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It's Better to Be Feared: The New England Patriots Dynasty and the Pursuit of Greatness
Over two unbelievable decades, the New England Patriots were not only the NFL’s most dominant team, but also—and by far—the most secretive. How did they achieve and sustain greatness—and what were the costs?
In It's Better to Be Feared, Seth Wickersham, one of the country’s finest long form and investigative sportswriters, tells the full, behind-the-scenes story of the Patriots, capturing the brilliance, ambition, and vanity that powered and ultimately unraveled them. Based on hundreds of interviews conducted since 2001, Wickersham’s chronicle is packed with revelations, taking us deep into Bill Belichick’s tactical ingenuity and Tom Brady’s unique mentality while also reporting on their divergent paths in 2020, including Brady’s run to the Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Raucous, unvarnished, and definitive, It’s Better to Be Feared is an instant classic of American sportswriting in the tradition of Michael Lewis, David Maraniss, and David Halberstam.
In It's Better to Be Feared, Seth Wickersham, one of the country’s finest long form and investigative sportswriters, tells the full, behind-the-scenes story of the Patriots, capturing the brilliance, ambition, and vanity that powered and ultimately unraveled them. Based on hundreds of interviews conducted since 2001, Wickersham’s chronicle is packed with revelations, taking us deep into Bill Belichick’s tactical ingenuity and Tom Brady’s unique mentality while also reporting on their divergent paths in 2020, including Brady’s run to the Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Raucous, unvarnished, and definitive, It’s Better to Be Feared is an instant classic of American sportswriting in the tradition of Michael Lewis, David Maraniss, and David Halberstam.
544 pages, ebook
First published October 12, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 196 reviews
October 19, 2021
On February 3, 2002, I sat on my dad’s couch in Maryland to watch the Super Bowl. Usually, we had a party but this year, no one really felt like partying. We had just gotten back from a weekend trip to Columbus, Ohio and we were both tired. We tuned into the game, promising to root for the underdog Patriots against the highly favored, turbocharged St. Louis Rams even though we anticipated it’d be a rout.
On February 3, 2019, I sat on my own couch in New York to watch the Super Bowl. Usually, I liked parties but my wife was working so I was going at it alone with our kid in bed. I wasn’t tired but I had to work the next day. I tuned into the game, promising to root for the Los Angeles Rams against the mighty New England Patriots, who bored with their dominance.
In between that time, I had lived half my life. I had gotten married, started a family, moved to multiple states, got two degrees, worked my first full-time job, watched America elect it’s first Black President and follow him with a dunderheaded white supremacist. The one constant was sports. And when it came to the NFL, the one constant there was Tom Brady, Bill Belichick and the dominance of the New England Patriots.
The longevity of the Patriots run is really unparalleled in NFL history. While San Francisco had a great go of it from 1981-1998, four of their five Super Bowls were clustered in an eight year stretch. The Patriots won six over seventeen, spread out in two groups of three. They rarely missed the playoffs. They changed from a dull, defensively-minded competent team, to an offensive powerhouse, to a mix of the two and finally, for their last run, reverted back to the defensively-minded competence, lacking playmakers to surround a quarterback whose steady play helped the team and whose dominant play eventually carried it.
Seth Wickersham had a front row seat to it all and gets in as good of a detail as any could, particularly the dynamics around Brady, Belichick and team owner Robert Kraft, which make up the balance of the book. He goes season-by-season more or less but it’s not just recounting box scores or big wins. Rather, it’s about the narratives that guided New England through the twists and turns of building and trying to keep an unlikely football dynasty.
The Kraft stuff is interesting but at the heart, this is the tale of Brady and Belichick, two relentlessly driven individuals and the work they had to do in order to get their team to perform at such a high level. I don’t know that there are any major revelations here but what Wickersham does well is document how things changed for better and worse and why. He keeps the story moving along, knowing when to prune inessential details.
I think the book falls just shy of greatness because, while I liked its focus, I would have liked to have known more about the ancillary players. The book barely mentions Corey Dillon, one of the best running backs of all time who without him, the 2004 team likely wouldn’t have won the Super Bowl. Or the fallout with Randy Moss. Or what Belichick’s relationship was like with guys like Romeo Crennel and Charlie Weis before they left (we know a lot about what it was with Eric Mangini and Josh McDaniels).
