Belichick shows relaxed side before Super Bowl

INDIANAPOLIS — He fishes, goes to wine festivals, even kisses his girlfriend in full view at a Boston Celtics game.

He's Bill Belichick.

Really.

The New England Patriots coach, whose dour demeanor matches his gray hoodie and whose quotes make clichÉs seem original, actually has a colorful side rarely seen by football junkies. For some reason — and Belichick has a reason for everything — he's loosened up this Super Bowl week with a season's worth of smiles, jokes and fashionable attire.

"He's a good dude," tight end Aaron Hernandez said. "You just have to catch him on the right day."

There have been several of those this week, as the Pats prepare to play the New York Giants in Sunday's NFL title game, enough to show that Belichick is more than a one-dimensional gridiron "genius" but perhaps not enough to prove his public makeover will last until next season.

Matt Light, who has played left tackle for the Patriots since 2001, has watched Belichick coach about 1,000 practices. He's heard him rip players of all stature — from stars to practice squadders. And he's seen him offer encouragement with a pat on the back.

Light also noticed that Belichick has relaxed with age; he turns 60 in April, and has spent 37 of those years in various capacities on NFL coaching staffs.

"I think he's had a little more fun with some of the things that surround the game of football," Light said. "Whether it's just his old age softening him a little bit, he seems to be having a little bit more fun with it.

"But I think at the heart of everything he does, he just wants to win football games. Football is football and everything else is kind of secondary to that. His main focus is the game. I'm not sure you need to have a whole lot of humor when you're that focused on what you do, but it's kind of nice to see it every now and then."

For six straight days during Super Bowl week, Belichick regaled reporters with humor and historical reminiscences, careful all the while not to reveal any game plans or speak of the Giants with anything but admiration.

"Trust me, at times Bill can be difficult to deal with," nose tackle Vince Wilfork said, "but I think he sees a difference in this team. I think he knows that he has a pretty tough football team, a smart football team and a team that's never going to let him down. We have one more game to go. Hopefully, we won't let him down."