Earlier this week, ESPN released a nearly 5,000-word report on why former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick was unable to land a head coaching job in January.

At one point, Belichick thought he had the Atlanta Falcons job, but he was evidently sabotaged by Patriots owner Robert Kraft who is close friends with Falcons owner Arthur Blank.

Kraft told Blank that Belichick “couldn’t be trusted” according to the report and would clash with Blank’s desire to have a family atmosphere.

“The sources said Kraft made clear to Blank that ‘you’ll never have a warm conversation with’ Belichick, echoing what Bill Parcells told Kraft in 1996 when he wanted to bust the budget and hire Belichick,” ESPN reported. “‘Blank likes coaches who feel part of a family,’ a Falcons source said, “and it wasn’t going to be that way with Bill.'”

ESPN radio personality Damien Woody played for Belichick from 2000-2003, and he took Blank to task for, in his vew, the flawed process that steered him away from the six-time Super Bowl champion.

“Can we stop right there,” said Woody on ESPN’s UNSPORTSMANLIKE Radio. “What the hell is a ‘family environment?’ I thought it was about winning. Everything’s about winning. It’s about winning championships. Everything comes with winning.

“I get so sick of this ‘we want to collaborate.’ What the hell does that even mean? We’re trying to win championships. We’re taking about a football savant, a football genius. And he’s not even like, I guess there’s this panel of people down in Atlanta, Arthur Blank’s confidants that help him make a decision, and Bill’s not even in your top three?

“I can’t even take you seriously

“You’re talking about the greatest coach in NFL history, and he’s not even in your top three? All because ‘we want to be collaborative.'”

Raheem Morris was unanimously chosen by Blank’s panel according to the report.

While Woody is singling out the Falcons and one aspect of the hiring process, Blank detractors will agree that he has a point. Blank’s loyalty-to-a-fault characteristic makes him an excellent boss, but sometimes leads him to put too much trust in his lieutenants like Rich McKay and former general manager Thomas Dimitroff.

That said, Woody’s rant reeks of the media’s treatment of the Falcons concerning Lamar Jackson. The Falcons didn’t pursue an unattainable player like Jackson, and neither did anyone else. He was never leaving Baltimore. Yet it was always the Falcons catching grief for “passing” on a player who was unavailable.

ESPN wrote nearly 5000 words on why Belichick isn’t employed in the NFL despite half-a-dozen openings. Yet it’s the Falcons under the microscope?

Yeah, that feels familiar.