Still, it’s an excellent book. Love or hate the Patriots, you need to read it if you’re an NFL fan.
On February 3, 2019, I sat on my own couch in New York to watch the Super Bowl. Usually, I liked parties but my wife was working so I was going at it alone with our kid in bed. I wasn’t tired but I had to work the next day. I tuned into the game, promising to root for the Los Angeles Rams against the mighty New England Patriots, who bored with their dominance.
In between that time, I had lived half my life. I had gotten married, started a family, moved to multiple states, got two degrees, worked my first full-time job, watched America elect it’s first Black President and follow him with a dunderheaded white supremacist. The one constant was sports. And when it came to the NFL, the one constant there was Tom Brady, Bill Belichick and the dominance of the New England Patriots.
The longevity of the Patriots run is really unparalleled in NFL history. While San Francisco had a great go of it from 1981-1998, four of their five Super Bowls were clustered in an eight year stretch. The Patriots won six over seventeen, spread out in two groups of three. They rarely missed the playoffs. They changed from a dull, defensively-minded competent team, to an offensive powerhouse, to a mix of the two and finally, for their last run, reverted back to the defensively-minded competence, lacking playmakers to surround a quarterback whose steady play helped the team and whose dominant play eventually carried it.
Seth Wickersham had a front row seat to it all and gets in as good of a detail as any could, particularly the dynamics around Brady, Belichick and team owner Robert Kraft, which make up the balance of the book. He goes season-by-season more or less but it’s not just recounting box scores or big wins. Rather, it’s about the narratives that guided New England through the twists and turns of building and trying to keep an unlikely football dynasty.
The Kraft stuff is interesting but at the heart, this is the tale of Brady and Belichick, two relentlessly driven individuals and the work they had to do in order to get their team to perform at such a high level. I don’t know that there are any major revelations here but what Wickersham does well is document how things changed for better and worse and why. He keeps the story moving along, knowing when to prune inessential details.
I think the book falls just shy of greatness because, while I liked its focus, I would have liked to have known more about the ancillary players. The book barely mentions Corey Dillon, one of the best running backs of all time who without him, the 2004 team likely wouldn’t have won the Super Bowl. Or the fallout with Randy Moss. Or what Belichick’s relationship was like with guys like Romeo Crennel and Charlie Weis before they left (we know a lot about what it was with Eric Mangini and Josh McDaniels).
Still, it’s an excellent book. Love or hate the Patriots, you need to read it if you’re an NFL fan.
October 1, 2021
(I’m a Pats fan).
Binge reading this over the last couple of days had me on a familiar roller coaster; basking in the glory of so many successes and raging at the controversies. On the whole, it was a privilege to relive a 20-year period of my own (overly intense?) fandom. All the feels.
It may not have been the rose-colored puff piece that this fan might want, it was a great read.
Binge reading this over the last couple of days had me on a familiar roller coaster; basking in the glory of so many successes and raging at the controversies. On the whole, it was a privilege to relive a 20-year period of my own (overly intense?) fandom. All the feels.
It may not have been the rose-colored puff piece that this fan might want, it was a great read.
October 29, 2022
As a fan of the NFL, I absolutely loved this book. No team is more polarizing than the New England Patriots and this book is a behind-the-scenes look at Belichick, Brady, and Kraft, showing their character traits and what made them so great. It also shows the highs and lows of the organization, from winning 6 super bowls to scandals and cover-ups like Spygate.
Wickersham’s writing ability as an investigative journalist absolutely shines in this book, giving the reader all the facts as well as the flavor, making it a joy to read. I loved reading this book and can’t recommend it highly enough to football fans, regardless of whether or not you’re a fan of the Patriots.
Wickersham’s writing ability as an investigative journalist absolutely shines in this book, giving the reader all the facts as well as the flavor, making it a joy to read. I loved reading this book and can’t recommend it highly enough to football fans, regardless of whether or not you’re a fan of the Patriots.
November 26, 2021
The man loves Tom a bit too much, I don’t need to hear an entire chapter about Brady’s sex appeal, actually, I honestly hate Tom Brady and I regret reading this as I
Hoped there would be an honest POV of how psycho he is but there wasn’t. Every psychopath move by Tom is laughed off by the author but not without a quick point about how hot, young and free he is.
4/5
Hoped there would be an honest POV of how psycho he is but there wasn’t. Every psychopath move by Tom is laughed off by the author but not without a quick point about how hot, young and free he is.
