The New England Patriots are as secretive as any organization in professional sports, but that has not stopped behind-the-scenes information from leaking out on occasion.
Some of it is coming from well-established reporters who have spent years building a reputable network within league circles and at One Patriot Place. A lot of it, however, falls into a different category — one that might be located anywhere between hearsay or exaggeration.
One of the best example for that came in the 2003 season. ESPN analyst Tom Jackson went on the air to proclaim that “they hate their coach” after Bill Belichick traded long-time team captain Lawyer Milloy to Buffalo just days before the season opener.