If anyone thinks Tim Tebow is going to be the center of attention in New England this summer, Patriots coach Bill Belichick would like to nip that in the bud.
Asked by a reporter today about Tebow improving as a passer, Belichick told the media not to bother asking for regular Tebow updates, because he won’t be providing them.
“Like I said, we’re not going to get into a minute-by-minute evaluation of a player. I don’t think that’s the way to go, especially at this time of year,” Belichick said.
Faced with other questions about Tebow, Belichick gave non-answers. The question, “How did Tim Tebow look yesterday?” was met with this answer:
“I think everybody out there is pretty much in the same boat: just trying to get better day by day. Some guys are starting at different points; he’s obviously starting at a point different than where other players were. They’re all moving along. Guys that are out there are making progress. Guys that aren’t are doing what they can do and they’re falling behind.”
Notice how the question was about Tebow, and the answer was about the whole team?
Belichick was also asked a question about being buttoned-up in his relationship with the media, and he answered, “You guys ask me a question and I try to answer it the best I can.” But the truth is, Belichick does his best not to answer questions. And if his goal is to make sure media coverage of Tebow doesn’t become a distraction, that’s probably wise.