We continue our look at the Apple TV+ ‘The Dynasty’ documentary after eposes five and six dropped on Thursday.
This will be much shorter than the outrageous 5,000 word breakdown I had for episodes three and four, but in fairness, that Spygate episode was pretty damn entertaining with some good stuff that we’d never seen or heard before.
Anyways, here’s some thoughts while watching the most recent episodes…
Episode 5
-“If there’s one game in history I’d change, it’s that game.” -TB on the 07 SB. More salt in the wound right of the bat this episode. Dammit.
-Awesome little piece of footage acknowledging the 16-0 season. I hated the banner and always will, but it’s good to know the team didn’t just gloss over it too.
-Brady talking about the look in the doctor’s eyes in 08 when he got hit and he “knew what it meant.” I think we all did almost immediately when that guy stays down.
-“I wanna play…I’ll fix my ACL at the end of the year.” -TB to BB after the injury. Just another savage moment in a long line of them from the GOAT. Built different.
-Actually a hell of a speech from Bill in the locker room to Cassel and the team using Kurt Warner and Brady as examples. Great reaction from the guys rallying around him too. Hard to believe they ever had that reaction for Mac, maybe Zappe but to a much lesser degree.
-I miss The Sports Reporters on ESPN on Sundays. Dad watched it religiously and I was never a fan until I got older and it was taken off the air. Fantastic national discussion back when ESPN was actually worthwhile. I had forgotten how much national chatter was around Cassel too.
-Wow. Defintiely don’t remember the “how much of it is Bill, how much of it is Tom?” discussion happening this early, but apparently it’s been going on for 16 years.
-“I know you haven’t started a game since the F’n seventh grade, but you started one today.” -BB to Cassel after his win against the Jets in Week 2. Tremendous. These hilarious little human moments from BB have been the highlight of the documentary so far.
-Interesting to hear BB talk about tailoring the offense to Cassel’s strengths and ‘confidence,’ what the hell happened with Mac then?
-I absolutely do not remember Cassel being that good as a runner.
-Alex Guerrero sighting. Funny to hear him talk about TB thinking about his career mortality 13 years before it actually happened.
-“Most coaches in the NFL are coaching football and he’s coaching warfare.” – Dante Stallworth on BB. Really good quote.
-Seeing the old Navy highlights brings me back to this past December in Gillette. Coolest thing I’ve ever experienced in this profession so far was Army/Navy. Incredible day.
-“If you’re not mentally tough, it’ll destroy you.” -Matt Cassel. So, Cassel just confirming Mac was in fact destroyed here. Thanks. Got it.
-Cassel story about Bill saying he doesn’t want to have to write his mom a note that he’s dead because he’s a dumbass and didn’t see a corner blitz is another one of those great little human BB nuggets.
-Love how Bruschi explained getting through Belichick’s coaching. Pats simply didn’t have enough vets like that anymore to allow Bill’s coaching style to actually work on a younger roster.
-Wish there was more from that Thursday night Jets loss in OT that year against Favre. Was at that game and the ending with Moss tying the game at the buzzer was electric. Thought we may get a little more of the playoff chase down the stretch here other than Cassel just saying “we didn’t make the playoffs.”
-Seeing the WBCN 104.1 (Patriots Rock Radio Network) mic at BB’s final regular season postgame presser that year brings a tear to the eye.
-Stephen A. Smith says the “greatness of Bill Belichick has me wondering about the greatness of Tom Brady,” how quickly things can change…
-Brady (Guerrero) saying he thought he could do this until he’s 50 all the way back in 2009 is actually very believable. Guy was just psychotic when it came to competition.
-I forgot that the Bills let Ben Watson beat them twice on MNF in the 2009 opener. That’s just sad and very funny. Also Jon Gruden on color is also quite comical.
-What a train wreck that 2009 turned out to be, huh? I remember as a fan assuming they’d just flip a switch because they’d done it for so long already, but that Ravens team was sick. Brady was also throwing to Sam Aiken at receiver. YIKES.
-Having said that, no mention of the Welker injury in Week 16 against Houston is WILD given how important he was to that offense still.
-“We’ve got to have a good draft because we’ve got to get this going.” -Ernie Adams heading into 2010. Sounds awfully familiar…
-“We did not understand the full dimensions of what the problem was.” -Ernie Adams when drafting Aaron Hernandez. Understatement of the century.
-Really didn’t need Brady’s sister and dad giving us a sob story for him when he was also giving it.
Overall a good episode, but some pretty big omissions again.
Episode 6
-Just seeing Hernandez to open up this episode gave me a weird vibe. I can’t imagine having covered him or having been his teammate knowing everything we now know. So, so creepy.
-“I have some moments where I’m just like…you should have seen that. Like, Deion, you should have seen that.” -Deion Branch. Chilling words from the former wide receiver.