4/5
February 2, 2024
The author isn’t exactly my favorite person on the planet, but the subject matter was so interesting that it didn’t really matter overall. Just take most of his opinions/snide asides with a grain or ten of salt, and you’ll probably find this a really enjoyable, entertaining, informative read! Well, I should say informative for someone like me, who is only now getting into football, and only now watching a ton of old Patriots games on YouTube. So, as a newbie to this whole thing, I learned a lot from this book. However, other reviewers have pointed out that they’ve already heard most of the info elsewhere, so I guess if you’ve been a fan for years, that might also be a bit of an issue for you.
November 18, 2021
The author was not allowed to write this book until either Tom Brady or Bill Belichick left the Patriots. It's an interesting look at the dynasty that was the New England Patriots and how the relationship between Brady and Belichick disintegrated. If you aren't a fan of the Patriots, it might not hold your interest but I am and I found it very entertaining.
April 6, 2022
This book delivers all of the qualities I want in a sports book — a character study of some fascinating individuals, vivid, makes-you-feel-like-you-were-there sports writing, and an exploration of what it takes to achieve excellence. Football fans will especially enjoy this, but the writing and character exploration should appeal to other readers as well.
November 29, 2021
A solid if disjointed account of the Patriots 20 year dynasty.
This is very much a reporters book. There's some great snippets and character portraits, there's the reporter's occasional desire to insert themselves into the scene, and a fair recounting of some of the big scandals. Wickersham offers a good window into Brady, though at the expense of less clarity on Kraft and Belichick.
Reading this, I ended up appreciating Jeff Benedict's The Dynasty. Benedict's a far better story teller, which matters as covering 20 seasons each with their own distinct rhythms and storylines without becoming repetitive or simply skipping huge chunks of time is a challenge. Wickersham often elects to skip detail, while Benedict helped capture a clear thread that distinguished a lot of the seasons. Both approaches work, but the latter is a better read. Benedict also benefited from his access to Robert Kraft which gave a quite different perspective on the organisation. Where Wickersham has the edge is that he's actually a reporter, so reveals the scandals as they are, rather than the gloss and sometimes omissions which Benedict had in his more haigographic account.
I've now read two large histories of the Patriots, and an explanation for their enduring excellence, in a league which demands parity is elusive. Obviously, Brady is the greatest QB ever, and Kraft gives the team a consistent competitive advantage by being willing to support the team as it needs, to spend where it's needed. But I think much of it still comes back to Belichick.
NFL teams have 53 players. Finding the other 52, within the cap and getting them to all buy into a system is a remarkable achievement over such an extended period. There were certainly bad mistakes, and a culture that had it not been winning may have become truly toxic. Yet it held. Belichick's principles seems three-fold. First, he's obsessed and obsessive about the detail. He clearly outworks everyone, and that gives an advantage in preparation and sets the tone. On the field, he emphasizes fundamentals, basic schemes outstandingly executed, and each player knowing their job completely and doing it. Finally, his strategy is often straight forward: Take away the opposing team's strength. Make them beat you in a way they are uncomfortable doing. So while they're trying to regain balance, you're just grinding forward, hitting your marks with solid clear steps.
Probably one where you need to know and like the sport/ideally the team if you're to get the most out of it. It would be a hard long read if you were just going for the general insights on building a winning culture. But whatever IT is, the Patriots had it, and there's at least a hint of how it works here, even if, as we bounce around from moment to moment, it never quite comes into focus.
This is very much a reporters book. There's some great snippets and character portraits, there's the reporter's occasional desire to insert themselves into the scene, and a fair recounting of some of the big scandals. Wickersham offers a good window into Brady, though at the expense of less clarity on Kraft and Belichick.
Reading this, I ended up appreciating Jeff Benedict's The Dynasty. Benedict's a far better story teller, which matters as covering 20 seasons each with their own distinct rhythms and storylines without becoming repetitive or simply skipping huge chunks of time is a challenge. Wickersham often elects to skip detail, while Benedict helped capture a clear thread that distinguished a lot of the seasons. Both approaches work, but the latter is a better read. Benedict also benefited from his access to Robert Kraft which gave a quite different perspective on the organisation. Where Wickersham has the edge is that he's actually a reporter, so reveals the scandals as they are, rather than the gloss and sometimes omissions which Benedict had in his more haigographic account.
