Patriot Reign

by Michael Holley

When Bill Belichick arrived in New England, the Patriots were a laughingstock, an organization with a losing record and a roster of overpaid, underperforming players. So how did a head coach with a questionable record transform this team, garner three Lombardi trophies in four years, and--with the Pats' 2005 Super Bowl win over the Philadelphia Eagles--cement the team's place as an NFL dynasty?

With unprecedented access granted by Belichick and his staff, author Michael Holley spent two years with the coach, his team, and his brain trust. Holley provides insights into how Belichick and his coaching cabinet prepare for opponents, evaluate talent, run the draft, and design their offensive and defensive schemes. "Patriot Reign" captures Belichick at his most candid, and what emerges is a portrait of a complicated man who is cerebral, yes, but also tough, demanding, stubborn, funny, profane, and a master strategist.

Frank, uncompromising, and stunning, "Patriot Reign" is required reading for football fans who want to understand what makes a champion tick.

Genres: Sports, Football, Nonfiction, Biography, Leadership

272 pages, ebook

First published January 1, 2004

Reviews

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a born and bred Boston sports fan, but mostly I'm a Patriots fan, so I found this book fascinating--although even I'll have to admit it bordered on fawning on occasion. Sportswriter Michael Holley spent two seasons "embedded" with Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots. He gives us a biography of Belichick from son of the football coach for the Naval Academy to winning his second Super Bowl ring in 2003. But it is still only a peak at the man under the sweatshirt with the cutoff arms. We find the Belichick can be pretty profane, that he doesn't like "yes" men, and that he really loves everything about the game of football. But you have to think that there's something more than that. Conflicts, whether it's replacing Drew Bledsoe with Tom Brady or anything else, are discussed the way you might feel forced to refer to an unpleasant event to the rest of the family over Thanksgiving dinner. Brady is quoted, but in true Belichick/Brady style, doesn't really say much. Holley says at the end that no one in the Patriots organization asked for any editorial control over what he wrote. That's good, but it's also bad, because it means Holley may have gotten a little too close to his subject. Still, it's a good read.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed Patriot Reign, which provides some good insight into how Belichick and the Patriots work. While the anecdotes and behind the scenes access to Belichick is great and the best thing about the book, Holley fails to pull all this together into clear themes or structure. There are clear themes, but it is up to the reader to discover them. As such, I'd rate it 3.5 stars

It is also worth mentioning that the early chapter(s) capture the same ground as The Education of a Coach though in significantly less detail - i.e. Belichick working for Marchibroda in Baltimore, arriving in New York working for Ray Perkins, and then Parcels; and how Ernie Adams was there too.

In terms of content, there are couple of key things that I found particularly interesting:
*) I'm amazed that Bill prepares for press conferences for 15-20mins and breaks them down into likely topics, much like a game...
*) Finding out that Josh McDaniels puts funny 'bonus cuts' at end of cut up plays of key things for players to remember, to keep their attention and make it more fun
*) Learning how the Patriots describe their players and how important they consider it that players are committed to the game
*) The details surrounding the Lawyer Milloy release
*) How they game planned against Rams in 2001 Super Bowl, but more generally how that is the Patriots approach
*) That Belichick has never forgiven Tom Jackson of ESPN saying his team hated him
*) And of course...the importance of preparation

[Adil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Patriot Reign: Bill Belichick, the Coaches, and the players who Built a Champion is the story of how the New England Patriots established a dynasty in the early twenty first century. This was do to one big reason: the addtion of Bill Belichick. Bill Belichick is one of the greatest coaches of all time ranking among Vince Lombardi and Jimmie Johnson. Belichick created greatness out of an underachieving football team. He helped draft Tom Brady the most efficient and accomplished quarterback of this decade. Belichick also helped build a strong defense with name brand names such as Asante Samuel, Mark Vrabel, Tedy Bruschi, and Rodney Harrison. The combination of a great defense and a great quarterback created an unstoppable franchise which won three Super bowls in its prime. Every decade has its own dynasty last decade it was the Patriots. The Patriots have been the most successful Football Franchise in the past ten years making it to the Super Bowl four times and going undefeated in the 2007 regular season. How exactly did Belichick build such a sucessful franchise? Well, he did it by pure ruthlessness and smart roster moves. Belichick has a knack for finding the right player and cutting players to send a message.

