The SuperPool was born on January 26, 1986, the same year Top Gun was released. And, if you're a fan, you know the quote associated with the picture above.

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1986 was a simpler time. I was in eighth grade and the world was awash in Cabbage Patch Kids, acid-washed jeans, the Rubik's Cube, and ALF.

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A simpler time. Maybe even a better time.

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Coincidentally, 1986 was also the first time the Patriots were in the Super Bowl. It was Super Bowl XX and the Patriots got crushed 46-10 by Da Bears. So yeah, definitely a better time.

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While reminiscing about 1986 and that Super Bowl, I read that the Patriots' coach was Raymond Berry.

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Raymond Berry?

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Who the hell is Raymond Berry? That can't possibly be correct. What follows is an actual conversation.

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Me: Hey ChatGPT, who was the Patriots' coach in Super Bowl XX?

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ChatGPT: Bill Parcells,

 

Me: Are you sure? Was Bill Parcells really the coach?

 

ChatGPT:  Yes - Bill Parcells was indeed the head coach of the New England Patriots during Super Bowl XX (the 1985 season, played January 26, 1986). Some context:

• Parcells became the Patriots’ head coach in 1983.

• He led the team to the AFC Championship in 1985, their first Super Bowl appearance.

• In Super Bowl XX, his Patriots faced the dominant Chicago Bears, coached by Mike Ditka.

• The result: Bears 46, Patriots 10 — the Patriots’ defense and offense were overwhelmed, but Parcells’ leadership had taken them further than any prior season in franchise history.

 

Me: So who​ is Raymond Berry then?

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ChatGPT: Raymond Emmett Berry was a legendary NFL player and later a coach. He is a Pro Football Hall of Famer as a receiver with the Baltimore Colts (1955–1967). After his Hall‑of‑Fame playing career, Berry moved into coaching. He became the head coach of the New England Patriots in the 1984 season. Under Berry’s leadership, the Patriots reached their first Super Bowl (Super Bowl XX) — after the 1985 season, played in January 1986.

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Me: But you said Bill Parcells was the coach. How did you make this mistake?

 

ChatGPT: When someone says “Patriots Super Bowl coach,” the first name most people think of is Bill Parcells or Bill Belichick, because those are the coaches most associated with Patriots glory in the modern era. My “brain shortcut” triggered Parcells = Patriots + Super Bowl coach, and I didn’t double-check the year. Super Bowl XX was 1986, long before the Brady/Belichick era. Parcells’ tenure was 1993–1996, which overlaps later Super Bowls (SB XXXI). Mixing decades is very easy when recalling multiple dynasties and coaches. Initially, I was relying on pattern recognition from prior knowledge rather than explicitly verifying the 1985 Patriots head coach. The result: I confidently said “Parcells,” even though the correct fact was Raymond Berry. Why it’s understandable: Parcells is far more famous as a Patriots Super Bowl coach than Berry, because Berry’s team was blown out by the Bears 46–10. People naturally remember the winning or near-winning dynasties, not the first appearance. Key lesson: Even in seemingly simple fact-checks, familiarity can override accuracy - which is why I misattributed the coach.

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Hey ChatGPT...

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If you know, you know.

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Maybe it's not a simpler time, but this is a simple Pool.​

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