Plenty of bad blood circulating through NFL - NFL - Yahoo! Sports
as usual
as usual
Belichick is to hard feelings what the sun is to natural energy. He offers a limitless supply. And with all due respect to the Jets, the feelings of bitterness run deepest for the Colts, who have found a myriad of reasons to loathe the Patriots coach. From the postseason history to Spygate to his annually frigid handshakes with Colts coach Tony Dungy, it’s a recycled hatred that has reached self-sustaining proportions.
This year’s moment didn’t get a lot of media attention, but it irked the Colts just the same. It took place when, during the run-up to the Nov. 2 game at Indianapolis, Belichick seemed to make a subtle hint that the Colts weren’t being honest with their injury report. At least, that’s how some Colts players took it, when Belichick said of Peyton Manning’s lingering knee issue, “If I’m not mistaken he hasn’t been on the injury report all year, other than maybe one day right at the beginning of the season. I’m not really sure what injuries you’re talking about.”
It had the feel of a deft poke in the eye – one that some Colts players didn’t appreciate, particularly considering the source.
“Coming from Bill Belichick, that’s frickin’ hilarious,” Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney said. “Tony’s not going to do that. He’s not that type. That’s the type of stuff Bill does. That’s just the type of mentality Bill has and they have as a team. Every week last season, frickin’ Tom Brady was on the damn injury report with an ankle or whatever, and he was playing every week. That’s just the kind of stuff they do. So don’t come out and try to act like we’re doing
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