FanShot

When La Russa speaks, he sounds genuinely awed. "I'm just blown away that I can call him or that...

2

When La Russa speaks, he sounds genuinely awed. "I'm just blown away that I can call him or that he calls me to ask my opinion on things," La Russa said. "This is a real man of status. If he says you're OK, you think, 'Damn, maybe I'm OK.' " Like many close to Belichick, La Russa wishes public perception of the coach more accurately depicted the reality he sees personally. "I've gotten to know quite a few football guys - (Bill) Parcells, Ron Wolf - and everyone you talk to says Bill is a person of the highest esteem," La Russa said. "In getting to know him, here's what I've learned about Bill: He loves to coach football. I don't think the media and some fans always understand that. He doesn't want anything getting in the way of his team being as good as it can."

Cardinals' manager Tony La Russa talks about Belichick