A few weeks before Bill Belichick‘s first game as a head coach in the summer of 1991, the boss wanted to see him. Art Modell, the owner of the Cleveland Browns, summoned Belichick and Ernie Accorsi, the team’s executive vice president, to his office. Nothing dire, Accorsi would remember — just some trivial issue Modell wanted to discuss.
Shortly after the meeting began, Modell’s phone rang, and he answered it. Belichick began to stir. He squirmed and nervously fiddled with his notebook. Minutes passed. Eventually he decided enough was enough, and Belichick closed his notebook, told Accorsi to alert him when the call finally ended and just left.