Red Sox Fans Won’t Like This Salute From Patriots’ Bill Belichick

Bill Belichick appreciates greatness. Praising legends is one of the few things the Patriots head coach likes to talk at length about when he meets with the media.

Belichick did so Monday, one day after New England’s all-important road win over the New York Jets, but his kind words weren’t for an NFL player or coach.

The future Hall of Famer briefly shifted his focus to another sport after he highlighted Jabrill Peppers’ shortstop-like play at MetLife Stadium on Sunday. ESPN’s Mike Reiss used the opportunity to ask Belichick to identify his favorite shortstop growing up, but instead of picking a player from his youth, the Patriots legend went with a more recent superstar who tormented the Boston Red Sox for years.

“There was a lot of good ones. Have to go with (Derek) Jeter here in the long haul,” Belichick told reporters, per a team-provided transcript. “Not that I was growing up then, but it’d be hard to put anybody ahead of Jeter.”

Jeter definitely is the conversation for the greatest shortstop in Major League Baseball history, but we imagine very few members of the Fenway Faithful would give that label to the former New York Yankees captain.

As for the Patriots, they’ll try to lift their record above .500 for the first time this season Sunday when they host the 3-4-1 Indianapolis Colts.