Bill Belichick's true inspiration

— -- PHOENIX -- Steve Belichick was on the phone with a complete stranger 11 years ago, making the case for Paul Brown as the best football coach of all time. I told him I was a Vince Lombardi guy all the way, and that there wasn't a close second, but Belichick was not giving much ground.

Steve played golf with Brown and attended his camps, and he reminded me that the founding father of game film and the playbook had won championships in high school, college and the pros.

Back in 2003, with his son's Patriots about to beat Carolina for ring No. 2, Steve Belichick was declaring Paul Brown the best coach in pro football history. I wish I could call him up one more time, remind him that I'm the Lombardi guy who phoned him a couple of times in the past, and tell him that I now think we both got it wrong.