[Scott Bocchio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably the best football book I've ever read. Author Michael Holley gives you an inside the locker room view of how the New England Patriots became a dynasty in the 2000s. Patriot Reign is focused on Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and how he developed a knack for winning game after game, with his system in New England known as The Patriot Way. In the book, the football seasons are recounted with respect to Belichick, and explanations on why he does things so very different from the rest of the NFL, whether it be his tight lipped press conferences or his bold personnel changes such as releasing Pats star defensive back Lawyer Milloy. Everything you want to know about how the Patriots operate is detailed, including how the offensive and defensive game plans were formulated, the coaches and executives working behind the scenes and even the Patriots revolutionary player grading system. This book is a must read for Patriots fans, and great for football fans in general, as you really get to know the person that Bill is as much as the coach he is. For those who want more on the focus of the team executives, Scott Pioli, Thomas Dimitroff, and also Belichick, War Room (also by Michael Holley) is a good supplement to Patriot Reign.

[Griffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Patriot Reign
By: Griffin Anderson

Former Boston Globe columnist writer Michael Holley gives readers an unprecedented look at how the New England Patriots built a Championship caliber team in the early 2000’s in “Patriot Reign”
The book begins with the author giving a biography of Bill Belichick the main character and Head Coach of the New England Patriots. Bill Belichick has been known to give the media the cold shoulder so him granting Michael Holley the access he did was a bit shocking.
This book is more of a informative book than it is a nail bitter, so if you like excitement this is not the book for you. This book also does not have a climax. The reason that there is no climax is because the outcome of the book is already known by the reader. I enjoyed this book immensely because I am a huge football fan, but if you do not like football this is not a book for you.
What this book proves is that with hard work and determination, you can achieve any goal.

[Jay Rain · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating - 8

An insiders look at football that allows the reader to draw parallels between the business and the sports world: Appreciate the way Belichek approaches life, his success achieved through preparation

Inside stories from players like Milloy & Bledsoe and the way they broke down the drafting/free agency strategies were revealing; You know there is some non-disclosure at work which always sucks

Interesting Thoughts
- Football is like business - it is all about teamwork, preparation and execution

- Misunderstanding leads to failure - better to be blunt than to be misunderstood

- Urgency not attitude leads to success

- Best position is to be a problem solver - understand the problems, identify and execute the solutions

- Everyone can improve

- Do not complain - say something constructive or supportive or self-critical

- Tom Jackson episode

Lack of preparation is an unacceptable way to fail

[Noah Bilodeau · Rating 4 out of 5]

Noah Bilodeau
Issues In Non-fiction
Mr. Herman
10/17/17

Patriots Reign: Bill Belichick, The Coaches, And The Players Who Built A Champion
Patriots Reign was the perfect book for diehard Patriots fans. Also for people that just wants to know what goes on inside an NFL organization. Especially an organization that has a lot of success. Author Michael Holley doesn’t just talk about the Patriots. He tells the story from the beginning. Such as what Kraft did to be able to buy the Patriots. How Bill Belichick came to be the best head coach for the Patriots and maybe the best in NFL history. The author also relates to what was happening in the world at the time of the Super Bowls and other events. What sportswriters and NFL analysis were saying and predicting about the underdog New England Patriots.
People will definitely enjoy this book. Even people that don’t like the Patriots will enjoy reading this book. That’s because it’s about the work of a successful professional football program. Also connects to what is going on in the world at the time, and why America’s game was so popular. I have some confidence in saying this book will be a book that readers can’t put down. Many people agree with me. Peter King who is a sportswriter for Sports Illustrated and an author of five books agrees. His words say that Patriots Reign is, “The best thing I’ve read on football in recent years.” This book is also a New York Times Bestseller. Michael Holley gets deep in detail on explaining the process of Belichick and the players. How they prepare to win.
In the explaining process of the successful organization, Michael Holley identifies a moral/thesis of the organization. What the Patriots believe and play by. Don’t listen to all the reporters predicting useless scores, and saying things completely based on opinions. Overcome the odds and never give up. Bill Belichick knows exactly how to do that. Especially how to teach his players that, from the first day of training camp to the Super Bowl. There are many times that the New England Patriots were considered the underdogs. Reporters predicted the Pats to get killed against a high powered offense with stars all through the opponent's roster. But that didn’t stop Bill Belichick and the Patriots. They had a job to do and they were going to get it done.
There are many examples of the Patriots way. Not caring what anybody else says and just, “Do Your Job.” Michael Holley gives many examples of that. Before the Patriots third super bowl in 2004 against the Philadelphia Eagles, Belichick had a speech to the team. He talked to the players about what the Eagles were already planning on doing after the super bowl. They were planning to have parties, parades, and the players were going to be riding in the big duck boats. He told the players what the Eagles were already predicting about the super bowl. That everybody was already calling the game. Belichick told the players that, but then taught them how to win. Their assignments and different strategies.
During the Patriots first super bowl in 2001, they were playing the St. Louis Rams. Considered the “Greatest Show On Turf.” The Patriots looked at the Rams as just a football team. Nothing more. Like I said before, Michael Holley talks about what is happening in the world during that time. During the 2001 super bowl, the country had just went through a terrible time. The 9/11 bombings. How it was the worst foreign terrorist attack ever on American soil. That Patriotism was running high and the country was at war. Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans where the super bowl was held, was covered with secret service. Fighter jets, snipers, and cement barriers. Patriot Reign links the story of the Patriots organization to events in the world. Michael Holley tells the story deep. Makes the reader think and imagine the events happening. This book inspires a lot of people. It inspires me to never give up. Don’t listen to the useless noise and play your game. Do your Job. When the Patriots did that in February 2002, they beat the “Greatest Show On Turf.” Patriot Reign explained the way of the Patriots organization. How they became a dynasty.

