Bone Dry Belichick

Depending on your sense of humor, you either find Bill Belichick to be a condescending dullard or a pretty funny guy. I live in the latter group and, that being the case, I like to peruse press conference transcripts sent by the Patriots CRACK media relations staff for Belichick smart-assedness.

Offerings from the first training camp press conference.

Q: How did Randy Moss do today in terms of his conditioning and just generally?
BB: I don't know. We had about 70 players out there practicing today. I couldn't give you a rundown on each guy.

Q: How would you characterize where things stand with Brandon (Meriweather, the Pats first-round pick who agreed to terms later in the day) right now?
BB: I wouldn't. I would just talk about the people that are here. I'd be happy to talk about them.

Q: I'm just wondering if Brady Quinn's situation affects that at all, is that a factor?
BB: He doesn't play for us.

Q: When you say it's not about expectations, do you have to make any conscious effort with them to tell these guys they're not as great as everybody thinks they are going to be?
BB: Oh, about what you guys write?

Q: Right.
BB: Oh, yeah, sure. Yes. It doesn't matter. It doesn't make any difference. Really. It doesn't make any difference. Anybody can go out there and say whatever they want. They can say we're the best team in the league, we’re the worst team in the league. It doesn't really matter. What will really matter is what we do on Sundays and that's what we have to focus on. What everybody thinks and says and the predictions and all that, we look at them every year. There's just too many variables in the NFL to predict that.

Q: Are you more comfortable when you can sneak up on people though and everyone doesn't go in thinking you're the team?
BB: I don't think you really sneak up on anybody in this league. When you go out there and compete against the other team on Sunday afternoon, they are as ready for you as you are for them. The team that plays the best wins, not the team that has the most all-stars, most Pro Bowl guys or any of that. That's not what it's about. It's about the team that plays the best and that's what we're about is trying to play better.

Q: Do you run out of the room when they’re on TV talking about how great you are?
BB: I don't see a lot of that.