Bill Belichick suggested an interesting idea Tuesday — renaming the Lombardi Trophy given to the Super Bowl winner.
Whether Belichick was serious or not, he made a strong case.
The legendary New England Patriots coach, now the head coach at North Carolina, still has some media roles, including the Let’s Go! podcast. Tuesday, he talked about how players, more than the head coach, are essential to a team’s success.
“Players win games,” Belichick told co-host Jim Gray. “You can’t win games without good players, I don’t care who the coach is. It’s impossible.”
Belichick then quickly rattled off 17 star players from his stints with the Patriots, where he won six Super Bowls, and the New York Giants (where he won two Super Bowls as a defensive coordinator).
“Those are the guys that won the games,” Belichick said. “Man, I didn’t make any tackles, I didn’t make any kicks. … you’ve got to have good players.”
The Lombardi Trophy, of course, is named after legendary Green Bay Packers coach Vince Lombardi, whose team won the first two Super Bowls (and three NFL championships in five seasons before that first Super Bowl in 1967).
“They don’t name it the Starr Trophy, it’s named the Lombardi Trophy,” Gray pointed out, referencing legendary Packers quarterback Bart Starr, who played for Lombardi.
“Maybe they should name it the Brady Trophy,” Belichick said, cracking a smile. “He won seven of them.”
“They don’t name it the Starr Trophy. They name it the Lombardi Trophy.”
“Maybe they should name it the Brady Trophy.”
🏆 @Belichick_B & @JimGrayOfficial on always crediting players before coaches, on this week’s “Let’s Go!”
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As noted earlier, it’s hard to tell whether Belichick was serious or not, but given the praise he’d heaped on all his former players, he might be throwing the idea out for discussion.
It’s not unheard of to rename a trophy. The Lombardi Trophy was originally known as the “World Professional Football Championship” Trophy.
About Arthur Weinstein
Arthur spends his free time traveling around the U.S. to sporting events, state and national parks, and in search of great restaurants off the beaten path.