[Adam · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked up this book hoping to glean some insights into a coach that doesn't reveal much publicly in order to pick up the keys to his success. To that end this book does illuminate upon a few things such as draft ideology, player strategies and cap management. There are a number of details of the weekly preparations as well but those tend to be vague and non-strategic, rather focusing on what people are doing instead of why. I guess the best way I can describe this book is that it lacks introspection or analysis. It is basically bland observations from a cheerleader of a local reporter who clearly did basically zero independent research or sourcing for this book, instead taking everything without question that was handed to him by virtue of his access.

Great examples are when he describes how meticulous Viniteri was in his first SB appearance preparation but then when he gets mentioned in the 2nd one (where he missed 2 FG's) he just expends energy to justify the misses as him being sore. Or he will describe someone's actions but upon realizing it may sound negative he hedges the comment. For instance he talked about Brady chewing people out during the Panthers SB but then immediately states that "Brady never behaves that way" and how his leadership style is so much more proactive. So this unprecedented access to the Patriots, instead of being used for a great insight tool, was constantly apologizing for any shortcomings so that the author didn't make any Patriots player seem like they had faults of any kind. Compounding this was the author never talked to or got material from oppossing players, coaches or organizations which just made it all the more one dimensional.

It just felt like a book that was written by a newspaper reporter that spends his life observing and reporting on day to day things without any analysis nor investigation. The book was like eating candy, easy enough to consume and sort of enjoyable but pretty cheap and unsatisfying.

[Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Michael Holley’s first published book is a beautiful pinhole into the “Patriot Way” before New England became one of America’s least favorite teams (jealousy of success). In his acknowledgements, Holley thanks, “the New England Patriots, a secure organization that granted me access without ever asking for or even hinting at editorial control. The Kraft, Belichick, Piolo, and Najaraian families were especially helpful and generous with their time.” (239)

“There was the poignancy of a team in red, white, and blue uniforms- called the Patriots no less- attempting to reach an ideal that has long resonated the American soul.” (55) “They were diverse when it came to religion, age, economic status, philosophy, and race.” (67) “They chose to be introduced as a team.” (68)

Patriot Reign uncovers a hilarious and personal side of Coach Bill Belichick that most fans do not get to see in press conferences or on the field. He listens to the Grateful Dead, James Taylor, Bob Dylan, Simon & Garfunkel, Rolling Stones, Bon Jovi, Bruce Springsteen, Santana, Beatles, and U2. Belichick drinks Hurricanes, beers, and Coke. He has lead the team in the Lord’s Prayer to his team before giving them the weekend off and shared personal family stories:

“He tells one about a family vacation in Europe in the mid-1990s. No matter where they went, the Belichick’s saw dozens of Europe’s aged churches. They saw landmarks and a certain recurring icon. At one point Brian turned to his parents and said, ‘Who is this guy? We’re seeing him everywhere.’
The ‘guy’ was Jesus Christ.
‘I don’t know if I should tell that story,’ Belichick says, shaking his head. ‘People are going to think we’re bad parents.’” (4)

He swears and cusses (rather frequently) on pages 3, 10, 16, 45, 61, 62, 73, 84, 87, 88, 90, 91, 99, 100, 116, 121, 123, 125, 126, 143, 144, 170, 193, 201, 222, and 230.