I've now read two large histories of the Patriots, and an explanation for their enduring excellence, in a league which demands parity is elusive. Obviously, Brady is the greatest QB ever, and Kraft gives the team a consistent competitive advantage by being willing to support the team as it needs, to spend where it's needed. But I think much of it still comes back to Belichick.
NFL teams have 53 players. Finding the other 52, within the cap and getting them to all buy into a system is a remarkable achievement over such an extended period. There were certainly bad mistakes, and a culture that had it not been winning may have become truly toxic. Yet it held. Belichick's principles seems three-fold. First, he's obsessed and obsessive about the detail. He clearly outworks everyone, and that gives an advantage in preparation and sets the tone. On the field, he emphasizes fundamentals, basic schemes outstandingly executed, and each player knowing their job completely and doing it. Finally, his strategy is often straight forward: Take away the opposing team's strength. Make them beat you in a way they are uncomfortable doing. So while they're trying to regain balance, you're just grinding forward, hitting your marks with solid clear steps.
Probably one where you need to know and like the sport/ideally the team if you're to get the most out of it. It would be a hard long read if you were just going for the general insights on building a winning culture. But whatever IT is, the Patriots had it, and there's at least a hint of how it works here, even if, as we bounce around from moment to moment, it never quite comes into focus.
February 18, 2022
Great book filled with a lot of interesting information. My favorite “storyline” was Tom Brady’s. I’m a Bears fan, not a Patriots fan, but with that said I really like Tom Brady as an athlete. The dedication to his craft and pursuit of mastery really motivates the hell out of me. A couple of standout quotes from the book are:
“Brady always played for himself - for the love of the game, for the opportunities of personal growth the sport provided, and for the rush that came with continually raising the stakes. He needed to be great, not to impress anyone else, but to satisfy his own innate needs, and perhaps out of a certain obsession that bordered on compulsion”.
“…it might not be enough to just love your job. You had to want to live in the world the job created. Working with people you like, a tribe with a common goal, would make your professional life far happier than any accolade, salary, or a company’s prestige could. You need to do the work you love, at a place and with people you love. You have to feel - Brady repeatedly returned to this word - ‘appreciated’.”
“Brady always played for himself - for the love of the game, for the opportunities of personal growth the sport provided, and for the rush that came with continually raising the stakes. He needed to be great, not to impress anyone else, but to satisfy his own innate needs, and perhaps out of a certain obsession that bordered on compulsion”.
“…it might not be enough to just love your job. You had to want to live in the world the job created. Working with people you like, a tribe with a common goal, would make your professional life far happier than any accolade, salary, or a company’s prestige could. You need to do the work you love, at a place and with people you love. You have to feel - Brady repeatedly returned to this word - ‘appreciated’.”
March 11, 2022
A masterful work of a dynasty by an author whose construction and prose are nearly as talented as the men he wrote about. I may not like Tom Brady at all but he is the GOAT. His desire to improve, to win, and to be appreciated while lifting up his teammates put him there with the likes of Michael Jordan and Wayne Gretzky. The drive of Brady to keep going and pushing to be better whether you are a champion or an underdog is central to the story. Bill Belichick is a man, albeit surly and gruff, has a brilliant football mind. He was always focused on the team. A dynastic team comes from great teachers. Belichick is the ultimate teacher. Together, they showed that while the Patriots are disliked (especially by me), their greatness didn’t stem from entitlement or pedigree. It started with a desire to achieve victory while having a mindset to always improve. Perhaps most important is that the Patriots dynasty came from the love of the game.
January 8, 2022
Not the best Patriots Dynasty book I've read but certainly not the worst. Loved the inside info on the Brady-Belichick falling out. Also loved the Robert Kraft at the Asian massage parlor bit. The author must have had a sponsorship deal with Kraft because he writes that Kraft, the multi billion owner of the Patriots, couldn't get a massage. So he happened picked this place expecting a regular massage. After being videotaped getting more than a "regular massage". The author doesn't explain why he went back the next day. But since he got away scot-free, I guess it was a happy ending...
It's Better to Be Feared....3 stars
It's Better to Be Feared....3 stars
April 10, 2022
This book was a very exciting read. As someone who grew up in Indiana, I have heard the view of the Patriots from one side, the bitter Colts fan side. I really wanted to know more about this incredible trio that brought 6 Super Bowls to New England.
