A loyal "What About Bob" reader saw our item on Bill Belichick not liking the idea of working for the Dolan family as a factor in his decision to resign from the Jets. The reader cited a passage from David Halberstam's book about Belichick, "The Education of a Coach."
Halberstam writes: "With New England coming after Belichick, Parcells decided to make Belichick the head coach. But Belichick was not entirely comfortable with the game plan: Would he coach in the shadow of Parcells? Would someone like Parcells, so driven and active, ever really decide to retire? Who would really be in charge of football operations? How much freedom would a head coach under Parcells have? In addition, who would the owner be? The choice seemed to be between a wealthy man named Robert Wood Johnson IV, an heir to a medical supply company, and the Dolan family, who ran the New York cable business and would go on to do a horrendous job with the New York basketball and hockey teams, both famous for inflated payrolls and poor performances. Neither potential owner impressed Belichick."
(Don't you love how Halberstam refers to Woody Johnson as an heir to a "medical supply company." A medical supply company? It's Johnson & Johnson, one of the biggest corporations on the planet! ... May Halberstam rest in peace. He was killed in a car accident earlier this year.)
Comments (1)
Rob,
To own an NFL team is be incredibly rich. Just because Halberstam called WJ an heir to a medical supply company doesn't mean anything, so why do you make a big deal out of it?
Fact is both people are filthy rich but not impressive people - that was the point D.H. was making.