Annnnnd NEW!

I’m sure the Las Vegas Raiders appreciate the gesture.

The New England Patriots are in “Sin City” this week preparing for their preseason finale against the Las Vegas Raiders, which gave New England native and Patriots super fan Dana White an excuse to host the NFL powerhouse at the nearby UFC Performance Institute (home of the APEX facility) and hand out honorary championships.

It’s kind of like those honorary doctorates fancy universities gift to celebrities for life achievements. You get a diploma without studying or taking any tests and in this case, Bill Belichick gets a belt without getting his ass kicked from here to Topeka. Something tells me White won’t be getting an honorary Super Bowl ring in return.

Here’s more:

File this under “male bonding.”

“It’s a much better opportunity, nowhere to go,” Belichick said. “I mean we’re in one spot. They enjoy hanging out with each other, doing things together, football or non-football. So, it’s a good opportunity. It prepares us for the games we’re going to have on the road this year.”

With the Raiders now in Las Vegas, White tried to use his clout to get NFL stars and former Patriots Rob Gronkowski and Tom Brady to play ball in “Sin City” but according to White (read his explanation here), coach Jon Gruden torpedoed the deal.

I guess he’ll have to settle for Derek Carr.