Bill Belichick Probably Wishes All Of His Interviews Could Be Simple Word Associations

In a 16-minute, boring-as-hell interview with CNBC’s Suzy Welch, New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick, looking spiffy-casual in jeans and a button-front, tried his best to sound like a normal person, talking about his dad and leadership and Tom Brady (who he said was a hard worker, “not a great natural athlete”). Strangely, Belichick seemed most comfortable when Welch proposed a fun game of word associations!

Here’s the transcript from CNBC:

Suzy Welch: I want to play a little word association game. Ok?

Bill Belichick: Ok.

Suzy Welch: I’m going to say a word and I just want your immediate, snap reaction. Ok?

Bill Belichick: Sure.

Suzy Welch: Football.

Bill Belichick: More sport than business. But it is a business. That I respect the game for the game and the sport.

Suzy Welch: The media.

Bill Belichick: It is how a team connects to its fans.

Suzy Welch: Winning.

Bill Belichick: The goal. There’s no medals for trying. This isn’t like eighth grade where everybody gets a trophy. We are in a professional sport and it is competitive to win. That’s what we do.

Suzy Welch: Deflategate.

Bill Belichick: Ridiculous.

Suzy Welch: Aaron Hernandez.

Bill Belichick: Tragedy.

Suzy Welch: Heartbreaking.

Bill Belichick: Yes. That would be another word.

Suzy Welch: Next year.

Bill Belichick: Is this year.

Suzy Welch: Perfect day.

Bill Belichick: Nantucket.

Suzy Welch: Last one. Legacy.

Bill Belichick: For another day.

Suzy Welch: Don’t think about it?

Bill Belichick: No. Right now, 2017. Trying to have a good team this year. There will be another day to talk about it.

I wouldn’t recommend watching the whole interview, which is stuffed full of vague platitudes, seasoned with forced sentimentality, and smothered with the requisite patriotism, but if you really want to you can see it here.