FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — One cannot visit the land of the undefeated without studying its leaders.
Among the impressions before walking over to the Piccadilly Pub to swap Red Sox and Pats stories with the locals:
• Bill Belichick is more human up close than he is from afar.
Not that there’s an alternative. Belichick can’t be less personal than he appears in those press-conference snippets. But behind that podium, and below his gray sweatshirt, Belichick wears cut-off, rolled-up sweat shorts. With no socks.
Spygate doesn’t bother me as much as Belichick’s perceived arrogance. But hang around for a while and his lack of pretense is appreciated.
Through his mundane delivery, Belichick will give the occasional full answer to inconsequential issues, like the Chargers’ fight song.
“I hate that song,” Belichick said, before taking the press on a nostalgic trip to a time when the likes of Wes Chandler, Chuck Muncie, John Jefferson and Kellen Winslow could put the tune on an endless play loop.
It’s when critical matters arise, like his defense’s inability to match its offensive brilliance and Randy Moss’ inability to bury trouble, that Belichick becomes robotic. He was asked at least five times last week about the possibility of San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers not playing in the AFC championship game today because of injury. In his dull monotone and dour expression, Belichick began his answer exactly the same way, all five times: We’ll prepare for all 53 players on their roster.
Behind that drab presentation, however, is a coach with a bold offense who often boldly refuses to punt on fourth down and who remains unruffled on the sidelines.
• Tom Brady is as near perfect in person as he appears from afar. He is shy and confident, polite and decisive. One reason why he may be so inhumanly cool under pressure is he understands the vulnerabilities of the common fan.
“I remember growing up sitting up 10 rows from the top of Candlestick Park watching down with binoculars at Joe Montana and Steve Young, thinking I was this kid with a dream, and now all the sudden I’m on the field,” Brady said. “To think back on those days and how this has progressed to the point where it’s at is extremely fulfilling.”
It’s OK to hate the Patriots. But something’s wrong if you hate Tom Brady.
• Two of the NFL’s Final Four, the Patriots and the New York Giants, played for keeps in their regular-season finale even though both had nothing to gain and players to lose. The other two teams, Green Bay and San Diego, played their starters in Week 15 and half of Week 16, even though victory brought little.
Meanwhile, Dallas, Pittsburgh and Indianapolis all but surrendered their regular-season finales, resting many starters.
Clearly, the message here is maintaining competitive sharpness far outweighs the risk of injury. If future playoff-bound teams follow the Pats and Giants — and if they meet in the Super Bowl, better believe they will have started a trend — the NFL will have largely solved the lone weakness in its competitive system, which is meaningless games in the final weeks of the regular season.
• While the Broncos’ offense remains the responsibility of head coach Mike Shanahan, the increased coaching role of Jeremy Bates is encouraging. Bates is 31, the same age as Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. The Pats scored a record 589 points this season.
While youth has its risks, perhaps Bates, who already has a good working relationship with quarterback Jay Cutler, can bring some derring-do to the Broncos’ offense.
• The Patriots may be 17-0, but many sports fans here will admit they are more familiar with the hit-and-run than sideline-and-go. While everybody here knows Super Bowl XLII is in two weeks, nearly as many note the Big Game means it’s a mere 13 days from when Red Sox pitchers and catchers report to spring training.
Off to the Piccadilly. Cheers!
