Eric Mangini Is Still Waiting For Bill Belichick To Be His Friend Again

It’s now been a decade since then-New York Jets head coach Eric Mangini set off Spygate by alerting the NFL to the New England Patriots videotaping opponents’ signals. And he still wants to repair his friendship with Bill Belichick, who hasn’t talked to him since.

Mangini has hedged before on what, exactly, his intentions were in tipping off the league and said that he regrets how the investigation ended—with a league-maximum $500,000 fine for Belichick and a forfeited first-round pick for the team. But Mangini told ESPN this weekend that he still hasn’t given up hope that his old mentor will one day want to let bygones be bygones and just be his friend again:

“Am I surprised? I hope it’s something that can come back.... Look, Bill is a big part of my life. Bill gave me a tremendous opportunity, and I enjoyed that experience, and I respect him. It’s disappointing, the way it’s been. Hopefully, it can change at some point.” 

Note the use of is rather than was to describe Belichick’s role in his life. But using the old standard that you’re allowed half the length of the relationship to get over a break-up, Mangini’s time to mourn is well past, and using the media to publicly share just how much he wishes that Belichick would call isn’t going to work.

Hopefully he’s at least followed the other cardinal rule of moving on by  destroying all pictures where he looks sexy and you look happy.

[ ESPN]