- 5 months ago
On Friday's edition of Zolak and Bertrand, the guys once again reacted to the the news of Bill Belichick barring Patriots scouts from attending the UNC campus. While discussing the news, the guys explained how Bill Belichick is only in the, 'Bill Belichick business'.
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00:00Zoe refused to believe it.
00:01He refused.
00:03He said, no.
00:03I didn't refuse to believe it.
00:04I just like, in this line of work and me being a former player
00:08and knowing what those guys do and the crap job it is for a scout
00:12and how much appreciation real coaches have for those guys
00:16because they do the grunt work.
00:18It's not fun.
00:19You get no credit.
00:20Nobody knows your name.
00:22I'm like, this can't be.
00:23Well, Kalen Collar of ESPN.
00:25Oh, it'd be.
00:25He reported on it yesterday, reached out to Mike Lombardi at UNC,
00:30and he hung up the phone and said, good luck.
00:33He said, good luck and click.
00:36Yep.
00:37She calls and is like, what's the deal?
00:39You're banning scouts?
00:40And he's like, good luck with that.
00:43That's how that went.
00:45Hello.
00:48So then ESPN reports, according to multiple sources,
00:54that UNC has, in fact, banned Patriots scouts.
01:01Lombardi and Tar Heels pro liaison, Francis Jourdain.
01:05Oh, my God.
01:06He's a former URI guy.
01:07You know him?
01:08Yeah.
01:09Inform the Patriots that they would be banned from UNC
01:13the day before one of their scouts was scheduled to visit in August.
01:17This is according to a source with direct knowledge telling ESPN.
01:20Two NFL scouts who work for other teams told ESPN that UNC,
01:27under Belichick, offers limited access to all NFL personnel.
01:31Clubs are allowed to speak only with Jourdain,
01:34and UNC's college relations website says, quote,
01:37scouts will have zero access to coaches or other personnel people.
01:41That's according to the scouts who have access to the site.
01:46The term zero access appears three times on UNC's college relations website,
01:52a page that is only accessible to NFL personnel.
01:56So they're highlighting to the NFL guys you will have zero access.
02:00Ta-da.
02:00One scout said NFL personnel are only able to watch three periods of practice at UNC.
02:07Each college program varies in access to NFL personnel,
02:11but the scout said many programs allow scouts to come in and watch full practice.
02:17One scout told ESPN that he could not come up with another school with a statement of zero access,
02:22could not think of a single team in college football that was using the phrase,
02:27in any capacity, zero access.
02:29So credit to John Middlecoff of three and out.
02:34He was the first to be on this, said it a few days ago and said,
02:37yep, these guys are banned and they are out.
02:42Now there's more to that about it being a respect thing and that it's a two-way street.
02:52With a quote,
02:54we will help our players, but being treated is a two-way street.
02:59How do you like that?
03:01Huh?
03:02Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
03:06Right?
03:07This is in the story with Jeff Howe, Bruce Feldman, Chad Graff on the Athletics website.
03:14Quote, it's so petty, a scout from a different team told the Athletic.
03:19And according to a league source,
03:21the Patriots had planned to send a scout who was a graduate of NC State.
03:24The scout thought that was the reason that UNC wouldn't allow him to attend practice.
03:30However, a UNC source confirmed that Belichick's history with the Patriots is what led to the policy.
03:35So with the quote,
03:36why would we let them in our home after how he's been treated since he left?
03:40They get all our tape and can call our staff for player info.
03:45We will help our players, but being treated fairly is a two-way street.
03:49That, I mean, I would just love to assume that that is Mike Lombardi.
03:54As soon as this story popped up yesterday, I texted you guys a stock photo of Lombardi.
03:59And I'm like, here's your source.
04:01Here's your UNC source.
04:04It's Lombardi telling these guys this.
04:08That just reads like him.
04:10He speaks like that.
04:11Does he not?
04:12No, it feels that way for sure.
04:13Like when he was on Felger and Maz at the Super Bowl and he had Bill's jewels, you know, cupped in his hand as he talked about him.
04:23Is that cupping?
04:24There was cupping going on there on the Felger and Maz show.
04:27It's like, okay, this is Michael Lombardi, right?