Very informative and doesn't really pull any punches. Really enjoyed the 2000-2010 era, since I was in my teens during that time and when Brady hate in IN was at it's height.
However, there were sections that seemed disjointed. Whenever politics was inserted into the book, it seemed random and sporadic rather than serving the story.
All around a must read for a NFL fan or sports historian.
Very informative and doesn't really pull any punches. Really enjoyed the 2000-2010 era, since I was in my teens during that time and when Brady hate in IN was at it's height.
However, there were sections that seemed disjointed. Whenever politics was inserted into the book, it seemed random and sporadic rather than serving the story.
All around a must read for a NFL fan or sports historian.
November 12, 2021
Perhaps, this will be the definitive history of the 19-year Brady, Belichick and Kraft run. There were a few solid new anecdotes, Brady and the Manning brothers at the gym in the early morning at Augusta, and Mike Shannahan telling Goodell he wished he thought of videotaping the signals himself, but overall It's Better to Be Feared left me slightly disappointed. I think mostly because I knew the story so well and had read much of Seth Wickersham's reporting on the Patriots over the past years. Often I didn't want to believe his stories about strain between Kraft, Brady, and Belichick but it seems now like it was mostly true. After reading this version of the story maybe we should be more grateful it didn't end sooner instead of feeling disappointed that it ended before Brady retired. A single NFL game is so fragile, one play can swing the game as it certainly did in the Giants Super Bowl losses, but it could have also swung the franchise if the Patriots don't come back twice down 14 in their divisional win over the Ravens in 2014 (the greatest sporting event I have ever attended). In the end, I'm simply grateful that it lasted for so long and had so much success.
December 10, 2021
As an NE fan, I wanted to see what the buzz was all about with this one. I’ve read a few other related titles and enjoyed them, so I figured I’d give this one a shot, too.
Overall, I thought it was a fun, engaging, and reminiscent read. It took me back through all the years of watching the Patriots dynasty and the craziness that transpired along the way.
It’s well-written and interesting for sure. My only slight knock on it is that, at times, it paints things in a way that are either neutral or negative toward the Pats. I do think there’s some validity to the criticism it puts forth, but I also figured that criticism was worth mentioning — I’m sure some folks will be annoyed by it.
But, all in all, definitely worth reading if you’re into the NFL or the Patriots.
-Brian Sachetta
Author of “Get Out of Your Head”
Overall, I thought it was a fun, engaging, and reminiscent read. It took me back through all the years of watching the Patriots dynasty and the craziness that transpired along the way.
It’s well-written and interesting for sure. My only slight knock on it is that, at times, it paints things in a way that are either neutral or negative toward the Pats. I do think there’s some validity to the criticism it puts forth, but I also figured that criticism was worth mentioning — I’m sure some folks will be annoyed by it.
But, all in all, definitely worth reading if you’re into the NFL or the Patriots.
-Brian Sachetta
Author of “Get Out of Your Head”
April 15, 2023
The behind the scenes details of what built the Patriots dynasty were incredible - but as a fan I’m reminded of “I want to eat the sausage but I don’t necessarily want to know what goes in it”. A good reading performance in the audio version by Richard Poe. I wish Goodreads would let you give half stars as I would give the book 4.5.
January 4, 2022
I grew up Massachusetts loving the Red Sox, Patriots, and Celtics. I have awesome memories of my dad taking me to Fenway Park, Boston Garden, and watching the Pats play every Sunday from the comfort and safety of our couch. The reason we saw other sports in person and not football? My dad used to have Patriots season tickets, and it was, let's say, not a family-friendly atmosphere in those days. Drunken brawls and vomiting in the stands were a weekly occurrence, to say nothing of the mostly pitiful product on the field. I'll never forget how excited I was when the Jaguars inexplicably beat the Broncos 30-27 in the Divisional round (25 years ago to the day as I type this), setting up a winnable AFC Championship game for Drew Bledsoe and the Patriots (which they did indeed win). Even though the Pats lost that Super Bowl to Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers, I proudly wore my Patriots jersey to school the next day, letting everyone know I was proud of our team, and excited about where things were headed. So when the Patriots became a true dynasty in the 2000s, it was beyond my wildest dreams. I never stopped appreciating it, because I came of age in the hard times, and knew how difficult what they were accomplishing was.
