A proud moment for Chapel Hill as Tar Heel alum Drake Maye has accomplished a significant feat in the NFL. His primetime 23-20 win against the Buffalo Bills is the talk of the town, or it should be at Chapel Hill. However, as relayed by Ross Martin, North Carolina has a new directive from the staff (Bill Belichick), not to tweet or retweet anything about the QB alum. Every program is eager to boast about its alumni success, but Belichick’s decision has certainly raised eyebrows, and billionaire booster Dave Portnoy is not having it.

Robert Kraft, the CEO of the New England Patriots, and Belichick enjoyed success for over years, but Kraft’s decision to designate Jerod Mayo as his successor and his ‘firing’ of the HC, put a crack in their relationship. And this tension has dripped down to UNC alumni’s new achievement. “This is so petty and so stupid, even if you hate the Krafts… you are the coach at UNC! How are you not letting them do that?” Wake Up Barstool wrote on X.

Drake Maye, selected as the No. 3 pick by the Patriots in the 2024 NFL Draft, led a 37-yard drive, setting up Andy Borregales’ field goal, with 15 seconds left on the clock. And the Patriots fans emerged victorious. Following the victory, Portnoy was beaming from ear to ear. “Drake Maye outplayed Josh Allen,” he said. “Drake Maye is a superstar. The Patriots’ dynasty…get used to this face. You had a decade off without Patriot football. Not anymore.”

Given that Maye is UNC’s biggest asset presently, “A top 5 QB in his second year and the future face of the NFL in a major market,” as Martin put it. It presents a lucrative opportunity for the Tar Heels’ recruiting efforts. Ever since Belichick put his foot in Chapel Hill, he has been pretty active in the recruiting efforts and has added 41 new players from the transfer portal.

Portnoy, a proud Michigan booster and Patriots fan, said, “It hurts me as a Patriots fan, as somebody who loves this guy, to see him( Belichick) rolled out there, embarrassed every single week in this tweet, you’re not going to let the University of North Carolina talk about Drake.” Portnoy’s comments present a bitter truth about North Carolina’s present trajectory. After a 2-2 record, Belichick’s NFL pedigree ended with a question mark. CBS Sports gave him an ‘F’ grade, and UNC Faithful clutched their hand in frustration.

In Dave Portnoy’s words, “I’m always going to be a Belichick guy,” Belichick’s recent decision to put a stop to talk about Drake’s achievement certainly stings. But the rising tensions crackling between Bill Belichick and the Patriots is not a new development.

Bill Belichick bans the Patriots’ scouts

The legend whose NFL career is defined on the Patriots’ pedestal has turned his face away from the very program. During football practices, Patriots scouts were not permitted inside the premises to scout talent. John Middlekauf, a former NFL scout turned podcast host, revealed on his show. “I was told by multiple people that he (Belichick) has banned the New England Patriots,” Middlekauff said.

He continued. “If you’re a scout for the New England Patriots, you are not allowed at the University of North Carolina, which is funny but kind of embarrassing.” Back in August, before North Carolina began his season, Belichick spoke to the Boston Globe’s Ben Volin, saying, “It’s a much more cohesive, and I’d say unified, view of what we’re trying to do and how we’re trying to do it. ”

For those who have been following the Kraft-Belichick feud, they did not miss the underlying jab in it. “It’s a lot of football, and there’s not much in your way.”  He had further continued. “There’s no owner, there’s no owner’s son, there’s no [salary] cap.” Tar Heels might not be grabbing too many eyeballs over their football program, but Bill Belichick’s affairs surely get them the limelight.