-“To be competitive, you have to do well in the draft.” -RKK talking about 2010. As I keep saying, it’s funny how the more things change, the more they stay the same.
-What a friggin draft that year for BB. McCourty, Gronk, Hernandez (minus the murdering thing). Great year for him, Berj and Ernie (based on who we see in the room clearly making decisions).
-Gronk being in trouble 5 minutes after being drafted is something I think we all knew already but still funny o hear him tell the story.
-“We knew there were issues, but you make a calculation on draft day…look, we were getting a first round talent for a fourth round price. If it doesn’t work out we can always cut him.” -Ernie Adams on the Hernandez pick. Sounds about right.
-Florida having a “fixer” during the Urban Meyer days when guys got in trouble is the most Florida/major D1 program thing ever. BC certainly doesn’t.
-Crazy to see Hernandez at the 2010 Rookie Symposium ask Chris Carter which changes he made after being cut in Philly and still know everything we do now. Guy just couldn’t grow up.
-Seeing him and Brandon Spikes laugh about weed was LOL funny though.
-Pretty crazy they just gloss over the 2010 Jets playoff loss after blowing them out with 45 points weeks earlier and the entire 2011 season up until the Super Bowl. The Cundiff missed kick was sort of a big deal, as was Gronk getting hurt in the AFCCG.
-Insane how good Hernandez was at saying the right thing and sounding so genuine but not meaning a damn thing. A Costanza-esque level lying ability.
-“I think he’s got such a good heart. He’s a good guy.” -RKK talking to BB on Hernandez. Oops. Got that one very wrong.
-“It was our hope and desire that The Patriot Way would be a great influence on him.” -RKK. Another rough look with that quote.
-RKK says there as a genuine connection and love between him and Hernandez. I still can’t wrap my head around how people that spent every day with him go about their daily life still knowing a murdering psycho was this close to you. Simply terrifying.
-Brandon Lloyd sighting! Did not expect that.
-The story Lloyd tells about Wes Welker warning him about Hernandez playing with his junk or ‘bathing with his mom’ was creepy, but also, if Welker says it was “glaring” that there were issues, why did no one else see anything or speak up?
-Hernandez calling BB “daddy” might be the funniest thing I’ve heard yet in this thing.
-So, Hernandez could MF TB and other guys and Lloyd says it “didn’t elicit a response out of Bill.” How many other guys got this treatment? Couldn’t have been more than one or two. Why was he so protective of Hernandez? Talented obviously, but anyone else is cut immediately or at least traded.
-“When you’re that talented, a lot of people put up with a lot of stuff.” -Welker on BB’s love for Hernandez. Nailed it.
-Deion Branch knew how F’d up Hernandez was the entire time and ultimately couldn’t do anything. So sad.
-I can’t believe it’s been 11 years in June since this happened. Feels like 5 years ago.
-Branch says Hernandez told him it would all blow over and it’ll be fine. Eerily goes back to Chris Carter telling every rookie to cut the BS because “you will get caught.”
-I remember sitting in a baseball field parking lot about to cover American Legion baseball for The Metro West Daily News when it was first announced he’d been arrested for murder. It was one of those things where you hear the other crappy franchises have stories like this but not the Pats. Couldn’t believe it.
-I totally forgot about news crews swarming him when he went to get gas. What w wild scene. Crazier now that I use that pump near the stadium so much now.
-Looking RKK right in the eye and saying he didn’t do it and that he was in RI is again, next level lying ability. Truly a sick individual.
-“To this day, I can’t believe I got snookered like that.” -RKK. He also added it changed how he looks at people. Powerful quote.
-Bold move here to paint a picture of the Krafts immediately wanting to get rid of Aaron but Bill being more hesitant. More shade on BB. Also, very interesting that this was actually Jonathan’s call with both RKK and BB out of the country at the time.
-The gates opening and people streaming in for camp after the BB press conference addressing Hernandez is the ultimate definition of the show goes on in the NFL.
-Wow. I think we all knew about Hernandez asking Bill for help, but I don’t think many of us knew that he asked for a trade to the West Coast to get away from people in CT and that his wife and kid were in danger. BB offered team security help and Hernandez turned it down. BB wanted to win more than take care of his player’s well-being. Bottom line in this one.
-“It’s an unfortunate situation about Aaron. I don’t have anything to add to it.” -BB when asked what he did with Hernandez’ request for a trade…
-“We knew he wasn’t the ideal citizen, but did we ever suspect this is a guy who’s going to be running around with guns shooting people? No.” -Ernie Adams. I find it harder to believe now more than ever that they didn’t know how troubled he was with Bill being so close to Urban Meyer.
-Adams says “probably” the best thing for Hernandez’s football career and life was to go to Seattle. I wish we knew if there was in fact a trade ever lined up and what it would have been.
-“We messed up in this one, and for those of you who feel pain, I apologize.” -RKK. Poignant end to this episode.