In a quest to predict the end of this glorious, often controversial, run ESPN released a report last week that major tension exists among the troika of Belichick, Brady and owner Robert Kraft.
FOXBORO — Everyone loves a story, the more drama the better.
It’s why we pack movie theaters, watch hit TV shows and buy bestselling books. It’s also why a particular fanatical segment of the population loves sports.
Combine sports with a healthy dose of drama and Hollywood hits home runs like "Brian’s Song," "Hoosiers" and "Seabiscuit."
Here in New England, we have our very own sporting drama, one that’s thoroughly entertained football fans for 17 years now. This one stars a quarterback with Tinseltown good looks, a superb coach with the personality of a rock and an array of co-stars who’ve combined to make the New England Patriots the greatest dynasty in NFL history.
This story has already given us Spygate, in which coach Bill Belichick was fined a record half-million dollars in 2008 for illegally filming the signals of opposing teams. We’ve seen a true crime tragedy unfold as Aaron Hernandez's promising career ended after he was charged with, and later convicted of, shooting an associate to death.
In 2015 we saw quarterback Tom Brady accused of softening footballs below legal levels in an AFC title game. The Pats went on to win the Super Bowl, but Brady’s reputation took a Deflategate hit after he was slapped with a four-game suspension for the 2016 season.
Yet in true Patriots fashion, Brady and his pals don't seem to flinch. They shook off Spygate with a 16-0 regular season in 2007. They did the same after Deflategate as Brady returned from his suspension and ran roughshod over the rest of the league, going 14-1 and winning a fifth Super Bowl trophy.
The twists and turns of any good story require a poignant ending. That brings us to the latest so-called distraction that's chasing the Patriots into their AFC Divisional playoff game against the Tennessee Titans Saturday night at Gillette Stadium.
In a quest to predict the end of this glorious, often controversial run, ESPN reported last week major tension existing among the troika of Belichick, Brady and owner Robert Kraft. The story forecast brewing issues that could lead to Belichick walking away in an ego tussle with Kraft, Brady upset after his personal trainer was banned from the team’s plane and sideline, and Kraft needling into football decisions and choosing Brady over his backup, Jimmy Garoppolo, as the team’s quarterback of the near-future.
The problem is that much of this drama spins on supposition and conjecture. Reality, after all, is fairly boring.
Could this Patriot Reign be coming to an end? Well, of course it is. Brady is 40 years old, Belichick 65. The end is near. This is not news.
Predicting how the final chapter of this historic period will unfold is shortsighted and foolhardy. Instead, fans should just enjoy the ride.
The Patriots are, once again, the favorites to win the Super Bowl. They’ve already won five Lombardi Trophies, including last year’s thrilling comeback victory over the Atlanta Falcons. It will be an upset if there isn't a Duck Boat parade for number six early next month.
The team owns a 13-3 record and will play at Gillette in any games before the Super Bowl. Since his four-game Deflategate penalty ended in the fall of 2016, Brady is 27-4. Toss out a game in Miami last month where All-World tight end Rob Gronkowski was suspended for an illegal hit and the Pats have won 11 straight games.
This speaks to the team’s ability to keep on winning while dismissing outside noise. It’s a skill Brady and Belichick have mastered over the years as one juicy, controversial bit of drama flows into another.
So, did Brady help lock Garoppolo out of his TB12 clinic and deny him the skills of trainer Alex Guerrero? Not so, says Tom.
“It is so far from any truth that I know, or any characterization of my relationship with my teammates,” Brady said this week. “I have never denied anybody anything in regards to TB12. I have always found it very flattering when teammates go there.”
So, Belichick isn’t so peeved at Kraft that he’d jump to the New York Giants? The reality looks like Bill could be helping his defensive coordinator, Matt Patricia, get the Giants job.
So, the Patriots weren’t ready to skip the present and embrace the future by sticking with Garoppolo? Brady is beating Father Time and looks ready to win the league’s MVP award. Trading him was not an option. Belichick kept Jimmy G as long as he could and shipped him (to San Francisco, for only a second-round draft pick) to a team the Patriots will rarely face.
So forget the drama and embrace reality. The Patriots are again the favorites to win a Super Bowl, even if the end is near. Will that come next season, or in 2020 perhaps? That's a chapter no one is ready to pen. Enjoy the ride while it lasts.