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Report: Patriots' Bill Belichick 'Hates' Tim Tebow As A Player

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Free-agent quarterback Tim Tebow has plenty of supporters outside of the National Football League.

But it seems to be a different story among the decision-makers in the NFL.

In a Yahoo! Sports report titled "Tim Tebow blackballed by NFL teams because of cult-like following, media frenzy," sportswriter Michael Silver explored the perceived toxicity of Tebowmania.

In the lengthy piece was a particular nugget about the New England Patriots: head coach Bill Belichick "hates" Tebow as a football player, according to Silver's unnamed team source.

New England has been a part of the where-will-he-land speculation thanks to Tebow's history with offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, who traded up to nab the quarterback in the 2010 draft while head coach of the Denver Broncos. The 25-year-old was shipped off to the Jets in 2012 and released after one drama-filled season in New York.

The Patriots also "wouldn't like the circus" surrounding Tebow, Silver's source said.

That wasn't the only juicy quote:

-- From an unnamed NFC head coach: "He seems like a great guy to have on a team, and I'd be tempted to bring him in as our backup. But it's just not worth dealing with all the stuff that comes with it."

-- An AFC head coach told Silver, "You don't want to put up with the circus."

In a column on Wednesday, Gregg Doyel of CBSSports.com accused die-hard Tebowmaniacs of loving the quarterback's career "to death."

And we all know he has plenty of ardent boosters.

Earlier this week, a group of Jacksonville fans petitioned President Barack Obama to force the Jaguars to sign Tebow. A well-known Florida lawyer followed that up by launching his own Tebow-to-the-Jags campaign.

Not everyone is on board, though. The anti-Tebow website Evenifhesreleased.com exists solely to tally the number of "real Jaguars fans that don't need Tim Tebow."

The site's name is a nod to new general manager David Caldwell, who said in January, "I can't imagine a scenario where he'd be a Jaguar, even if he's released."

Jaguars fans NOT for Tim Tebow

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