Gasper: Could Kraft bring Belichick back for one more year?
On Friday’s Felger & Mazz program, Christopher Gasper joined the show to explain the latest on Bill Belichick’s job security.
WHAT ARE YOU HEARING ON BELICHICK?
Parts of conversation abbreviated for clarity.
Jim Murray: There’s another job opening in the NFL. One of the great morons of our lifetime, Brandon Staley, has been fired by the L.A. Chargers. Where do you feel like we’re at with the New England Patriots and Bill Belichick’s departure?
Chris Gasper: A lot is being reported by Tom Curran and Jeff Howe. Those guys are excellent reporters. I think that’s absolutely 100 percent true and the intention of the Patriots at this point. This whole thing to me depends on what the exit strategy would look like. This has to do with whether or not the exit can be executed if that makes sense.
I think this thing could turn into potentially a game of chicken where maybe Robert Kraft goes to Bill Belichick and says, “Hey, we’re taking the personnel power away from you, just so that you know.”
Robert would probably expect Bill to say, “Alright, I’m out of here.” But what if Bill agrees to give up the personnel power?
What NFL teams out there would say to Bill Belichick at this point in his career, “Yeah, come in here. You’re going to have total autonomy. You’ll be our general manager and coach.”
And the general manager in Dallas will always be Jerry Jones, as long as he’s alive. It doesn’t matter how much he looks like Skeletor. Jerry is still the general manager. So, that’s not going to happen.
The question for Bill then becomes, “Well, if no one else is going to give me this, why am I going to leave that situation?”
So, this is all a way of me saying, like, I’m not sure at the end of the day that Robert Kraft–who loves to be liked–is going to have the temerity to pull the trigger and be the guy that fired or forced out Bill Belichick. I don’t think he wants that. He doesn’t want to be the guy who is responsible for both Tom Brady and Bill Belichick not finishing their careers here.
And if Bill kind of forces the issue or turns this thing into a staring contest, there’s a chance that everybody just throws up their hands and says, “Oh, what the heck, let’s just run it back for one more year. So, this is what’s the harm?”
SEGMENT AUDIO
Ryan Beaton is a producer for 985thesportshub.com. You can follow Ryan at @ry_beaton on Twitter.
Listen to Felger and Mazz from 2-6 every Monday-Friday on 98.5 The Sports Hub, with hosts Mike Felger, Tony “Mazz” Massarotti, and Jim Murray “Big Jim”. You can listen live in the Sports Hub App and subscribe to their podcasts here. Follow @FelgerAndMazz on Twitter to keep up with the show!
Mazz' Tiers: NBA Playoff Contender Edition
LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers claimed the first ever NBA In-Season Tournament last week. During the tournament, James averaged 26.4 points, 8.0 rebounds and 7.0 assists while shooting 56.8 percent from the floor and 60.6 percent from behind the three-point arc. The tournament was widely considered a successful venture for the NBA.
Typically, the first couple months of the NBA season are considered as being slow or boring. With this new initiative, the league saw an increase in interest from fans and players.
TODAY’S TOP STORY IN THE NBA
Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors was suspended indefinitely by league commissioner Adam Silver. The suspension follows the incident of Green hitting the Suns’ Jusuf Nurkic in the face during a game this past Tuesday. Green is a habitual foul committer. He is expected to receive a more specific punishment in the following days. He is also mandated to meet certain league and team conditions before returning to play. It could be assumed that he won’t be eligible to return until after the new year.
Unfortunately for Boston fans, the Celtics were eliminated in the quarterfinal round of the tournament, losing to the Indiana Pacers 122-112. The Pacers pulled away late in the game to seal their victory over the Green team. The Pacers would go on to advance to the final round of the In-Season tournament. They, of course, lost to the Lakers in the final game of the tournament.
The Eastern conference playoff picture currently looks like this: Celtics, Bucks, Magic, 76ers, Pacers, Heat, Knicks, Nets, Cavaliers and Raptors. And, in the West: Timberwolves, Thunder, Mavericks, Nuggets, Lakers, Kings, Rockets, Clippers, Pelicans and Suns.
Now, with the In-Season Tournament in the rearview mirror, Tony Mazz shifts his gears towards playoff contending teams. In a three-tier system, he ranks the best contending teams in the NBA.
Listen to Felger and Mazz from 2-6 every Monday-Friday on 98.5 The Sports Hub, with hosts Mike Felger, Tony “Mazz” Massarotti, and Jim Murray “Big Jim”. You can listen live in the Sports Hub App and subscribe to their podcasts here. Follow @FelgerAndMazz on Twitter to keep up with the show!
TIER 1
Maddie Meyer/Getty ImagesBOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – NOVEMBER 22: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics runs downcourt during the first quarter against the Milwaukee Bucks at TD Garden on November 22, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
BOSTON CELTICS
MILWAUKEE BUCKS
DENVER NUGGETS
PHOENIX SUNS
TIER 2
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MAY 22: LeBron James #6 and Anthony Davis #3 of the Los Angeles Lakers react to a Laker foul during the third quarter against the Denver Nuggets in game four of the Western Conference Finals at Crypto.com Arena on May 22, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
MIAMI HEAT
PHILADELPHIA 76ERS
MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES
DALLAS MAVERICKS
LOS ANGELES LAKERS
SACRAMENTO KINGS
TIER 3
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 10: Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks waits for the clock to run out ending game five of the Eastern Conference semifinals at Madison Square Garden on May 10, 2023 in New York City. The New York Knicks defeated the Miami Heat 112-103. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
ORLANDO MAGIC
INDIANA PACERS
NEW YORK KNICKS
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS
NEW ORLEANS PELICANS