All that to say, this book felt like it was written for me, so don't expect any cutting criticism here. This is a flat-out awesome book, two decades in the making. Seth Wickersham has essentially been writing this book since Drew Bledsoe got walloped by Mo Lewis 20 years ago, and it shows. I've read a lot of books about the Patriots over the years, but none of them got the type of access and depth that this one does. It also answers some of my burning questions over the years, such as when did Tom Brady decide he was leaving New England? Why was Super Bowl XLIX hero Malcolm Butler benched for Super Bowl LII? Why did Josh McDaniels spurn the Colts to come back to New England?
It's a truly great book and really benefits from the access that Tom Brady gave Wickersham. His thoughts, feelings, and experience is really deep across the book, and provides a great counter balance to the years of secrecy neccessitated by Belichick's regime. It really humanizes the GOAT, and, frankly, made me worry about his post-playing days. The man loves football more than anything else in the world.
It was also heartening to see that it didn't stop Wickersham from being critical when warranted - he's a good journalist and writer. An awesome book that I couldn't put down and a must-read for all Pats fans.
All that to say, this book felt like it was written for me, so don't expect any cutting criticism here. This is a flat-out awesome book, two decades in the making. Seth Wickersham has essentially been writing this book since Drew Bledsoe got walloped by Mo Lewis 20 years ago, and it shows. I've read a lot of books about the Patriots over the years, but none of them got the type of access and depth that this one does. It also answers some of my burning questions over the years, such as when did Tom Brady decide he was leaving New England? Why was Super Bowl XLIX hero Malcolm Butler benched for Super Bowl LII? Why did Josh McDaniels spurn the Colts to come back to New England?
It's a truly great book and really benefits from the access that Tom Brady gave Wickersham. His thoughts, feelings, and experience is really deep across the book, and provides a great counter balance to the years of secrecy neccessitated by Belichick's regime. It really humanizes the GOAT, and, frankly, made me worry about his post-playing days. The man loves football more than anything else in the world.
It was also heartening to see that it didn't stop Wickersham from being critical when warranted - he's a good journalist and writer. An awesome book that I couldn't put down and a must-read for all Pats fans.
November 9, 2023
One of the best sports books I’ve ever read. My favorite aspect of his writing is that he will throw in a seemingly innocuous sentence that sets the tone for something big to happen later. The book is incredibly comprehensive. It’s 20 years of remarkable stories. Really well written. 🏈
April 10, 2022
A fantastic inside look at the most fascinating sports franchise of this millennium. Even the most casual of football fans will find this book compelling.
April 16, 2022
Sports books like this absolutely rule. I knew all of the beats of the story, all of the important and memorable wins — but the deep dives into everything was incredible. The reporting was great and the characters were memorable. 9/10
Read
May 17, 2022It was very long but I listened for my husband.
June 13, 2024
If Bill Bellicheck was not a part of this book it would be boring. Bill is such a crazy guy you cant help but wonder how his brain works
March 12, 2024
Did we think I wouldn’t give this 5 stars?
April 9, 2022
Catnip for any Patriots or football fan.
My review: https://perfectretort.blogspot.com/20...
My review: https://perfectretort.blogspot.com/20...
January 31, 2022
This was an interesting story not just about the game of football but about the politics and business behind it. The book was well-written, and it connected and analyzed very well.
September 20, 2022
I have zero vested interest in the Patriots. I am 1,000% much more of a college athletics fan than a pro fan, even though I do follow pro sports (and hate the Pats as much as the next guy). That being said, I could not get enough of this book and I highly recommend it to anyone and everyone. It covers the lowlights just as much as the highlights, so don’t go into it just assuming it’s going to be praise
December 2, 2021
I couldn’t finish this. If you’re wanting to read a long book detailing games play-by-play, I suppose this’ll scratch the itch. If you’re looking for success principles to apply to your life, look elsewhere.
