Patriot Reign: Bill Belichick, the Coaches, and the Players Who Built a Champion

Radio personality and former Boston and Chicago newspaper sports writer Michael Holley delivers an insightful and unveiling look into the national football league machine known as the New England Patriots. Patriot Reign is a behind the scenes page turner that plays more to the effects of a DVD bonus featurette, than a simple X's and O's explaination of the Patriot's systematic approach to dominance. Providing the untold stories that further explain Patriots memories that New England fans originally lived through and can now relive, the book is a blunt account that an outsider could never receive. And to the national football sports fan, perhaps this book provides a closer look at football's newest nationally recognized sports mind, Bill Belichick. Holley provides an easy to follow account of national events such as two Super Bowl victories, a highly publicized quarterback controversy, the emergence of a dynasty led by a young superstar, and even the colossal clash between Belichick and coaching giant, Bill Parcels, accompanied by the seamlessly interwoven moments of humanity, such as Belichick's relationship with his parents and the camaraderie of the Patriots. With locker room and closed door access, Holley allows the reader to realize that the Patriots are to football what Band of Brothers is to war. This is a must read, which quickly melts away in your hands with each turn of the page. Perhaps what is most amazing is that Holley truly takes hold of his opportunity, for, known in the football world, the Patriots organization is of a tight-lipped, private mindset. And for Holley to reveal such complexities as the release of fan favorite Lawyer Malloy or vice-president of player personnel Scott Pioli's relationship to the head coach, Belichick, and his father-in-law, Bill Parcels. Do yourself a favor and get this book.

I am a very, very slow reader, and this was one of the easiest, quickest reads I've ever had. That being said, the material is outstanding. In the book, Belichick says he doesn't like the label "genius" that often follows him. In fairness to him and everyone else, he is correct. In comparison to some of the great literary and mathematical minds in the world, he is just a hard worker. However, because of his intense (and I mean really intense) organizational demands, he is able to simply focus on football. All of his schemes and game plans do not sound as though a genius came up with them. But his strong attention to detail make people think he's a genius, when in fact he's just doing what he thinks he should be doing...as a coach, as the one who oversees everything in a professional football organization. His communication skills with his coaches and players are unbelievable. If you want to call him a genius for anything, this should be the department. In the book there is a focus on the game plan for Super Bowl 36 against St. Louis. At one point Belichick acknowledges that he and Romeo Crennel understand what the Rams would try and do. But since there was so much material, they needed to find a way to translate their knowledge to the players in order to execute the game plan. It did not sound like an easy task. If anyone out there is a Pats fan like I am, and is looking for some motivation to better their lives, you should read this book. It really makes you step back for a moment and think like the management, coaching staff, and players do. Is there something else I could be doing to make the situation better? If something goes wrong, do I point the finger, or accept the blame myself? An excellent book.

My only complaint is that Holley didn't continue his special relationship with the Patriots. Therefore, no Patriot Reign II. When I was done with the book, I only wanted to learn more, especially since the Patriots appear to be continuing their success. If you are not a Patriots' fan, this book is still great. It is an inside peek into a successful coaching model. If I were cheering for a different NFL team, I'd want the Coach to read this book!!!

