he hype is right on schedule, isn’t it?

Yes, so well-timed. Wednesday is usually the big media day for teams in the National Football League, and you knew that the Tom Brady-Bill Belichick hype would be ramped up as soon as you opened your eyes yesterday morning.

One little drop of ESPN reporter Seth Wickersham’s new book on the Patriots that’s due to come out in a after another. Belichick refused to meet with Tom. Owner Robert Kraft referred to his coach as something rather,well, unflattering. Belichick loved NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. Brady just wanted to be loved.

It may quiet down over the next day or two, and then Sunday morning there will be another bombshell dropped. Count on it.

Really, time for one big collective yawn. Because here’s the reality: Tom Brady got older. He didn’t want to be yelled at any longer like a young QB. He wanted to be paid, which he should have been, very understandable. He wanted to play with better players.

Brady changed from the wide-eyed young QB he was 20 years ago. He was frustrated his entire final season here. The HC of the NEP didn’t change, likely never will. And thus the split was inevitable.

That’s how it happens. And it’s not the first time, in the regular world of employment or the NFL. Those of you who are old enough may remember that the Pittsburgh Steelers dynasty of the 1970s had its problems, specifically between head coach Chuck Knoll and quarterback Terry Bradshaw.

The two reportedly couldn’t stand each other. If free agency existed back then the way it does now,, there’s no way, it seemed, that Bradshaw would have played his whole career with the Steelers the way he did.

Of course Belichick on Wednesday dodged around a lot of the stories coming out of the book, paid tribute to his former quarterback. To be honest, what else could he do? He needs to keep his players focused on the task at hand, and it certainly looks like it’s going to be a tall task.

“I’m just going to focus on what I can do to help our team Sunday night,” Belichick said. “Same thing I always try to do.”

He did address the report that he wouldn’t meet with Brady in person to say good-bye.

“No,” he said. “That’s not true, and I’ve heard a few things about this book and sounds like it’s a lot of second, third and fourth-hand comments, but I’m not going to get into that.

“I’m boing to to focus on this game and try to prepare for the Bucs.”

Caught in the middle of all this is the poor rooke QB, Mac Jones. If the Patriots offensive line doesn’t block any better, and if he doesn’t make quicker reads, he’ll be mincemeat for the Tampa pass rush.

“You just got to foucs on doing what you’re supposed to do,” Jones said Wednesday, “and people who have jobs in high pressure situations, that’s what they do. … We’re just going to be ready to play when it happens. ….

“It’ll be really exciting, and the fans will obviously be great, and I think it will be a great atmosphere.”

It will until the game gets out of hand, which with this Patriots group that is still finding its way, it could be.

Meanwhile, let the coach handle the pressure off the field. And the owner, who is no stranger to drama, beginning with this first head coach back in the mid 1990s, a guy named Parcells.

“Nothing Tom does surprises me,” Belichick said on Wednesday. “He’s a great player. Works hard and takes care of himself. I mean, he’s talking about playing until 50. If anybody can do it, he probably can.”

He should be doing it in a Patriots uniform, but then we wouldn’t have a week like this, right?

Tom King can be reached at tking@nashuatelegraph.com, or on twitter @Telegraph _TomK.