Former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick sparked controversy on Monday when he appeared on the Pat McAfee Show, criticizing the state of Massachusetts for its high tax rates.

Belichick, who left the Patriots earlier this year, claimed that the state’s high taxes made it difficult to attract top players, referring to Massachusetts as “Taxachusetts,” a nickname that has been used to criticize the state’s high tax burden.

The 72-year-old coach explained that even minimum-salary players earning around $1 million per year would be hit with significant state taxes, making it harder for the Patriots to compete with other teams in lower-tax states.

Belichick’s comments sparked a backlash on social media, with many Patriots fans defending their home state and pointing out its high-quality education and healthcare systems. One user wrote, “Yeah we’re all weeping for you Bill. You can move now that you’re unemployed. Let’s compare education/healthcare/infant mortality etc to Tennessee or other red states.”

Others noted that the Celtics, another Massachusetts-based sports team, seemed to have no problem attracting top talent despite the state’s high taxes. “Do the Celtics not play in Mass? Seems like they don’t have too hard of a time signing FAs,” wrote one user.

The Patriots, meanwhile, are gearing up for the regular season, which kicks off on the road against the Cincinnati Bengals on September 11.

Under a repost of that video were a number of Twitter users defending Massachusetts

Despite the controversy, Belichick’s comments have sparked a lively debate about the role of state taxes in professional sports and the trade-offs between economic considerations and quality of life.