Some of my favorite Coach Belichick quotes were:

“‘It was unbelievable,’ he says. ‘Jean Valjean- I hated that fucker.’” (10)

“Shut the fuck up, all right? If you don’t want to sit here, then just get the fuck out of here. But this is important. Everybody else is listening.” (16)

“‘Brady shouldn’t be there,’ he said. He’s too good.’” (41)

“‘We can talk about money, we can talk about trophies, talk about all that shit, okay? But the thing that means the most to players is to be able to go out there and get on the stage,’ Belichick says. ‘Once you take the stage away from them- whoever it is- they have nothing that can match it. You can talk about all the money they have in the bank, but if they don’t have their self-esteem and their pride, then they don’t have their stage.’” (45)

“‘That way you don’t have those crude masturbation activities. Sometimes somebody can get going and then everyone follows that line of thinking, that process. And then everybody agrees. It’s better when we just analyze independently and all agree or work it out ourselves.’” (62)

“‘…It wasn’t about a fucking swagger. You can take that swagger and shove it up your ass, okay?’” (88)

“‘But all of us need to do a better fuckin’ job too. So let’s start with that and move forward.’” (99)

“‘This guy should be the fucking governor of Missouri.’” (116)

“‘I’m tired of thinking our team is good against Detroit, Buffalo’s horseshit offensive line, and Philly’s third-string offense. I don’t give a guck about that.’” (143)

“‘That’s not what we’re looking for’ and ‘It doesn’t get any worse than that’ and ‘Look at this asshole’ (which is sometimes intended as a compliment).” (144)

“The essence of Belichick is that he is a problem solver.” (91)

“Before they can know what they need, they need to know who they are. This is one of Belichick’s core philosophies, and it is why he was sitting in this Gillette Stadium room with a binder, notebook, pens, and pages of football statistics.” (139)

“Under the system, Belichick theorized, a smartly managed team would be able to compete for playoff positions and, ultimately championships each season.” (31)

“Belichick’s ‘genius’- a term he does not like applied to himself- is more than an ability to easily sift through distractions and nonsense and identify the central point.” (183)

“Special teams, field position, and situational football are all Belichick staples.” (190)

“‘They’re going to come in here and blow smoke up your ass,’ the coach was saying. ‘They’re going to give you blow jobs , tell you how great you are, they’re going to pile it on thick…” (201)

“Jackson extended his hand to Belichick. The coach looked at him and said, ‘Fuck you.’ It was left at that.” (230)

Holley goes into glorious detail of how the Patriots scout and their “kind of guy” with their own unique systematic valuations of prospects on pages 155-160.

“When potential free agents arrive in Foxboro, one of the first things they’re shown is the computer system.” (86)

The legend would certainly have been different if the Patriots hired Butch Davis instead of Belichick and drafted Tim Rattay instead of Tom Brady. Tom Brady is greatest professional football player of all time. “Brady was a team player.” (53) “He grew up loving sports and competition so much that he would ask his parents if he could wear his team uniforms to church.” (77)

Brady truly is an American Patriot: “‘Take the president of the United States, for example,’ he says. ‘I’m not talking about George Bush specifically as much as I’m generally talking about the position of president. What an awesome responsibility that must be to lead a country under the most scrutiny.’” (52)

“He is intrigued by complex minds.” (219) as am I.

There is a good amount about the invaluable and often mysterious Ernie Adams (who today still does not use a smart phone). Rob Ryan (Sexy Rexy’s twin brother) was a former linebackers coach. Jonathan Kraft hated Bill Parcells and Scott Pioli married his daughter.

I’d love to read more about how Belichick and his “fraternity brother,” Eric Mangini fell apart amidst the “Spygate” controversy. I’d also love to do further research regarding the man with a gun at the Wyndham hotel during the Houston Super Bowl between the Pats and Panthers.

