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We’re beginning to learn more about Bill Belichick’s ban of New England Patriots scouts. Earlier this week, college football insider John Middlekauff reported that Belichick has banned Patriots scouts from attending UNC practices.
“I was told by multiple people that he (Belichick) has banned the New England Patriots. If you’re a scout for the New England Patriots, you are not allowed at the University of North Carolina.”
The Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed spoke with an anonymous UNC source, who told him the reason why the Patriots’ scouts are banned from UNC practice.
Via Boston Herald
“Why would we let them in our home after how he’s been treated since he left?” an unnamed UNC athletics source told the Herald via text. “We will help our players, but being treated fairly is a two-way street.”
ESPN has reported that other NFL scouts are complaining about not getting much access to UNC practices.
Via ESPN
Two NFL scouts who work for other teams told ESPN that North Carolina, under Belichick’s leadership, offers limited access to all NFL personnel. Clubs are allowed to speak only with Jourdain, and UNC’s college relations website says that “scouts will have zero access to coaches or other personnel people,” according to the scouts.
The term “zero access” appears three times on UNC’s college relations website, a page accessible only to NFL personnel.
“Can’t think of another school with a statement of ‘zero access,'” one scout told ESPN.
While Belichick is apparently beefing with the Patriots, Robert Kraft has stated that he’s waiting for Belichick to retire to build him a statue in New England.
“When that great 20-year era ended, it was always my intention to commission a statue for both Tommy and Bill when their respective careers were over, playing and coaching. When Bill’s coaching career ends, we look forward to sitting down with him and having a statue made to be right next to Tommy,” Kraft told CBS News.