Real Football - Has Bill Belichick Lost His Fastball?

There was a time when, like death and taxes, you could count on Bill Belichick, particularly in big games. After 3 consecutive heart wrenching playoff defeats, "Genius Bill", as only we like to call him, desperately a victory in the game that fails to rouse the imaginations of fans and players alike, the Pro Bowl, to regain his status at the top of the NFL coaching food chain.  Alas, it was not to be as the Belichick-helmed AFC squad suffered a humiliating 55-41 defeat at the hands of their biggest of rivals, the hated NFC.  As the NFC players swarmed the field in childlike euphoria, desperate to grab a hold of the trophy, plaque, ribbon or whatever they receive as an award for such a meaningless game, we were left to wonder - Has Belichick lost his fastball? 

Fans might be tempted to overlook the home playoff losses to the Ravens and Jets or even the Super Bowl upset at the hands of the New York Giants, but after leading a team that fell so flat in the most uncompetitive game of the year, it seems that, at 58, Belichick might finally be showing signs of slowing down.  Prior to Sunday's debacle, New England's semi-benevolent dictator had carried an undefeated record (a pristine 2-0) in previous Pro Bowls, only to be undone by a series of questionable coaching decisions.
In the wake of a game in which he may or may not have called a unconscionable fake punt, Belichick continued to show a rare level of hubris, playing quarterback roulette with his talented signal callers, yanking Phillip Rivers in and out of the lineup, effectively benching Peyton Manning after only 5 pass attempts, including 1 interception, on 3 unfruitful possessions (begging the obvious question of whether personal feelings played a part in such a strange decision) and inexplicably playing Matt Cassel during crunch time.  These odd decisions no doubt contributed to the AFC's five interceptions (DeAngelo Hall, the game's MVP, who was the recipient of one of those interceptions and recovered a fumble for a score, was rewarded for his efforts with a new Cadillac, a car sure to be ignored in favor of the much nicer automobiles he has already purchased for himself or given to a relative he doesn't really care about.).  His biggest failures, however, came on defense, as the master strategist,couldn't devise a scheme to prevent NFC from racking up over the highest score in the illustrious history of the game, including a 42-0 first half deficit, despite a roster filled with Pro Bowlers. 

As the final horn sounded ending the least anticipated game of the year, the remaining die hard AFC fans, clad in their traditional red, white and blue jerseys adorned ridiculously with stars, sat, their faces buried disgustedly in their hands, sobbing uncontrollably as the realization that their lifelong dreams of witnessing a Pro Bowl victory would be delayed for at least 364 days.  Ken Fresno, a life-long AFC fan expressed the universal sentiment of the fans:

"You know that sign that the guy had when the Rangers won the hockey thing the, uhhh, Stangley Cup or whatever?  It said like, um, "Now I Get To Die In Peace."  Rememba that sign?  Yeah, I had one of them all made up and everything.  I think I spelled "peace" wrong but who cares, nobody would have noticed, I think.  It would have been sick to hold that thing up."

A similar scene could be found in the losers locker room, as the players sat silently contemplating their collective failure on such an important stage and wondering when, if ever, they'd be back.  For most, if they feel like a free vacation, it will likely be next year since incumbency is the most powerful indicator of Pro Bowl.  For others, they'll be left to wonder what might have been.
Perhaps Belichick, a man known for his glibness and sense of humor, summed it up his feelings in an atypically dour way stating only - "It is what it is."  Yes it is Bill, it is exactly what it is.