New England Patriots Coach Bill Belichick is likely headed to the Pro Football Hall of Fame and will end up as one of the NFL's legendary coaches, but one thing he'll probably never be praised for is his gameday wardrobe.
The "hoodie" -- in its various forms and colors -- has been Belichick's signature piece of clothing on the sidelines for more than a decade, regardless of temperature or weather conditions.
According to a profile of the coach published in 2012 by Yahoo! Sports columnist Dan Wetzel, Belichick began wearing a hooded sweatshirt when the NFL signed a clothing deal with Reebok that required coaches to wear approved clothing during games. Miffed that he was being told how to dress by a sponsor, Belichick chose the least stylish option available, a grey hooded sweatshirt.
When asked about his fashion choice, he replied, "It's comfortable. I carry my stuff in my pouch." Belichick also decided to make the sweatshirt even less attractive by cutting off the sleeves. Why would he do that? "Because I have short arms," Belichick explained to Linda Holliday, the host of the StyleBoston television show. "I cut them off to have a little more comfort. It's all there is to it."
So there you have it. Belichick is a noted contrarian on and off the field, both in terms of his coaching strategy and his fashion choice. But really he's sort of like the rest of us when picking out his gameday outfit; he just wants to be comfortable.
Golf? What golf?
"Good for golf to have Tiger Woods back," wrote Janice Hough of leftcoastsportsbabe.com. "If there weren't headlines about him missing another cut, most people wouldn't realize there's a tournament on this weekend."
Sour candy
From Miami Herald columnist Greg Cote: "A Seattle company offers a 'Beast Mode Sausage' with Skittles in honor of Marshawn Lynch's favorite candy. One side effect, though. Eat one and you refuse to answer questions."
Smarty pants
When the New England Patriots take the field for today's Super Bowl XLIX to face the Seattle Seahawks, cheering them on from the sidelines will be a woman who could easily discuss neuroscience with them, if they ever asked.
Kelly Bennion is a 26-year-old Patriots' cheerleader who also happens to be four years into a five-year Ph.D. program in cognitive neuroscience at a Boston-area school.
"I really enjoy being a positive role model for young girls," Bennion said. "I've had amazing female mentors in my life that show me I can do anything I put my mind to so I'm glad I'm able to use my two positions to show young girls that it's OK to think that math and science are cool."
SPORTS QUIZ
What was the name of the Philadelphia 76ers before they came to Philadelphia?
SPORTS ANSWER
The Syracuse Nationals
Sports on 02/01/2015