Belichick says letter to Trump 'not politically motivated' By The Sports Xchange / Wednesday, November 9, 2016
New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick addressed the letter he wrote to President-elect Donald Trump ahead of Tuesday's election, saying it was "not politically motivated."
"I've received a number of inquiries relative to a note I wrote to Donald on Monday," Belichick told reporters at his press conference Wednesday. "Our friendship goes back many years. And I think anybody that spends more than five minutes with me knows I'm not a political person. My comments are not politically motivated. It's friendship and loyalty to Donald.
"A couple weeks ago we had Secretary of State (John) Kerry in the locker room, another friend of mine. I can't imagine two people with more different political views than those two. But to me friendship and loyalty is just about that, it's not about political or religious views."
Trump told supporters at a New Hampshire rally on Monday night that he had the support of both Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady.
"Congratulations on a tremendous campaign," Trump said Monday, reading from the letter. "You have dealt with an unbelievable slanted and negative media, and have come out beautifully -- beautifully. You've proved to be the ultimate competitor and fighter. Your leadership is amazing. I have always had tremendous respect for you, but the toughness and perseverance you have displayed over the past year is remarkable. Hopefully tomorrow's election results will give the opportunity to make America great again. Best wishes for great results tomorrow."
Hours after Trump was elected the 45th president of the United States, Belichick explained his decision to send a letter to the candidate.
"I write hundreds of letters and notes every month," Belichick said. "It doesn't mean I agree with every single thing a person thinks about politics, religion and other subjects. I have multiple friendships that are important to me. That's what that is all about. It's not about politics. It's about football. We have a huge football game this week against a great team, a great organization. That's where it all is going forward."
Belichick then tried to move the conversation from politics to Sunday night's game against the Seattle Seahawks.
Reporters asked follow-up questions on the Trump letter topic, but Belichick repeatedly answered, "Seattle."
Belichick was asked if he could share any good memories he has had with Trump.
"Well, I can do a lot about that, but we're really just trying to focus on Seattle right here and it's a huge game for us, a great challenge, and that's where all the energy is going," Belichick said. "This is where we are. It's Wednesday before Seattle. It's Seattle ... Thank you."
Brady later spoke with reporters and said he wanted to talk only about football this week.
"I talked to my wife. She said I can't talk about politics anymore," said Brady, a longtime friend of Trump's who previously said it would be "great" if Trump were elected president.
New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick addressed the letter he wrote to President-elect Donald Trump ahead of Tuesday's election, saying it was "not politically motivated."
"I've received a number of inquiries relative to a note I wrote to Donald on Monday," Belichick told reporters at his press conference Wednesday. "Our friendship goes back many years. And I think anybody that spends more than five minutes with me knows I'm not a political person. My comments are not politically motivated. It's friendship and loyalty to Donald.
"A couple weeks ago we had Secretary of State (John) Kerry in the locker room, another friend of mine. I can't imagine two people with more different political views than those two. But to me friendship and loyalty is just about that, it's not about political or religious views."
Trump told supporters at a New Hampshire rally on Monday night that he had the support of both Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady.
"Congratulations on a tremendous campaign," Trump said Monday, reading from the letter. "You have dealt with an unbelievable slanted and negative media, and have come out beautifully -- beautifully. You've proved to be the ultimate competitor and fighter. Your leadership is amazing. I have always had tremendous respect for you, but the toughness and perseverance you have displayed over the past year is remarkable. Hopefully tomorrow's election results will give the opportunity to make America great again. Best wishes for great results tomorrow."
Hours after Trump was elected the 45th president of the United States, Belichick explained his decision to send a letter to the candidate.
"I write hundreds of letters and notes every month," Belichick said. "It doesn't mean I agree with every single thing a person thinks about politics, religion and other subjects. I have multiple friendships that are important to me. That's what that is all about. It's not about politics. It's about football. We have a huge football game this week against a great team, a great organization. That's where it all is going forward."
Belichick then tried to move the conversation from politics to Sunday night's game against the Seattle Seahawks.
Reporters asked follow-up questions on the Trump letter topic, but Belichick repeatedly answered, "Seattle."
Belichick was asked if he could share any good memories he has had with Trump.