04:29This is the source at UNC.
04:31How many guys at UNC are allowed to speak off the record as a source related to anything Bill Belichick at UNC?
04:37Come on.
04:38You know who it is.
04:38How petty, how ridiculous.
04:43It is crashing and burning at UNC faster than I ever thought possible.
04:47It's still a big-time program.
04:49It's a D1 football program in the ACC.
04:52This is not D2.
04:53This is not D3.
04:54And you said your mission was going to be to be the 33rd team.
04:59There was going to be a springboard to the NFL.
05:01Your son will come here and he will be so pro-ready.
05:05What if the pros can't see him?
05:06How do you not allow a pro to come down and get to know the kid?
05:10Like, you can't just draft off film and paper.
05:13I see the size.
05:14I watch the film.
05:15I got to get to know the player.
05:17Why do you think they have 30-30 visits?
05:19You know, why do you think they do interviews at the Combine?
05:23Why do you think they do these tests?
05:24Why do they try to trick players on stuff?
05:26Because they want to get to know the player.
05:29If you're a parent and your kid's a five-star or four-star recruit,
05:34are you crossing them off the list?
05:37Just because of the way this thing's handled?
05:38Now, the program really doesn't look like it was ready to go?
05:42I know you just can't build it overnight with 70 new guys.
05:44I get it.
05:45But you can look a lot more prepared in the third and fourth quarter
05:48than you did the other night.
05:52I'm still stunned by this.
05:53It's not how you do business.
05:57You're going to put the Patriots at a disadvantage here to other teams
06:00because you have a grudge against the Crafts.
06:01That's what's happening, right?
06:02You're not going to give them the same access.
06:04So if the Patriots aren't successful, are the Crafts going to sell the team?
06:08No.
06:08No.
06:09They're going to fire who?
06:10Elliott Wolfe, a guy that you hired.
06:12They're going to fire Josh McDaniels, a guy that you won multiple Super Bowls with.
06:16And they're going to fire Mike Rabel, a guy that you won multiple Super Bowls with.
06:20Those are the guys that are going to be negatively impacted by this whole thing.
06:22Not the Crafts.
06:24You know what I think?
06:24I just think that it's such a bad, petty look by him.
06:27Yeah.
06:27I actually think none of those people will be impacted because as much as we love Drake
06:32May and he is a North Carolina product, how many players are coming out of UNC that are
06:38guys you absolutely need for your football team?
06:41No offense, Drake.
06:42Love you.
06:43Mean it.
06:43But UNC is not exactly.
06:45Name one other in the NFL right now.
06:46I mean, UNC is not exactly a football factory where you would say, oh, we missed on that guy
06:52because we didn't have Agnes.
06:53No, so I agree with that.
06:54I'm just saying that that's the point of what he's doing, though.
06:56He's trying to put the Patriots at a disadvantage.
06:58He's trying to make life harder for three guys that he is intimately connected with.
07:02Here's the sad part of it.
07:03He likes Rabel and he respects Rabel.
07:05No, he doesn't.
07:06Who?
07:07No, he doesn't.
07:07Bill?
07:08No.
07:08I've seen them interact multiple times.
07:10How can you say that this policy is one that relates to football, not ownership.
07:14He's blocking out Rabel's guys.
07:16He's blocking out Cowden's guys.
07:18He's Elliott Wolfe's guys.
07:19Yeah.
07:19Say what you will.
07:20Yeah, it's not.
07:21I mean, you can get all pissy about the crafts, but you're hurting the guys that you allegedly
07:25respect.
07:26And this is what I think it comes down to with Bill.
07:28Bill's all about himself.
07:29Bill's all about Bill.
07:31You could tell me he respects guys and his friends in the league or in coaching.
07:35Bill's all about Bill at the end of the day.
07:38That's who he is.
07:39I think it's the same.
07:40You can connect this right back.
07:42We crap on Matt Patricia for the job that he did with the offense.
07:47Putting that guy in that spot was doing one of your guys dirty and making him take the
07:51bullets for that offense just the way that he's doing with these guys.
07:55And I'll go a step further and go back to the Malcolm Butler thing.
07:57I've been a team Bill guy.
