Get ready for another cold handshake at Gillette
Dec 7th, 2007 by Bill Burt
The Bill Belichick Cold Handshake Tour continues at Gillette Stadium on Sunday, at about 7:30 p.m.
That’s about the time Belichick and rookie Steelers coach Mike Tomlin meet at the center of the field for the coaches’ handshake ritual.
Do not expect Belichick to whisper sweet nothings Tomlin’s way.
Tomlin, if you remember, was one of only two NFL coaches to comment on “spy-gate.” Tony Dungy, Tomlin’s phone pal, was the other.
Belichick was not happy with the Dungy’s response, which compared to Belichick to Barry Bonds, the biggest cheat of them all. And we saw it at the end of their game in Indianapolis. Belichick was steaming.
Well, here’s a few of Tomlin’s answers at a press conference immediately after the reports of the Patriots’ were being investigated for stealing defensive signs, via videotape:
Question: “Do you know of things like New England is accused of doing versus the Jets?”
Tomlin: “You hear rumors of things of that nature. It is nothing new. In terms of confirming it, it has never been confirmed in any instance to my knowledge, but usually where there is smoke, there is fire. Those rumors are founded on something, so it is not totally shocking.”
Question: “Are the rumors of that limited to New England or are they more wide spread?”
Tomlin: “A lot has been said about the New England guys and New England family if you will. You focus on the variables that you can control, the men that you work with, your preparation, your performance, at least I do. I don’t worry about those things.
Is this bulletin board material? Probably not.
But Tomlin, who had only one game under his belt as a head coach, chose to comment on Belilchick and the Patriots, not in a good light I might, which breaks one of the unwritten rules: Don’t criticize one of your own.
It took a lot of guts for Tomlin to speak out and question the Patriots integrity (maybe he knows something we don’t). But it seemed a little risky to take on a guy like Belichick with virtually no experience.
Tomlin’s relationship with Dungy might have something to do with it, as he got his start under Dungy in Tampa in 2001.
Anyway, it should be interesting after the game.
