ACC Media Days and the Belichick Effect

Then it was time for the real chaos. The breakout room. The players were in there doing their interviews with the media well ahead of their head coach. Usually, it is easy enough for the members of the media to gather around the table and get their questions in for the player and the coach alike. But these are different times in the ACC. The scaffolding in the back of the room was packed with TV cameras. The print and digital media were greeted by a sign at Belichick’s table that asked them not to stand and be in the way of the cameras.

The gathering of media was so big that an ACC staffer had to stand on a chair to get everyone to quiet down. He then advised them that there were too many people there to do it the normal way. They would turn this into another press conference with someone calling on people to ask questions.

Players

The UNC players were ultimately more interesting. We asked quarterback Will Hardy about his thoughts at the end of last season when the rumors started about the eight-time Super Bowl champ going to Chapel Hill. “I didn’t think much of it. But then the momentum started rolling. The rumors spread heavier. The moment they actually hired him, I was completely shocked,” he said. In the seven months that Belichick has been there, has Hardy seen the jewelry? “Not yet,” he said. “It might be in his office, but I have not been in there yet.”

Receiver Jordan Shipp gave some insights about Belichick that might surprise others. He said the media portrayal of his coach that he is a dour guy who does not care is untrue. “Coach is a great guy. He cares for his players. He loves his players,” he said. “And he will do whatever he can for his players to get to that next level, even if it’s outside of football.”

Who Else

By late afternoon Thursday, it was hard to remember that there had already been an entire lineup of coaches and players from other schools there.

Swinney talked about how he went through a couple of years where fans and media wondered if the changes in the game had caused him to fall behind. “We did something last year that only four teams in 160 years of college football have done. Nebraska did it with Coach Osborne. Coach Bowden at Florida State, Coach Saban at Alabama, and now Clemson. 14 straight nine-plus win seasons, 13 of those ten-plus win seasons. We’ve earned that through consistency,” he said.

Coach Speak

Yes, there was still plenty of that Thursday. Virginia Tech head Brent Pry threw in the often claimed, “We feel like we have something to prove.” And Swinney gave us, “Experience doesn’t come at a discount.”

Unexpected Maternity Story

Boston College linebacker Daveon Crouch is also known by his nickname, “Bam.” It has been assumed that it had something to do with his football prowess or how hard he hits. When asked to give more background, he gave the real story. We now present his version, uninterrupted.

“Uh, my mom gave it to me when I was born. My cousin was born April 4, and I was born April 3, but I was born at like 11:30 p.m., and my auntie told my mom, ‘You better not have your baby the same day as my baby’s birthday.’ So my mom was telling the doctors, I’ve got to get this baby out of here. My mom basically said I bammed my way out of here. That’s where that name came from. It’s not football related at all.”

We believe it was the only birth story told at ACC media days this year.

The Bling Is The Thing

One of the most notable things this week is something many players are spending their NIL or revenue-sharing money on, watches. We saw several variations from diamond Cartier watches to Patek Philippe. There was even a Rolex that was customized to have the school colors on the face of the watch.

We asked UNC’s Shipp why the watches were the purchase of choice for the newly paid players. “It’s something you can keep for a long time. Other things you buy come and go. But you can keep your watch forever or even pass it down to your kids someday.”

Training camps open across the country next week.