It was a major blunder for Davis to want The Patriot Way to be installed for the Raiders.
It is remarkable it worked for the Patriots. It probably does work if you want that kind of culture, but how you start and cultivate that culture requires luck (i.e., you have a Tom Brady or Kobe Bryant that commands respect from other players who see if they’re doing it then they probably should to gain their respect …game knows game).
We now see The Patriot Way is likely to come and go with Belichick …and, at this point, will be seen as the benefactor of Brady (instead of the other way around).
I also wonder if some of it is generational with even Belichick struggling post-Brady and the players that won those Super Bowls. I’m just not sure the super hard coaching, work crazy hours shit flies as much these days. Players are competitive and want to work hard and win of course, but a vibe like we’ve seen since Pierce took over with the basketball hoop in the locker room, players wrestling, cigars after beating a terrible team at home etc. players want some work/life balance, a mix of fun rewards for all the hard work they put in.
Old school guys like Belichick in the NFL, Saban in college can still get by as long as they’re winning big. As we’re seeing with the Patriots decline lately, even those guys can lose it once the winning stops. Also probably a big part of why Belichick’s assistants haven’t done well as head coaches as a whole as they don’t have that history of winning to get buy in and they quickly lose teams when losses pile up (which they almost always will early on as most coaching hires are to a team that’s down/rebuilding) on top of players not having fun with the “Patriot’s Way.” They all have their own flaws, McDaniels especially, but I just don’t think that style is going to fly—especially for a young and/or rebuilding team. Saban’s assistants haven’t done the greatest either, Smart being the notable exception and he runs a much looser ship and that’s probably part of why he’s having bigger success than Saban lately. Also som guys like Kiffin, but hard to count those that spent brief times on Saban’s staff as his guys vs. the longer time assistants like Smart and others.