Patriots coach Bill Belichick often grumbles short answers to reporters’ questions, especially after the Patriots lose. But on reflection, Belichick feels like he took that tendency too far after Saturday night’s loss to the Colts.
So on Monday morning, Belichick apologized to reporters, saying that he was frustrated but shouldn’t have been short with the journalists who were just doing their jobs.
“I apologize if it seemed like I was a little short with you after the game,” Belichick said, via Mike Reiss of ESPN. “Not really trying to be short, but honestly, there wasn’t too much to say. I don’t know that there’s a whole lot more to say now. But it’s not your fault. It was a frustrating game.”
The truth is, Belichick really wasn’t any more short with the media than he typically has been when his team isn’t playing well. Belichick made a couple of sarcastic remarks on Saturday night, telling one reporter, “Maybe you know what went wrong. I don’t know,” and growing exasperated when another reporter asked what went wrong and answering, “I’ve said it like five times. I could say it another five times.”
But Belichick didn’t scream or curse or lose his temper with the media on Saturday night. And so his Monday morning apology comes as a surprise.