It’s good to see that former Ravens head coach Brian Billick is back on the scene as part of WBAL’s Ravens preseason broadcast team. Billick helped to usher in a winning attitude and in many ways, he enabled the defensive swagger that the Ravens carried for over a decade – one that matched perfectly with the DNA of our blue-collar town.
The 1977 NFL Draft’s 295th overall pick (Round 11) out of BYU is intelligent, well-spoken, daring, bold and calculating – all things that you’d like to see in your head coach. And it makes you wonder why a man of his talents with a Super Bowl win on his resume, never really received any serious consideration from another club.
Some have speculated that the now 63-year-old Billick was spoiled by the organizational hierarchy in Baltimore and sought another employer who could come close to matching its collective core competencies. But that employer never materialized and Billick hasn’t coached in what will soon be 10 seasons.
Since he last manned the Ravens sideline in 2007, Billick’s career path took a rather predictable turn towards media. You see him fairly regularly on NFL Network and he was once a game analyst for FOX, a very good one at that. But for some reason, after six years, FOX didn’t want to bring Billick back while the other networks showed little interest.
And it makes you wonder…
Shortly after Billick left the Ravens, a team source speaking under the condition of anonymity, shared that Brian was a bit perplexing. On one hand he could be charming, engaging and welcoming at various team functions while on the other hand, he could be abrasive and caustic to players, scouts and other members of the organization.
When you stop winning, the good qualities aren’t as noticeable and the bad ones scream out like a banshee. Perhaps that’s why the Ravens locker room split in 2007. Perhaps in part such behaviors explain why he hasn’t landed another coaching job and why the game broadcasting networks aren’t interested.
In the end, we’re all left feeling cheated, because a National Football League with Brian Billick move involved, is a better National Football League.
Maybe his new broadcasting gig with the Ravens will open some minds and soften some hearts.
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