Bill Belichick, long known for his trademark “no comment” responses to the media during his New England Patriots days, revealed a surprisingly entertaining side at The Roast of Tom Brady—where he received a 120-second standing ovation. But getting the legendary coach on stage was no easy feat. Jeff Ross, the roast’s producer, admitted that Belichick was the toughest person to secure for the event.
“My partner, Casey, handled the dealings with him,” Ross said on Julian Edelman’s podcast Games With Names. “The big pitch was that Bill would get to show a side no one knows—the human being, the sense of humor, and the cutting ruthlessness you don’t see because he’s always like ‘no comment.’ Suddenly, he’s commenting.”
Edelman noted that Belichick has always had plenty to say, especially in the locker room. For the average NFL fan, the coach might seem like football’s most guarded personality. But for a former Patriots wide receiver, the dry humor and brutal honesty were nothing new—they were standard operating procedure for a team leader. Ross agreed: “Right! That’s the freaking leader. That’s what you want to see. Now that he’s at legend status, why not show everybody how you do it? Those brutal truths. Belichick was a tough one to get there.”
Belichick rarely pulls back the curtain in public, but his appearance on the Netflix special did just that. He even weighed in on the age-old debate of Belichick vs. Brady. Under Brady’s command, Belichick won six Super Bowls with the Patriots (2002, 2004, 2005, 2015, 2017, and 2019). When asked who was more responsible for the team’s success, the coach quipped: “In reality, the truth is it was both of us … because of me.”
But Belichick wasn’t the only challenge for Ross and his production team. Peyton Manning also caused some backstage drama. “Peyton was tough to get there. He almost left because the show was running so long,” Ross continued. “The show lasted three hours and six minutes because Kevin [Hart] was riffing so much between acts. Peyton was backstage shortening his scripts and threatening to leave. He also roasts and ghosts.”