"Well, I can do a lot about that, but we're really just trying to focus on Seattle right here and it's a huge game for us, a great challenge, and that's where all the energy is going," Belichick said. "This is where we are. It's Wednesday before Seattle. It's Seattle ... Thank you."
Brady later spoke with reporters and said he wanted to talk only about football this week.
"I talked to my wife. She said I can't talk about politics anymore," said Brady, a longtime friend of Trump's who previously said it would be "great" if Trump were elected president.
I got everything I wanted out of the election, the greatest underdog victory in political history,
Trump carried 31 states & over 300 electoral votes I was so thrilled I stayed up till 2:45 when
Pennsylvania was finally declared for Trump.
The Bush's & the Clinton's were soundly beaten & America now has a chance. This country
would have been almost unsaveable if Clinton would have won. But really Clinton is
gone forever humiliated again this time will be the last. She's a liar & a crook and could be easily
sent to the slammer now that Comey & Loretta Lynch will soon be gone but I feel no need
to pick the carcass!
Trump carried 31 states & over 300 electoral votes I was so thrilled I stayed up till 2:45 when
Pennsylvania was finally declared for Trump.
The Bush's & the Clinton's were soundly beaten & America now has a chance. This country
would have been almost unsaveable if Clinton would have won. But really Clinton is
gone forever humiliated again this time will be the last. She's a liar & a crook and could be easily
sent to the slammer now that Comey & Loretta Lynch will soon be gone but I feel no need
to pick the carcass!
Those $250,000 speeches are worth about $10 Bucks these days :nohead:
Newsweek magazine jumped the gun Tuesday night....lol
Huma walking down the street bawling.
LMFAO
this girl has gone through a lot in recent years
that's funny
Trump is bashed in the media, those who don't know him hate him, but those closest to him love him
Hillary is adored by the media, those who don't know her love her, but far too many people who have been close to her destroy her
The media is a powerful tool, and we can all benefit if people think for themselves just a little bit more
Popovich rips Trump in long tirade
SAN ANTONIO -- San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has never been one to mince words when it comes to his opinion, and when was asked Friday in his press conference prior to the Spurs' game against the Detroit Pistons about the election of Donald Trump as the 45th President of the United States, he went on a 5 1/2-minute tirade critical of Trump and his ideals.
Popovich, in his 21st season as the Spurs coach, said Trump's election disgusts him because it reflects the bigotry of many Americans, and that voters chose a president who has criticized minorities and women and mocked someone with a handicap.
Popovich's statement appears in its entirety below:
"Right now I'm just trying to formulate thoughts. It's too early. I'm just sick to my stomach. Not basically because the Republicans won or anything, but the disgusting tenure and tone and all of the comments that have been xenophobic, homophobic, racist, misogynistic.
"I live in that country where half of the people ignored all of that to elect someone. That's the scariest part of the whole thing to me. It's got nothing to do with the environment and Obamacare, and all of the other stuff. We live in a country that ignored all of those values that we would hold our kids accountable for. They'd be grounded for years if they acted and said the things that have been said in that campaign by Donald Trump.
"I look at the Evangelicals and I wonder, those values don't mean anything to them? All of those values to me are more important than anybody's skill in business or anything else because it tells who we are, and how we want to live, and what kind of people we are. That's why I have great respect for people like Lindsey Graham and John McCain, John Kasich, who I disagree with on a lot of political things, but they had enough fiber and respect for humanity and tolerance for all groups to say what they said about the man.
"That's what worries me. I get it, of course we want to be successful, we're all going to say that. Everybody wants to be successful, it's our country, we don't want it to go down the drain. But any reasonable person would come to that conclusion, but it does not take away the fact that he used that fear mongering, and all of the comments, from day one, the race bating with trying to make Barack Obama, our first black president, illegitimate. It leaves me wondering where I've been living, and with whom I'm living.
"The fact that people can just gloss that over, start talking about the transition team, and we're all going to be kumbaya now and try to make the country good without talking about any of those things. And now we see that he's already backing off of immigration and Obamacare and other things, so was it a big fake, which makes you feel it's even more disgusting and cynical that somebody would use that to get the base that fired up. To get elected.
