New England Patriots Biggest Rival Taking Shots Early

The New England Patriots and New York Jets have one of the bitterest rivalries in the NFL and it’s continued this offseason. While playing a word association game on ESPN’s “Sportscenter” Wednesday with Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski, Jets All-Pro cornerback Darrelle Revis was asked to say what he thinks when he hears the name Bill Belichick. Revis’ answer was “jerk”.

Revis’ latest shot at New England’s head coach is not surprising as the two teams have had some contentious moments during the last few seasons. One of these moments was an infamous press conference before a playoff game where Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker used 11 foot puns referring to a rumored foot fetish of Jet head coach Rex Ryan.

As for Gronkowski, the second year star attempted to keep away from anything controversial. When asked about what he thought about Ryan, Gronkowski simply replied “entertainer”. With comments made about Ryan in past few years, that’s a compliment.

Earlier this month the Jets acquired Tim Tebow from the Denver Broncos to back up starting quarterback Mark Sanchez. With the transaction being one of biggest sports stories of the summer, each guest was asked what came to mind as the mention of him. While Revis thought of his teammate as “a competitor”, Gronkowski quipped “starting quarterback for the Jets”. To Revis’ credit, he took the joke in stride laughing and replying “That’s a good one.”

Certainly Revis’ opinion of Belichick isn’t surprising nor is it the worst that will be said about the coach by a Jet this year. But the gibes are coming out early for the 2012 season. While Gronkowski kept his opinion of Rex Ryan clean during this television appearance, it’ll be interesting to hear what he thinks when the Patriots meet the Jets this coming season.