The Lighter Side Of Bill Belichick Comes Through When Reporter's Dog Crashes Press Conference

BOSTON (CBS) -- Whenever Bill Belichick holds a press conference, you never know which version of the Hall of Famer you're going to get. Sometimes it's a no-nonsense coach who's not much for small talk. Other times, a story teller shows up to share tales from his near-50-year career coaching in the NFL.

And then sometimes, you just get a happy-go-lucky dog lover.

That was the version of Belichick who sat for a virtual press conference over Zoom with reporters on Monday morning. When CLNS reporter Evan Lazar asked a question about defensive lineman Henry Anderson, Lazar's dog interrupted the press conference, barking off camera before hopping on screen to steal a little of the attention away from the topic at hand.

Belichick began answering the question, but couldn't resist commenting on the canine interference.

"Well, Henry's a smart player, has a lot of experience ... and uhh, looks like you got your buddy there," Belichick said with a smile. "Can we have him ask the next question? And then we could get Nike to answer it."

Nike, is, of course, Belichick's world-famous pup who made his on-screen debut during the 2020 draft from Nantucket. Belichick played into the viral meme sensation earlier this year by consulting Nike for some draft advice.

In this instance, Belichick was only briefly sidetracked before answering the question about Anderson. But the invitation for a dogs-only press conference has officially been set. We'll have to keep an eye out for any future press conference woofs, barks and yips in future days.

• Bill Belichick
• National Football League
• New England Patriots