February 6, 2023
if you're a patriots fan, you might know most of the story, but there are still juicy, dramatic behind the scenes story lines to take in. if you hate the patriots and their reign of championship terror, you might enjoy belichick's constant dramatic antics, kraft's spending/influence, and brady's rise to miserable stardom more than pats fans. i have a love/hate relationship with football. i hated playing it, but also learned a bit, and even in division iii, there's a modicum of privilege added to school experience. my professional sports fandom is similar, love the product, hate the packaging; call it bullshit, nothing related to it truly matters, having a favorite anything is completely irrational, but for unified entertainment, it's unparalleled. bill belichick is a megalomaniac, quite frankly we should be glad he had his eyes directed on film and not political aspirations. together with his sugar daddy, billionaire robert kraft, they exploited every loophole in the rulebook, ignored it outright, paid less than bottom dollar for their labor, while requiring workers to be silent, submissive, and puritanical in nature. the media dubbed the strategy, succumbing to total authoritarian working conditions, "the patriot way," but there's a better term, "the patriot way" is nothing more than capitalism. we're lied to, told innovation comes from the top, but once the organization refused to pay its most productive worker, quarterback and defacto offensive coordinator tom brady, the patriots did not just lose the g.o.a.t., they lost their golden goose, utterly falling apart and becoming the joke of the nfl; while brady took a former joke franchise to the super bowl, and won without kraft and belichick, the supposed genius innovators capital taught us mattered most. to kraft's "credit," unlike other sports team owners, he paid for his stadium himself (though constantly threatened to move it to hartford, ct, ew); and, though it sounds like lipservice, claiming to be a "fan first"-- there's some truth in it, being a season ticket holder even when the team was godawful. after obtaining the franchise, he refused to flip the team to st. louis for triple the price and rolled the dice on number one overall pick, the human arm cannon drew bledsoe (drafted when i first got into football as a kid, and quickly going to the super bowl, bledsoe remains my favorite player, and in a college argumentative writing class, i wrote my final on his stats to be seen as worthy of hall of fame numbers). the pair kept the patriots in new england, one's legacy, however, being the player losing his job to tom brady (he was actually close to dying), the other a billionaire recently caught in an unclear prostitution/human trafficking sting. somewhere in between is belichick's contribution, failed head coach in cleveland, successful defensive coordinator with the giants--while the greatest defensive player in the league, lt, was on the team, and successful head coach with the patriots-- but only with previously mentioned "greatest of all time" brady running half the team. brady, belichick and kraft had one thing in common, besides egotism, they were all rather spoiled brats, products of privilege, always falling into favorable positions. they put in "the hard work" but it's easier to focus on your professional aspirations while not having to worry about basic needs and interpersonal relationships. brady for a while comes off semi-sympathetic, at least until his fame and business desires enter the realm of snake oil salesman. wickersham writes great drama with a loathsome cast of characters. i want to root against the lot of 'em, but i'm still going to listen to boston sports radio complaining about them, i'll still want brady to un-retire and win, and i'll begrudgingly keep an eye on cbs every sunday in the fall; and even though i've detached emotion from sports, acknowledging i lose all moral high ground adding to viewership to a tremendously anti-worker league, there is an entertaining mental reprieve and commonality, a social saving grace, in watching, irrationally rooting for what is essentially darth vader's empire dressed in different pads and red, white, and blue. i'll leave you with fan favorite tight end's famous quote summarizing the absurdity of it all, "they hate us, 'cause they 'jealofusus.'"
November 9, 2021
Growing up in Connecticut, I have been a Pats fan for more than 40 years - watching them fail, succeed, fail and succeed. But I’m a hard fan - I’ll find fault where the more generous fans either give them a pass, or don’t even see what I see. Friends who are fans hear me rant and think, “Here he goes again.” (and tune me out!) I never had delusions that things were a happy New Age commune story, but I was impressed at what the skill set of a few, and the determination of a fewer, the past twenty years brought to the franchise. This is a warts and all reporting that should appeal to any fan of New England, and even to many fans of the game who are not fans of BB and TB. I never liked Peyton Manning, but I respected what he was as a QB. Even after all of his accomplishments, I don’t think Brady gets the same respect. Perhaps after winning so big in Tampa Bay, at such a geriatric age!, he might have convinced a few to reconsider.
So, warts - the “*Gates”, the tensions, the Belichick distancing (at the end, Brady was done - “a few days after Brady signed with his new team, he wrote an essay for the Players’ Tribune, focused on endings and beginnings. He thanked Kraft by name. He didn’t thank Bill Belichick.”), the failure to cultivate quality WRs - and all - six trophies, an unmatched set of division and conference wins, unmatched trips to the show - this is well-sourced, dispassionately reported, and comprehensive look at one team that plays a game of which Wickingham says “A funny thing about football fans is that almost none of them actually understand what they’re watching, because the game some of them played in high school bears no resemblance to the modern, endlessly complicated sport.”
