Superbowl #3 is now part of the record books for the New England Patriots, a franchise which has evolved from mere mortality to legend in our time.
The Patriots have a lot of talented, hard-working, skillful players, true.
But I would bet that the reason the Patriots are so successful is because they are also superbly well-managed. This gets back to picking the right people, doing all you can to help them develop their own talents, and making everyone on the team feel appreciated.
It also gets down to making decisions that may be counter-intuitive to the mediocre among us: the hiring of Corey Dillon after 7 consecutive years of heartbreak in Cincinnati ending with a public meltdown, the decision to play Deion Branch rather than place him on injured reserve.
Good management, superior management.
That’s what separates the Belichicks of the world from the middle school coaches who kick future Super Bowl MVPs like Deion Branch off the bus.
Giving owner Bob Kraft the last word:
Belichick flunked out of his first head coaching job with the Browns when the team fell apart after it was announced at midseason that it was moving to Baltimore. But Patriots owner Robert Kraft liked Belichick enough after the 1999 season to give the New York Jets a package of draft picks that included a first-round choice for the coach.
“One of the reasons I hired him, he was understated, he was humble,” Kraft said. “He passed his humility on to the team, and that allows us to establish a sense of team. The work ethic and intellect of our coaching staff is really amazing.”