Perhaps I should start applying for jobs to work for the New England Patriots.

“They truly respect those who do grunt work, so much so that they are willing to promote them if they show the aptitude to be promoted.” (104)

[Wherefore Art Thou · Rating 2 out of 5]

It has some nice moments of internal insight on the workings of the NE Patriots operation in 2002-2004, though never investigated more in-depth. Otherwise, it’s not written well enough, nor complete enough, to engage me completely, like it could have. Very fawning. Good for a NE sports fan who reads a little bit here and there and wants to relive a little bit of the magic now that the Patriots are hovering around mediocre 🥲

[Dru · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a Patriots fan, I enjoyed recalling Belichick's start with the Patriots and their beginning as a dynasty. It was interesting reading about the thought process behind the scenes. However it was written in a way that felt a bit dry. To the point where if I wasn't a Patriots fan, I would have probably put the book down. I was a bit disappointed.

[Ben · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very good book actually. Author Michael Holley examine for us Patriots' locker room and their historic development to NFL reign. That Lawyer Milloy and Drew Bledsoe situation details probably book's best parts. Also I think we found out 'how shape Belichick's tree' in this book. Though I'm not a Patriots fan or Boston resident, I loved it.

[Gregg Rosenthal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this mini-genre in sports: A Season in the Life with an embedded writer. This turned into two seasons and is sneaky amazing. Holley has incredible access to the dawn of the most successful run in modern NFL history and captures enough spicy moments to make up for whatever he left out.

Older Belichick would have never allowed it.

[Ross Coburn · Rating 4 out of 5]

An informative and often amusing look behind the curtain at the workings of one of sports' most successful franchises of the past two decades, and the personalities that command the public's attention.

[Chaim Wachtel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written overview of the beginning of a dynasty

Well written, but lacking in new details all these years later .. still interesting to relive the beginning of what turned into a great dynasty.

[Sam Marro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love it

Thank you for bringing me inside the greatest Coach in the game,being a Football Coach, I have tremendous amount of respect and admiration for what Coach and his entire organization have accomplished.🙏❤🏈

[David Bowers · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Great Book about the First years of the Belichick era

Considering what the Patriots are going through in 2023,this hope reminds me of what Bill Belichick was like early in his Patriots coaching career. I really enjoyed this book

[Daniel Riley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book that reveals what went into making a dynasty

[Bob Spiridigliozzi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book, a very good read and a good portrayal of the relationship between coach and QB.

[Joey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting review of leadership and leadership styles. Some problematic elements but an overall fascinating look inside their locker room at that time.

[Christina Larsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic book. Provides a good insight to some of the inner workings of the Patriots and the mentality of the coaches.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always appreciate Holly’s writing and this was this was really well done.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favorites as a forever student of the game!

[Bart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid, well-reported

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Better Than Expected

The insights into the ideas, philosophy and thinking of the Patriots coach as well as the personalities involved was surprising and fun to read.

[Pete Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick fun read for Patriots fans !

[Daniel Allen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author follows Patriots for two years.

[Killian · Rating 4 out of 5]

You do not have to be a Patriots fan to enjoy this book. The author had rare access to the Patriots during a championship season. It is written like a curious 3rd party, not an obnoxious fan.

[Alyssa Chamberlain · Rating 3 out of 5]

The nonfictional sports book, Patriot Reign by Michael Holley, is an informational book about the up and coming New England Patriots. Bill Belichick was hired to be the head coach of the New England Patriots in 2000. He took over for Pete Carroll, who was the head coach for two seasons. He had a team with a losing record and would not be expected to win a Super Bowl. The New England Patriots were a team that was full of players that did not play to their full potential and were overpaid. Bill Belichick turned this football organization around. Bill Belichick would eventually lead this team to three Super Bowl victories in his first five years as the head coach. The New England Patriots were finally competing in the National Football League (NFL). The New England Patriots were never taken lightly by any team again. The book also shows how Tom Brady became the starting quarterback of the New England Patriots. Brady was drafted in the year 2000. He became the 4th string quarterback after the draft. During the offseason Tom Brady worked extremely hard and became the 2nd string quarterback after 2001 training camp. During the 2001 season, Drew Bledsoe was injured and Brady became the starting quarterback and has been ever since. The book also goes into how Bill Belichick and his coaching staff come to game time decisions. It shows how they prepare the players for the week’s game. For example, the coaching staff will make the players watch videos of the upcoming opponents’ previous games. After they study the video and learn what they have to do win the game, they are given tests to make sure they paid attention. This shows the coaching staff that the players know exactly what they need to do.

