In November, fresh off having players wear pink to raise awareness of breast cancer, the NFL put its coaches in camouflage as part of its "Salute To Service" campaign.

View photos Giants head coach Tom Coughlin (R) and Bill Belichick meet after the Patriots' win Sunday. (Getty) More

This is different than when teams were paid by the Department of Defense to stage patriotic/pro-military acts like bringing soldiers out on the field and asking fans to cheer. Sen. John McCain, among others, ripped that as "paid patriotism" and humbled the league and its teams into returning $6.8 million.

This campaign, per the league press release, is not about profit (no government money is involved) but because "supporting the military is part of the fabric of the NFL."

So coaches are wearing camo hats and camo sweatshirts and even camo headsets … all of which you can purchase. The USO, the Wounded Warrior Project and the Pat Tillman Foundation are beneficiaries.

Well, not all the coaches are wearing camo.

The New England Patriots' Bill Belichick has yet to put any on. He has worn a pin with camouflage on it, but not the full garb. A couple other coaches have worn only the camo headsets or the pin, but it's no surprise Belichick has gone low-key.

The campaign has left fans of both football and fashion confused … is Tom Coughlin wearing that because he went deer hunting this morning and forgot to change? And by the way, is anyone fooled by blue camo?

Officially it is a mystery why Belichick hasn't decked himself out fully in Salute to Service apparel. Belichick has not elaborated on it since Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston brought it up last week.

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That probably isn't a coincidence.

This is, or would be, Belichick at his non-conformist best. It may even be a passive-aggressive, anti-league-office, anti-marketing-gimmick move. Eschewing Salute to Service camo is in line with his long-term stances on multiple levels.

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Let's start with one undeniable fact: Belichick is extremely pro-military. He grew up in Annapolis, Md., where his father Steve was an assistant coach at the U.S. Naval Academy, his heroes and peers sailors or children of sailors. He has a long history of individual outreach to soldiers and their families. He's a serious military history buff.

All four of the Patriots' trips to the White House to celebrate winning a Super Bowl have included stops at Walter Reed Hospital, the Army's flagship medical facility for wounded vets.

Sources say he always takes time on Veterans Day or other times through the season to address the full team about what the holiday means, or why the national anthem is played before games or bring in others to speak about the importance of military service. It isn't just about honoring, it's about teaching the generally young men in his charge about what he believes is important.

Belichick's commitment to the cause can't be questioned. What can be questioned is the league demanding someone wear a camouflage hat. It is a mostly meaningless gesture and doesn't signify anything. It's a sort of forced, show-pony act that has become pervasive.

It's why this should be a choice. If a coach wants to wear it, fine – after all, any extra money that goes to the aforementioned organizations is a positive. If a coach doesn't want to wear it though, then fine also.

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