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    Patriot Reign: Bill Belichick, the Coaches, and the Players Who Built a Champion

     
    The business behind developing a top-notch football organization.
    1/17/2005

    The New England Patriots have won two out of the last three Super Bowls, a real testament to success in an industry that prides itself on parity. How do the Pats do it? Patriot Reign isn't intended to be a business book, but Holley's tome shows how organizational discipline, accountability, team work, personnel evaluation, and a no-excuses attitude breed success.

    Head coach and general manager Belichick—the team's CEO—is an unflinching evaluator of talent, a brilliant tactician. He is not a "rah-rah" leader, but rather someone who gives his players data and tactics rather than a Knute Rockne stem-winder to send them into battle. Going into a game against the Dallas Cowboys, Belichick and his coaches developed a few basic reminders for the players:

    "Defense:

    • Get ahead and take Dallas out of their ball-control offense. Force them to pass to win.
    • Disguise coverages.
    • Set edge versus run.
    • Keep Quincy Carter in the pocket.
    • Be physical, jam, disrupt, and reroute the receivers—especially number 88 (Terry Glenn).
    • Jam number 20 (Richie Anderson).
    • No big plays."

    "Offense:

    • No turnovers.
    • Control the ball.
    • Beat man-to-man coverage.
    • Pick up the blitz.
    • Block number 59 (Dat Nguyen) on runs.
    • Third-down conversions."

    Holley, who was given backstage access to meetings and practices, paints a vivid, profanity-laden portrait of executive life in the National Football League. You don't have to be a sports fan to enjoy this book about organizational success.—Sean Silverthorne

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