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DAN SHAUGHNESSY

Where, oh where, has Tom Brady gone?

Bill Belichick is remaining tight-lipped on his quarterback, which seems to be the way Patriots fans like it.pat greenhouse/globe staff/file 2016

Tom Brady hasn’t been seen in Foxborough since before Thursday night’s preseason game with the Bears.

Injured? Pouting?

The Patriots aren’t saying anything. And their fans just love it.

Around here, every day is Patriots Day. Some days are just more sweet than others. Monday was one of those days, as Patriots fans celebrated the fifth consecutive day of no information regarding the most important player in franchise history.

I bumped into a couple of Patriots loyalists at a pub in Brighton, and they could barely contain their joy.

“Wow, Bill really stuck it to the media today,’’ said the guy in the Tom Brady jersey. “It was epic. Almost Nixonian. I tell ya, there’s nothing I love better than Bill telling those losers NOTHING about Tom! Hahahahaha. Sweet revenge for Deflategate!’’

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“But wait,’’ I countered. “Since you mentioned Nixon, let’s go there.

“This smacks of coverup. How do we know Tom’s really hurt? Isn’t it possible he just got into a hissing contest with Bill, and Bill sent him home and he’s pouting?

“You guys are Patriots fans. Don’t you want to know if the most important athlete of 21st-century Boston is injured? Aren’t you a little curious about why your best player left the stadium before last Thursday’s preseason game and hasn’t been seen since?’’

“Tell those media nitwits to take a flying leap into the Quabbin Reservoir,’’ snapped the other superfan, who was wearing a Tedy Bruschi jersey. “In Bill We Trust.

“I’m sure Tom is recovering nicely. He’s probably on a beach somewhere with Gisele. I think this was just another clever ruse by Bill. He said Tom was playing, then sent Tom home so that Jimmy G will learn how to be prepared. It was a teaching moment for Jimmy. Bill thinks of everything.’’

“But wait,’’ I countered again. “Tom Curran of CSNNE reported that Tom cut his throwing hand with scissors before the game. Tom’s agent told multiple outlets ‘an accident occurred and Tom will be OK in time.’

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“IN TIME? What does that mean? Tom missed practice Sunday and Monday. We have not seen him. Doesn’t that worry you a little?’’

“Naaaaah,’’ said the Brady jersey guy. “Bill already explained that. He was asked about it after the game.’’

“Bill WAS asked,’’ I acknowledged. “But he never answered the question. Ben Volin of the Globe asked, ‘Do you have any update on the report that Tom Brady injured his thumb before the game?’ Belichick’s answer was, ‘I made the decision for him not to play tonight.’

“That’s not what Bennie asked him. We know Bill made the decision. But we don’t know if Brady cut his hand.’’

“Awww, you media guys get all hurt because Bill won’t answer your questions. I watched the game on Channel 4’s ‘All Access,’ and during the game broadcast, they never even mentioned Brady was hurt. That’s good enough for me.

“I’m sure if anything happened to Tom, we’d hear about it on a news program like ‘All Access.’ That show reminds me a lot of ‘60 Minutes.’ I just can’t decide if it’s Burton or Roche who is most like Edward R. Murrow.’’

“Swell,’’ I said. “But when the reporters went back to Bill Friday and tried to get him to talk about it, he stonewalled the topic again. Asked for an update on Brady, Bill just said, ‘I made the decision, and, yeah, I don’t really have anything else to add.’

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“Then on Sunday, Curran reported that Tom has been excused from practice Sunday and Monday. Doesn’t that make you a little suspicious?’’

My new friends started getting a little testy.

“Listen, toolbag, leave Bill and Tom alone,’’ said the Bruschi guy. “Go read your Wells Report or call your pal Kravitz in Indy. Maybe Bill Polian will have something for you on ESPN.

“We get our Patriot information from all the outlets that are in business with the Patriots. WEEI. The Sports Hub. Channel 4. ESPN Boston. Patriots.com. Patriots Weekly. Kraft Productions. The Wells Report In Context.

“If the Patriot news isn’t coming from someone who works for the Patriots, it’s simply not credible. Those other guys are just bleep-stirrers.’’

Monday was more of the same as Belichick met with the media for the first time since Thursday and said he doesn’t comment on personal matters. Appearing on his paid gig with WEEI, Belichick was asked when Brady would return and answered, “He’s excused for personal reasons, so, when that clears up, I guess.’’

Asked about reports “that haven’t been confirmed about some injuries,” Belichick said, “That injury report doesn’t come out for a couple of weeks.’’

I can certainly see why fans would accept everything the team says (and doesn’t say). The Patriots, after all, have won one Super Bowl in the last 11 years while getting spanked by the NFL in two cheating scandals. That kind of dominance and transparence inspires blind trust and allegiance.

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If I had one of those Brady/Bruschi jerseys like my imaginary friends, you can be sure I would believe everything the team says and celebrate day after day of non-information.

Tom Brady is missing. Hurt? Pouting? We’ll never know. And most of their fans don’t care.

Video: Monday’s training camp report


Dan Shaughnessy is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at dshaughnessy@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @Dan_Shaughnessy.