As part of the Patriots minicamp, Bill Belichick gave a news conference with the assembled media, mostly answering questions about the team's outdoor workouts, newly acquired tight end Jake Ballard, and the offseason of running back Shane Vereen. However, at least one question appeared to come completely out of nowhere, yet gave quite a bit of insight into Belichick's proclivities.
The question posed to Belichick — between queries about Ballard and defensive end Alex Silvestro — was "Do you think Joe Torre is the best baseball manager of the last 20 years?" The question may have been in jest, but it at least yielded an interesting response from Belichick, not normally known for his media candor.
"He's not better than Tony La Russa, no," said the three-time Super Bowl champion.
It would probably be extrapolating to try to find similarities between the coaching styles and strategies of Belichick and La Russa. However, both of them are known for one thing: their crotchety personalities.
La Russa was actually in attendance at Patriots minicamp on Wednesday, so perhaps that influenced Belichick's words. But one thing is for sure, neither man will be referred to as warm and cuddly any time soon.
