Bill Belichick doesn’t usually say what he’s feeling. But perhaps his handshakes can provide a glimpse of clarity into the New England Patriots coach’s emotional state.
Belichick’s postgame exchange and handshake with Texans coach Bill O’Brien looked awfully cold after the Patriots lost, 28-22, to Houston on Sunday Night Football. Belichick gave O’Brien the same look-away handshake that he gave former New York Jets coach Eric Mangini after he instigated the Spygate scandal.
Belichick certainly had a few reasons to be bitter with O’Brien. Perhaps there was bad blood between the two coaches after the Texans attempted to interview Patriots director of player personnel Nick Caserio during the 2019 offseason. Belichick filed tampering charges against the Texans, which halted Houston’s pursuit of Caserio. That lead-up got us to this icy handshake on Sunday night.
That post game "handshake".pic.twitter.com/RdIRBIn6Ky
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) December 2, 2019
Yup, that was awkward.
It was such an obviously tense moment that it became a point of conversation on Twitter. NFL fans and media members engaged in heated discussion about Belichick’s behavior.
🎵 You got a friend in me… 🎵 pic.twitter.com/aIJloFL9vd
— Sam Farmer (@LATimesfarmer) December 2, 2019
That "handshake" …
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) December 2, 2019
Good thing the Patriots don't lose much. They are awful at it.
Bill Belichick's handshake with Bill O'Brien tonight was unprofessional at best.
— Grant Paulsen (@granthpaulsen) December 2, 2019
That was Mangini-esque. One of the big no-nos of the Belichick football syndicate is that when you leave Foxborough you don’t turn around and take from The Godfather. Bill O’Brien tried to take Nick Caserio to be Houston’s GM, twice. https://t.co/hnqFoHJvfv
— Christopher Gasper (@cgasper) December 2, 2019
Belichick and Brady wanted no part of the handshake with BOB #NEvsHOU
— Adam Blecher (@BearcatfanAdam) December 2, 2019
Did #Belichick really just try to duck out on that handshake? What a sore loser tonight #NEvsHOU
— PandyBear (@PandaCharisma) December 2, 2019
Belichick just gave BOB the "Eric Mangini just beat me at my house" handshake.
— Drew (@DrewfromJersey) December 2, 2019
Separate directions but that almost looked like a Bill Belichick blow by handshake.
— Zachary Weiss (@ZacharyMWeiss) December 2, 2019
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