07:59I thought that he truly believed he was trying to do what was best for the team.
08:03I don't think you can say that anymore.
08:04How is this benefit North Carolina, by the way?
08:07Oh, it doesn't.
08:07You're creating a story, a sideshow, while you're trying to get ready for games, and
08:13you're preventing them from potentially meeting with another NFL franchise?
08:17How does that help your players at all, either on the field or off the field?
08:21It doesn't.
08:24Did this not make its way up to Kraft either?
08:26Because why would he be all in on the statue talk?
08:30Oh, I think it did make it.
08:32I think it did make it.
08:33That's maybe why you had the little sit down.
08:34I think that's why all of a sudden he's out here telling you he wants to build a statue of the guy.
08:38Zinger.
08:40Yeah, this was in August.
08:41It's at the high road.
08:42This was in August at some point.
08:45And so that happens.
08:47It gets banned.
08:48Things get escalated.
08:50How he's been treated.
08:51It could be a good faith.
08:53Olive Branch.
08:54It could be.
08:56The timing is suspicious.
08:58So I tend to doubt it.
08:59I love it either way.
09:00A plus move.
09:01I love it either way.
09:02If it's genuine and he wants to, hey, let's put this to rest.
09:05Let's.
09:06Let me.
09:07Let me try and make things right.
09:08Let me try and get back on the right path with you.
09:10Or if it's.
09:11He's getting his.
09:13Just.
09:14Brains beat in this week by everybody.
09:16I mean, he is getting killed everywhere.
09:18It's been a real bad week for Bill Belichick.
09:19One of the worst of his career.
09:21It's like.
09:22So this is a spite statue.
09:23I'm going to come out and tell everyone I'm putting.
09:25I'll gladly put up a statue of you.
09:28Next to Tommy.
09:29Make it look a little worse.
09:31Like the head just a little bit smaller.
09:36So Bill has nobody in his life, by the way, that says to him, hey, if this gets out, you're
09:41just going to look like it's not worth it.
09:42He only surrounds himself with yes men.
09:45Mike Lombardi.
09:46His kids.
09:47Patricia.
09:48Judge.
09:49So.
09:49McDaniels.
09:50Scott Zolak.
09:50The more you think about this, he gets off on this.
09:53I'll show them.
09:56You know what?
09:57Because I don't give a F.
09:58Well, no, it's an opportunity for him to feel like he's the one that's in control and
10:01power.
10:01It's a power.
10:02Yeah.
10:03He's showing his power.
10:04I would send a letter.
10:06You know, I'd send like a registered mail letter and be like, hey, thanks for banning
10:10us.
10:10We don't care.
10:11You don't have any talent.
10:12Have a great season.
10:14Like.
10:15You know, it's they're doing the right thing.
10:17They're doing their due diligence.
10:18They have scouts that are all across the country and going to different programs and
10:22doing their job at this time of year.
10:24I don't think the Patriots are going to be hurt because they don't get to watch Bill Belichick's
10:27UNC team.
10:28His one top 150 prospect or whatever it was.
10:31Yeah.
10:31I think they'll be good.
10:33I don't think they need to see him.
10:35Okay.
10:36If you're the president of the university, are you pulling him aside?
10:39Yep.
10:39And saying, what are we doing here?
10:41Yep.
10:41Someone called yesterday and said about the AD, like the AD do something.
10:46Is it a fact that he doesn't even talk to the AD?
10:48Yes.
10:48I think it's the president.
10:49He only talks to the chancellor.
10:50Yeah.
10:50No, it's, I don't know.
10:51Is it the chancellor or president?
10:52Whatever it is.
10:53The guy who's in charge.
10:54I think it's the chancellor.
10:55Okay.
10:55So the only guy he refers to.
10:57Thank you, chancellor.
10:57So yeah, great.
10:58Well, the chancellor is going to be out on his ass too.
11:00If this goes as poorly as it's gone so far, because he'll have to answer for
11:04it.
11:04The AD will have to answer for it.
11:06Even if he didn't even hire him, there will be questions.
11:12Banning scouts, zero access, limiting their access to the team.
11:16That's, that's not what they told you their program would be.
11:19It's, it's just not.