Perhaps the best evidence is a true obsession comes from the failure of the person who has the obsession to admit it.
Exhibit A: Bills coach Rex Ryan, who claims that he isn’t obsessed with the New England Patriots.
“I know you guys always say that I’m obsessed with them and all that,” Ryan told reporters who cover the Patriots on Thursday, via Doug Kyed of NESN. “You guys are obsessed with them, not me. I want to beat the, but you guys are the ones who talk about them every single day.”
Ryan also seems to be obsessed with the fact that the reporters who cover the Patriots don’t seem to think the Bills are very good.
‘I don’t know,” Ryan said in response to the question of why he’s mad at the New England reporters. “I just like the way you guys spin everything, you put everything I say, you take whatever it is, hey, you guys put it out there the way you want to, and I understand it. You guys have covered this matchup for years and years. We got no business being on the same field. That’s what you said, we’ve lost seven of eight, I’ve lost seven of eight against them. So, don’t talk to me. I’m sitting back here, I’ll answer the question, whatever, but I don’t know why you even bother.”
Ryan was otherwise snippy with the New England media, giving short, non-informative responses to question like the improvement he has seen in quarterback Tyrod Taylor (“You guys are the experts. You’ll figure it out. I know he threw three interceptions last time we played them, so we’ll see. You guys will pick out the positives.”) to whether his reduction in interceptions arises from good decision making (“You guys need to do a little more of your homework to find out. I’m not going to answer your question. I think it’s pretty obvious the guy’s been pretty decent, but you guys will figure it out.).
Bottom line? Ryan is obsessed with the Patriots, as he should be. But he probably shouldn’t extend that attitude to the folks who cover the Patriots.