Rex Ryan, Bill Belichick and Our Association Fallacy

[Just in Atlanta]

Today, Rex Ryan faces off against his nemesis, who has beaten him 11 out of 15 times.

A few days ago, I was in Phoenix, and three people asked me the exact same question (!) following Ryan's stunt with Julian Edelman at the presser:

"Would Bill Belichick do that?" they asked, after I said the joke was pretty funny.

The answer of course is, "No, because Bill Belichick is a dull, sterile bastard."

The implication of this question is that champions don't make jokes or have fun. Since Bill Belichick, the greatest coach of our generation, is a dull, sterile bastard at press conferences, one must emulate him to be a champion. And, since Rex Ryan over the past few years has been mediocre, his actions and personality are the reasons behind his said mediocrity.

Following the Jets game, a renewed wave of Rex hate hit fans, particularly on this board. Clown. Buffoon. Jackass. Just a few words we used to describe him. How could Rex' vaulted D get carved up by Ryan Fitzpatrick?

"His antics are getting old," we complained.

And they are. Because we were losing.

But what if we were winning? Last week, we won convincingly -- at all stages of the game -- against a Cardinals team that, on paper, was considerably better than us. The furor on this board died considerably, although there were still a few "Get off my lawn" types who were upset at Ryan punking Edelman. (Which is ridiculous -- press conferences are a joke in and of themselves.)

And what if the roles were reversed? What if Bill Belichick were the one with the mediocre record, and Rex Ryan the one with an insanely good one? We'd all -- Pats* fans included -- be calling Belichick "arrogant," "passionless" and "weak." Fans would clamor for a head coach with gumption, with a sense of humor, with a demonstrable lust for the game ... a Rex Ryan type. Bank on that.

Bill Belichick has no respect for the media. But it's the media who fall at his feet and reprint the same bull **** "one day at a time" lines week in and week out. It's obnoxious.

I would argue -- strongly -- that Belichick has little respect for the fans, too. He's not being natural -- I guarantee you he's not nearly as much of a dull, sterile bastard in real life. This guy is in the entertainment business, whether he realizes it or not. We pay good money, and spend serious time, watching our teams. It's an escape. Yeah, he obviously delivers on game day, but these Belichick press conferences are a waste of everybody's time. And time is the most important resource we have.

Which brings me to my point.

The assumption that Rex Ryan-coached teams suck because of his antics is a logical fallacy. His scheme against the Jets may have been awful and his lack of a pass rush last year was borderline criminal, but is that because of his boisterous personality? Of course not. No more so than the idea that a coach should dress up like a homeless person in wrinkled, baggy khakis and cut-off sweatshirts to be a winner. Should a coach cheat, too? (Don't answer that one.)

Rex may very well deserve to be fired at the end of the season. Or, he may have the chops to take us to a post season berth after 16 years of futility with six (!) other coaches.

I honestly don't know if this guy is a champion in the waiting or not. But one thing is sure -- I hope he doesn't change his personality for anyone.

[Virgil]

Name coaches who have a better winning percentage against BB? Harbaugh might be the only person who comes to mind.