Patriots fans are beginning to see a different side of Bill Belichick.
While the six-time Super Bowl champion coach has long had a reputation as a bit of a curmudgeon, anyone who frequently watched his press conferences as Patriots coach knew there was a softer side underneath it all. Since his exit from Foxborough, Belichick has started to show it.
The 71-year-old took out a full-page ad in the Boston Globe on Sunday to write a heartfelt "thank you" letter to Patriots fans, following up on the kind words he shared during the press conference that ended his tenure in January.
"Nowhere in America are pro sports fans as passionate as in New England and for 24 years, I was blessed to feel your passion and power," Belichick wrote.
The legendary coach called Patriots fans "undaunted by weather," noting that they showed up for everything from "scorching hot training camp practices" to frigid late-season games.
MORE: What's next for Bill Belichick after not landing a head coaching job?
Belichick even shared his appreciation for Patriots fans' "critique and creative play suggestions, which might be easier to acknowledge now than in real time."
Bill Belichick took out a page in today’s Boston Globe to thank Patriots fans everywhere for his 24 years with the team: pic.twitter.com/plamkB6rEQ
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) February 4, 2024
In typical Belichick fashion, he mixed sincerity with a dry sense of humor. Belichick thanked Patriots fans are showing up in droves to six championship parades, writing, "The images from those days are burned in my memory."
On the very next line, he jokingly added, "You may even have enjoyed my fashion sense and press conferences, or maybe you just tolerated them," poking fun at his often disheveled appearance and frequent one-word answers.
Belichick closes on a genuine note, writing, "I loved coaching here and, together, we experienced some amazing moments."
MORE: Why Bill Belichick, Patriots parted ways
Belichick's coaching career didn't start in New England and might not end there, either, but the future Hall of Famer will forever be defined by his dominant 24-year run with the Patriots. For many Patriots fans, that stretch will also go down as the defining years of their lives as sports fans.
Between six championships, nine Super Bowl appearances, and a stunning 18 division titles, Belichick achieved a level of sustained success nearly impossible in the modern-day NFL. That ties him to the region forever, and Sunday's letter reinforces that Belichick's relationship with the franchise will remain close.
