Robert Kraft is probably glad he didn’t listen to former Browns owner Art Modell.
According to The MMQB via Pro Football Talk, the Patriots owner recalled that Modell said it would be a bad idea to hire Bill Belichick as head coach in 2000.
“He said if I did it, I’d be making the biggest mistake of my life,” Kraft said.
Modell fired Belichick after he coached the Browns from 1991-1995. The Browns won a playoff game in 1994 but went 5-11 in 1995. That was the final year before Modell moved the franchise to Baltimore.
According to Boston.com, Modell remembered his conversation with Kraft a little differently.
“You’re not getting Prince Charming,” is what Modell said he told Kraft in a story that appeared in 2007, “but give him some leeway and he’ll deliver for you.”
Modell’s knock on Belichick seemed to be more from a PR standpoint. He curiously said that Belichick couldn’t engage the fan base with his personality.
“That fans are our customer base,” said the man who pulled the rug out from under Cleveland fans when he moved the team.
Belichick has a chance to win his fifth Super Bowl Sunday. If he does, that would make the late Modell’s advice look even more laughable as it’s recalled by Kraft. But if the Falcons beat the Patriots, that won’t be Prince Charming at the podium after the game.
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