Everyone knows Bill Belichick is renowned for his curmudgeon nature, but never before had someone attempted to quantify said grumpiness of The Hooded One.
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That was until The Wall Street Journal combed through nearly 115 minutes of postgame press conferences from the 2013 regular season. The publication found Belichick smiled seven times all season (seven!?!), a truth both sublime and ridiculous.
According to The WSJ, Belichick didn't smile for the first time until Oct. 13, when he curled his lips upward in the aftermath of a comeback win over the New Orleans Saints.
Belichick smiled twice while discussing Tom Brady's running ability two weeks later, then stayed on a one-smile maximum until two more grins after a season-finale win over the Buffalo Bills on Dec. 29.
Seven smiles in 16 press conferences. Remember, this was during a 12-4 season in which the Patriots won the AFC East for the seven millionth time in the Belichick era.
In fairness to the coach, this study is more than a little misleading. Unless Pete Carroll is prominently involved, press conferences aren't known for their joyful reverie. Over on SI.com, Andy Gray offered up a gallery of photos featuring an oft-beaming Belichick through the years.
Belichick is a grump when he's talking to sports reporters. He's decidedly less of a grump when he's talking to international pop star Bon Jovi. This kind of makes sense.
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