It was one of the most surreal days in New York Jets history -- Jan. 4, 2000, when Bill Belichick stunned the Jets, the NFL and some of his closest confidantes by quitting the Jets on the day he was to be introduced as Bill Parcells' successor.

The 17-year anniversary of the news conference triggers many vivid memories.

I was sitting in the auditorium that day, alongside future ESPN colleague Sal Paolantonio. When Jets public relations director Frank Ramos began by telling the media that Belichick had an announcement to make, I turned to Sal and said, "I think he's going to quit." I would've tweeted my hunch, except there was no Twitter. Prehistoric times, right? I had heard rumblings the night before, but no one in the building actually thought he'd go through with it.

But he did, resulting in a long, rambling news conference in which Belichick most certainly did not present himself as a football genius.

There isn't a lot of video of that day, but here's a snippet for old time's sake.

At the time, I was working for the New York Daily News. Here's some of what I wrote:

Bill Belichick met with the Jets' assistant coaches at 10 a.m. yesterday. It was business as usual for 30 minutes, as Belichick provided them with information about the upcoming Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala. He seemed to be planning for the future, scheduling the next staff meeting for Jan. 14. No one in the room suspected that, four hours later, Belichick would rock the organization by quitting the same day he was supposed to be coronated as Bill Parcells' successor. Strange day. In fact, Belichick didn't notify club president Steve Gutman until moments before a scheduled 2:30 news conference at Weeb Ewbank Hall. He scribbled his resignation on a sheet of loose-leaf paper, writing that he was quitting as "H.C. of the NYJ."

"Something happened in those four hours, something bizarre," one team source said. In one of the most bizarre chapters in the often zany history of the Jets, Belichick resigned only one day after succeeding the retired Parcells, who moved into a front office advisory role. In a span of 26 1/2 hours, the Jets - still without an owner - lost two coaches, throwing the organization into a state of chaos.

Since then, the Jets are on their fifth coach -- Al Groh, Herm Edwards, Eric Mangini, Rex Ryan and Todd Bowles. They've been to the playoffs six times, still looking for that elusive championship.

As for the New England Patriots ... well, you know the story.