Information iron curtain rises throughout the NFL

	Not only are Bill Belichick's coaching philosophies being spread through his protégés, but his tight-lipped approach to the media is, too. Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

By Bob Harris, Special to SI.com, FootballDiehards

As I review this week's NFL news, a phrase from the semi-distant past came to mind: Iron Curtain.

The term was originally used by Winston Churchill in 1946 to describe the line of demarcation between Western Europe and the former Soviet Union's zone of influence -- one that created barriers to understanding and the exchange of information and ideas. But Dictionary.com currently offers a secondary, more general (and in this case more pertinent) definition:

"An impenetrable barrier to communication or information, especially as imposed by rigid censorship and secrecy."

Does that description fit anything you've run across recently?

How about a growing number of NFL teams -- or more specifically, a growing number of NFL head coaches? You bet it does.

In fact, some coaches -- New England's Bill Belichick, Denver's Mike Shanahan and Tennessee's Jeff Fisher come immediately to mind -- are old and practiced hands at this game. All three have spent many a season perfecting a Sgt. Schultz-like "I-know-nothing" approach to the dissemination of injury and line-up info, much to the chagrin of Fantasy Nation.

For those new to the hobby, still not sure what I'm talking about, I offer the following examples -- from this week, no less.

Starting in Denver, where Shanahan proclaimed he had absolutely no intention of announcing his starting running back for this week's regular-season opener against the Rams until sometime just before Sunday's kickoff. "You'll have to show up to that game, as we talked about before," Shanahan said when asked who starts on Monday. "Good try, though."

In case you missed it, Shanahan wasted no time declaring undrafted rookie Mike Bell his top tailback early in training camp -- ahead of Tatum Bell, pre-season No. 1 Ron Dayne and former Patriot Cedric Cobb.

And while the Rocky Mountain News -- citing the team's preseason and training-camp rotations and behind-the-scenes chatter the past several days -- advised readers that all signs point to Mike Bell trotting onto the field with the rest of the first-team offense Sunday, Shanahan wouldn't budge.

"I just really don't know at this time," the coach said again on Wednesday. "I'm not trying to be coy."

Of course not. ... He's being devious.