If you blinked, you may have missed Bill Belichick cracking a smile during the New England Patriots' dominant victory on Monday night vs. the New York Jets. But it happened, and it was glorious.
The moment was a notable one as Belichick isn't exactly known to have the most eccentric of personalities on the sideline. Retired Pats tight end Rob Gronkowski knows Belichick's trademark scowl just as well as anyone, which is why he was especially stunned by his former head coach's rare display of joy.
In a video for Uninterrupted, Gronkowski recited a letter he penned to Belichick about the grin he hadn't seen throughout his nine seasons in New England.
“Dear Bill, I watched the Jets game. Tom (Tom Brady), Jules (Julian Edelman) and the fellas looked good. As you like to say, it was a good team win. Executed in all three phases,” Gronkowski said. “But even bigger than the win was a rare moment in the fourth quarter. I saw it. I almost missed it. I’m sure a lot of the fans watching didn’t catch it, but I did. You smiled!
"Through nine seasons and even three Super Bowls, I’d never seen you with such pure joy on the field. This is such a big deal that me and my team went to the drawing board to make you something special. It’s your very own emoji. This one, it’s your smile. To be used by all Patriots fans when we know something they don’t know. You’re welcome. So let’s all enjoy this smile for a moment. But it’s a short week, so then it’s back to business. On to the next one. Miss you. Sincerely yours, Roberto.”
The Belichick smile undoubtedly was a great moment for Patriots fans everywhere. But as Gronk says, it's "on to Cleveland."
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