Patriots' Bill Belichick takes question about underwear but not Trump

HOUSTON — New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick had no problem on Super Bowl Opening Night sidestepping questions about his relationship with President Trump and recent protests around the country.

A question about underwear with his name on them, though? That threw Belichick for a bit of a loop.

It started when Kacy Hintz, a self-proclaimed diehard Patriots fan and sports reporter for KTBY FOX 4 and KYUR ABC 13 in Alaska, said she had a crazy question. The normally droll Belichick said with a smile to bring it on before offering that he never had visited her state.

"You might want to after this one, though," Hintz said.

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"Hey, I definitely would take you up on that, to go on Alaska," Belichick said. "Maybe we can play the Super Bowl up there some year."

After establishing how superstitious Belichick is — "not at all" — Hintz then said she's very superstitious ... and wears the same pair of Bill Belichick underwear for every game.

Did Belichick know these existed?

"Yeah, I think I missed that one somehow," Belichick said, returning to deadpan norm.

Hintz followed up: "Would you ever wear a pair of them?"

"I'm really not superstitious," Belichick said. "I mean, I wish that's all there was to it. Then we wouldn't have to deal with all the other things we do to prepare for a game. We'd just wear the same socks each week, but I don't really think that's the answer, with all due respect."

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Hintz told USA TODAY Sports that yes, she really owns the underwear, which say "Sons of Belichick" on them."

"I'm a diehard Patriots fan," Hintz said, "and so a few years ago, I was on this website to get like a hoodie, and I found them. I was like, 'Oh my gosh, I've got to have that.' "

Hintz said she was "slightly embarrassed by the back part of (Belichick's) reaction, because I really wasn't sure what he was implying" by saying with all due respect.

At least she got something resembling an answer.

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No such luck for those who tried to press Belichick, who has acknowledged he wrote a letter to his friend Trump after the election in November, for a reaction to the controversial immigration ban.

"Right now," Belichick said, "I'm focused on Atlanta."

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Follow Tom Pelissero on Twitter @TomPelissero

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