"And what gets lost in the process are African Americans, and Hispanics, and women, and the gay population, not to mention the eighth grade developmental stage exhibited by him when he made fun of the handicapped person. I mean, come on. That's what a seventh grade, eighth grade bully does. And he was elected president of the United States. We would have scolded our kids. We would have had discussions until we were blue in the face trying to get them to understand these things. He is in charge of our country. That's disgusting."
After a reporter interrupted Popovich, he continued steadfastly.
"I'm not done," Popovich said. "One could go on and on, we didn't make this stuff up. He's angry at the media because they reported what he said and how he acted. That's ironic to me. It makes no sense. So that's my real fear, and that's what gives me so much pause and makes me feel so badly that the country is willing to be that intolerant and not understand the empathy that's necessary to understand other group's situations.
"I'm a rich white guy, and I'm sick to my stomach thinking about it. I can't imagine being a Muslim right now, or a woman, or an African American, a Hispanic, a handicapped person. How disenfranchised they might feel. And for anyone in those groups that voted for him, it's just beyond my comprehension how they ignore all of that. My final conclusion is, my big fear is -- we are Rome."
SAN ANTONIO -- San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has never been one to mince words when it comes to his opinion, and when was asked Friday in his press conference prior to the Spurs' game against the Detroit Pistons about the election of Donald Trump as the 45th President of the United States, he went on a 5 1/2-minute tirade critical of Trump and his ideals.
Popovich, in his 21st season as the Spurs coach, said Trump's election disgusts him because it reflects the bigotry of many Americans, and that voters chose a president who has criticized minorities and women and mocked someone with a handicap.
Popovich's statement appears in its entirety below:
"Right now I'm just trying to formulate thoughts. It's too early. I'm just sick to my stomach. Not basically because the Republicans won or anything, but the disgusting tenure and tone and all of the comments that have been xenophobic, homophobic, racist, misogynistic.
"I live in that country where half of the people ignored all of that to elect someone. That's the scariest part of the whole thing to me. It's got nothing to do with the environment and Obamacare, and all of the other stuff. We live in a country that ignored all of those values that we would hold our kids accountable for. They'd be grounded for years if they acted and said the things that have been said in that campaign by Donald Trump.
"I look at the Evangelicals and I wonder, those values don't mean anything to them? All of those values to me are more important than anybody's skill in business or anything else because it tells who we are, and how we want to live, and what kind of people we are. That's why I have great respect for people like Lindsey Graham and John McCain, John Kasich, who I disagree with on a lot of political things, but they had enough fiber and respect for humanity and tolerance for all groups to say what they said about the man.
"That's what worries me. I get it, of course we want to be successful, we're all going to say that. Everybody wants to be successful, it's our country, we don't want it to go down the drain. But any reasonable person would come to that conclusion, but it does not take away the fact that he used that fear mongering, and all of the comments, from day one, the race bating with trying to make Barack Obama, our first black president, illegitimate. It leaves me wondering where I've been living, and with whom I'm living.
"The fact that people can just gloss that over, start talking about the transition team, and we're all going to be kumbaya now and try to make the country good without talking about any of those things. And now we see that he's already backing off of immigration and Obamacare and other things, so was it a big fake, which makes you feel it's even more disgusting and cynical that somebody would use that to get the base that fired up. To get elected.
"And what gets lost in the process are African Americans, and Hispanics, and women, and the gay population, not to mention the eighth grade developmental stage exhibited by him when he made fun of the handicapped person. I mean, come on. That's what a seventh grade, eighth grade bully does. And he was elected president of the United States. We would have scolded our kids. We would have had discussions until we were blue in the face trying to get them to understand these things. He is in charge of our country. That's disgusting."
After a reporter interrupted Popovich, he continued steadfastly.
"I'm not done," Popovich said. "One could go on and on, we didn't make this stuff up. He's angry at the media because they reported what he said and how he acted. That's ironic to me. It makes no sense. So that's my real fear, and that's what gives me so much pause and makes me feel so badly that the country is willing to be that intolerant and not understand the empathy that's necessary to understand other group's situations.
"I'm a rich white guy, and I'm sick to my stomach thinking about it. I can't imagine being a Muslim right now, or a woman, or an African American, a Hispanic, a handicapped person. How disenfranchised they might feel. And for anyone in those groups that voted for him, it's just beyond my comprehension how they ignore all of that. My final conclusion is, my big fear is -- we are Rome."
