... Belichick is an established guru. He’s also, by some accounts, an Evil Genius. As the Patriots gear up for the 2009 season, their coach is suffering the typical slings and arrows from his critics in the blogosphere—which would be worse news if the barbs weren’t so integral to his master plan.

Popularity means appealing earnestly to the crowd.

Power, on the other hand, means answering exclusively to yourself.

I won’t pretend to harbor any fondness for Belichick. The surly press conferences speak volumes, and there’s something distasteful about a grown man in a hooded sweatshirt. But maybe distastefulness is precisely the point. On a stage where every hero is a slave to his audience, t...

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