. Bill and I shared a lot of success together. I think we'll always treasure those victories and those good times.

"I totally respect him and his football ability ... Now, we will be competing with each other again, and I'm sure it will be very challenging."

Parcells has come back again to run the 1-15 Miami Dolphins.

Coughlin was on the staff with Belichick when Parcells' Giants upset Buffalo 20-19 in the Super Bowl after the 1990 season. He followed with three solid seasons at Boston College, then became the first coach of the expansion Jacksonville Jaguars in 1994.

Coughlin put the upstart Jaguars in a pair of AFC title games. The second was a 20-6 loss to the Patriots and Parcells on Jan. 12, 1997.

Coughlin seemed to lose his team after the playoff run because of a style that bordered on punishment: constant ranting at players and doing too much hitting in practice.

He was fired after 2002 and was out of football for a year. What did this football lifer do with this down time?

"I was able to go to four training camps with [coaching] friends and do a little work," Coughlin said. "Then, during the season, I was able to get tapes and do some evaluating."

Coughlin was hired by the Giants in 2004. He had them in the playoffs in his second and third seasons, but with what appeared to be worn-out teams. Tiki Barber, the talkative star running back, quit after last season and ripped both Coughlin and quarterback Eli Manning on the way out the door.

The Giants opened this season 0-2, surrendering 80 points. Every time you turned on ESPN, Sean the One-Man Filibuster and his fellow prattlers were predicting Coughlin's demise. But the Gaints rallied to win six in a row -- and come here with an amazing 10 consecutive road victories.

To get this chance in '07, Coughlin, 61, had promised that he would be a more benevolent leader. Basically, it was going to be all about team, not a coach ranting and players resenting. To promote this, he established a "council" of veteran players to meet with him regularly.

Coughlin was asked this week if the changes to promote team were a major reason that the Giants made this upset run to the Super Bowl.

The coach looked across a large room at the questioner and, with fire in his eyes, said: "The record is, we did change, and we are here."

Patrick Reusse can be heard weekdays on AM-1500 KSTP at 6:45 and 7:45 a.m. and 4:40 p.m. • preusse@startribune.com