This is so Bill Belichick, and I kind of love it [via Larry Brown Sports]:
↵↵↵One of the big news stories from the NFL that is circulating today comes from a Dayton Daily News report, in which former NFL defensive lineman Chad Eaton claims Belichick used to pay him to start fights during Cleveland Browns practices in the 1990s. Belichick was Cleveland’s defensive coordinator at the time, and Eaton was then with Bill for one season in New England in 2000 when Belichick was the head coach.
↵"If practice was going slow, he’d look at me and just say, ‘It’s time,’" Eaton said. "He wanted me to get on somebody’s [case] and start a little fight. I was known for that and it paid off on Fridays. There’d always be some extra money in my locker. Practice players don’t make much, so I really appreciated it."
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Of course, this is going to add more old hoodies to the fire for the people who get off on calling Belichick a cheater, but I don't see anything wrong with Belichick's tactics here. Plus, I don't recall too many people crying foul when Rex Ryan was shown handing players money on Hard Knocks for doing the same exact thing.