Michael Holly, a former sports writer for the Boston Herald, followed the New England Patriots through the 2002-2003 National Football League seasons. He describes himself as a "fly on the wall" in team meetings, coaches meetings, and seems to have been literally everywhere with the Patriots for those two years. The result is a well done, inside look at the inner workings of what is now considered one of the preeminent sports organizations and teams. New England Patriots fans have suffered a lot of losing seasons over the years. Painful losing seasons. The organization, the players, and coaches were just atrocious and there was no hope in sight during stretches of the 1980's and early 1990's. That is why the 2001 Super Bowl victory over the St. Louis Rams was so gratifying to Patriots fans. The team's failure to reach the playoffs in 2002 was a big disappointment because it appeared maybe the Patriots where just a lucky underdog with a good run. Michael Holly actually started following the team at the start of the 2002 season and decided to continue on in 2003. He was rewarded with another Super Bowl run that not only legitimized the Patriots as an elite team in the NFL but legitimized the 2001 championship season as well. So how did the Patriots do it? Holley tells us. It's through a very well organized sports team from the top down. And it all centers around coach Bill Belichick, who sets the goals and responsibilities of all parts of the organization and then, as a team, working toward that goal, which is of course winning championships. It relies on team work from the owner, the scouts, the trainers, the coaches, the administrative staff, and of course, the players. And it's important to note the importance of owner Robert Kraft. He has given Belichick the authority to run the football operation as he sees fit and Belichick responds by keeping Kraft fully in the loop and the communication channels open with the owner - something Bill Parcels refused to do. Probably the two most important functions that are necessary to win championships is finding players in the draft and free agency that fit the system and managing the salary cap. Belichick and the Scott Pioli, Vice President of Player Personnel, and of course the coaches and scouts, have had outstanding drafts and free agent acquisitions since Belichick's reign. And Belichick and Pioli have done a fabulous job managing the salary cap - a task that led to the release of fan favorite Strong Safety Lawyer Milloy prior to the 2003 season. Belichick and his staff have found players with the character to fulfill their roles on the team with a winning attitude and play team ball. Being introduced as a team instead of individually prior to Super Bowl XXXVI was not a gimmick - they really do play that way. Holley's book also includes a lot biographical information about Belichick and how grew up in a football family, his father being an assistance coach for Navy, and his inte

I am neither a Patriots fan nor a Bill Belichick fan. But, because of this book, I have an immense amount of respect for the organization and the man. My favorite parts of the book are when Michael Holley, the author, goes into detail about game plan and scouting strategy. Here's one example. When the Patriots played the Rams in the 2002 SuperBowl, they were expected to get steam-rolled, especially since the Rams had blown them out earlier in the season. As Holley explains, Belichick's strategy in the first game had been to do everything possible to pressure the Rams QB, Kurt Warner. It didn't work, and Warner picked the Patriots defense apart rather easily. Before the SuperBowl, Belichick began thinking that maybe the real key to containing the "greatest show on turf" was to disrupt Faulk, not Warner. So, instead of having his d-linemen and linebackers go all out after Warner, Belichick instructed them (over and over again) to first hit Faulk (if he was in the vicinity) in the backfield and then rush. Also, Belichick and his staff told them never to assume that Faulk was staying home to block--it was always a decoy. The Patriots were also taught that the Rams never run the same play out of the same formation. Even if it looks like the same play they saw 15 minutes ago, it's not. The strategy worked, and Belichick's defensive genius trumped the offensive genius of Mike Martz as the Pats won their first SuperBowl. Holley also does a good job of describing Belichick's desire and tendency to challenge commonly held (but not well though-out) football assumptions. During the 2002 post-Championship season, the Patriots were right around .500 and playing poorly. At one point, one of the Patriot players told a reporter that the team's problem was that they had lost their swagger. When Belichick read about this, he went berserk. In an intense, profanity-filled speech (common with Belichick) given during a team meeting, he let them know that the reason they won so much last season was not because of any swagger, but because they played smart, disciplined football, and did not deviate from the assignments they had been given. Belichick challenges the goofy cliches that you hear from the ESPN, Fox and CBS pre-game guys. One word of warning to unsuspecting dads or moms: I wouldn't let my kids read this because it is filled with profanity. It is difficult for Belichick (and many of his coaches and players) to get through a sentence without using the f-word, and Holley doesn't edit their words. With regard to the substance of the book, my only complaint is that I wish Holley had devoted even more time to specific plays, coverages, schemes, etc. But that's a minor gripe. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I suspect that anyone who is football fan will also find it to be an enlightening and entertaining read.