An event that I found the most interesting in Patriot Reign was Tom Brady’s rise to be the starting quarterback of the New England Patriots. Tom Brady was drafted as the 4th string quarterback in the year 2000. Most teams would never keep four quarterbacks on one team, but the Patriots believed in Tom Brady’s ability. During the offseason between the 2000 and 2001 seasons, Tom Brady worked extremely hard and became the 3rd string quarterback. During the Training Camp of 2001, Tom Brady kept on showing improvement and became the 2nd string quarterback for the start of the 2001 season. The starting quarterback, Drew Bledsoe, was injured during game 2 of the 2001 season. Tom Brady got the football and became the starter. Once Drew Bledsoe was cleared to play, Tom Brady continued to be the starting quarterback. He stayed in his position because Bill Belichick believed he was the better player. He was right because Tom Brady led them to a Super Bowl victory that year. Tom Brady has been the starting quarterback ever since that 2001 day. This event was the most interesting to me because it is almost unbelievable that Tom Brady made so much progress between the day he was drafted and the start of the 2001 season. It also shows that if you work hard for something, good things will happen. This was also important because it is a good reminder to many people that hard work pays off in the long run.

The nonfictional sports book, Patriot Reign was an enjoyable book. It was not the best book I have read because some of the information was uninteresting. However, it was not a bad book. The book gave me insight on how Bill Belichick and his coaching staff prepare for their games. The book was not a biography on Bill Belichick's years as a coach, which would have interested me more. The book showed how the coaching staff can be superstitious just like the players. For example, the coaches would meet at the same hotel every week the night before the Patriots game. At this meeting, they would discuss their roles in the game which was to be held the next day. Also, I was very interested by how Bill Belichick was extremely close with the owner of the New England Patriots, Robert Kraft. The book showed how Bill Belichick always kept Robert Kraft in the loop. He would tell him the decisions he and the rest of his coaching staff came up with. He would also take any suggestions from Robert Kraft. Their strong relationship was important because it was always was for the good of the team. These small details interested me because you would never know them unless you read this type of book. An audience that I see that would most enjoy Patriot Reign would be New England Patriots fans, or any football fan, that would be interested in knowing how the Patriots coaching staff prepared for their Super Bowl game victories.

[Caden Gatherum · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story is about the New England Patriots. It was about Robert Kraft and his life long dream was to own the New England Patriots. Kraft bought the Patriots back in 1994. The main characters are Robert Kraft, Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Drew Bledsoe and Tom Brady.

The main characters in this story took a team with one of the worst records in the league and built it into one of the best teams in the NFL. The main characters ran into lots of problems, Coach Bill Parcells was a great coach but the team hated him. He was rude and demanding and fought for power and caused a lot of problems for Robert Kraft and the New England Patriots.

The main characters had a lot of adventures when Coach Parcells finally left the team and Bill Belichick took over, they had a lot of close games and a lot of heart break but they never lost sight of all the dreams. They could see that the team was headed in the right direction. They made changes in the teams offence and defense and turned the players attitude around and began the trip to the Super Bowl. Drew Bledsoe got hurt and that gave Tom Brady the chance to take over as quarter back.

My favorite characters are Bill Belichick and Tom Brady. Bill Belichick was really good a putting a game plan together and how he would play defense against other teams in the NFL and how one of the best quarter backs in the NFL, Tom Brady would pass the ball 40 to 50 times a game and out smart the defenses of other teams when they knew he was going to do it.

I can relate as far as personally I would like to work towards a baseball scholarship someday and I look at how Tom Brady prepared for his game and the way Bill Belichick studied for the games and got ready to play, it inspires me to do the same which I think would make me a better person and player.

I did feel some of the same things that the players do, my coach and I worked on a turning a double play, at first we made mistakes but the more we practiced the better we got.

I would recommend this book to another person. This book is a good way to organize and learn to stay on task and make plans for your future and this book shows that if you work hard and stay on task you can achieve anything.

I would recommend this book to a person who likes sports and a happy ending and sports greatness.