A few highlights:
“I think he would have been a great baseball player,” Galynn later said. “He was a catcher with a wonderful swing.” “I’m not as convinced,” Tom Sr. replied. “He could leg a triple into a single better than anybody.”
Hah!
“People always wonder what it’s like to be famous. This was it: you’re alone, it’s quiet, there’s space, and all of a sudden, it’s as if you’ve entered a surprise birthday party thrown for you by strangers.”
“He doesn’t hold grudges,” a friend of Belichick’s had once said. “He holds death. With a grudge, there’s a chance of reconciliation. With death, there is no chance.”
Wow.
On the videotaping of signs,
“Most of Belichick’s charges emulated him a little too much. Something deeply psychological was at work. None of the coaches who had grown out of Bill Walsh’s tree had struggled to find themselves or to find success away from San Francisco. The branches of Belichick’s coaching tree seemed to grow toward the ground.”
Pretty much everybody who leaves NE - except Brady, and maybe Vrabel- either fails or is just mediocre.
“Many times throughout the 2017 season, Brady had wondered, Why am I doing this? […] and why constantly have to reread The Four Agreements to remind himself what really mattered?” Oh, my… that is an awfully bad book!
So, warts - the “*Gates”, the tensions, the Belichick distancing (at the end, Brady was done - “a few days after Brady signed with his new team, he wrote an essay for the Players’ Tribune, focused on endings and beginnings. He thanked Kraft by name. He didn’t thank Bill Belichick.”), the failure to cultivate quality WRs - and all - six trophies, an unmatched set of division and conference wins, unmatched trips to the show - this is well-sourced, dispassionately reported, and comprehensive look at one team that plays a game of which Wickingham says “A funny thing about football fans is that almost none of them actually understand what they’re watching, because the game some of them played in high school bears no resemblance to the modern, endlessly complicated sport.”
A few highlights:
“I think he would have been a great baseball player,” Galynn later said. “He was a catcher with a wonderful swing.” “I’m not as convinced,” Tom Sr. replied. “He could leg a triple into a single better than anybody.”
Hah!
“People always wonder what it’s like to be famous. This was it: you’re alone, it’s quiet, there’s space, and all of a sudden, it’s as if you’ve entered a surprise birthday party thrown for you by strangers.”
“He doesn’t hold grudges,” a friend of Belichick’s had once said. “He holds death. With a grudge, there’s a chance of reconciliation. With death, there is no chance.”
Wow.
On the videotaping of signs,
Goodell set himself an impossible task: he tried to educate himself on the advantage the Patriots had accrued in the seven years they had been taping their opponents. He called around the league, including to Mike Shanahan. “What’s going on here?” Goodell said. “I wish I had thought to videotape signals,” Shanahan replied. “I’m disappointed in myself.” It was a sobering glimpse into the mindset of the best of the best. Unlike many in the league, who took the opportunity to pile on Belichick when talking with Goodell, here was a two-time Super Bowl champion responding with honesty—and envy. “Roger,” Shanahan continued, “first of all, people are always trying to steal signs. Peyton Manning is the best. If you don’t change your signals, you’re dead.”Other coaches said they did it, but the Pats have the stigma.
[…]
It seemed to hit Goodell that this went beyond the Patriots. “It’s really been going on for that long?” he said. “I can promise you,” Shanahan said.
“Most of Belichick’s charges emulated him a little too much. Something deeply psychological was at work. None of the coaches who had grown out of Bill Walsh’s tree had struggled to find themselves or to find success away from San Francisco. The branches of Belichick’s coaching tree seemed to grow toward the ground.”
Pretty much everybody who leaves NE - except Brady, and maybe Vrabel- either fails or is just mediocre.
“Many times throughout the 2017 season, Brady had wondered, Why am I doing this? […] and why constantly have to reread The Four Agreements to remind himself what really mattered?” Oh, my… that is an awfully bad book!
December 31, 2021
He beat me.
Wore me down, really.
OK, made me root for him. Kinda. I mean, I give in. He's done it all. He's won the most. He keeps going. Why wouldn't I want to keep watching greatness; the greatest of all time.
He is Tom Brady. Me is probably like most everybody else. I rooted for him as an underdog when he began his career, the kinda nerdy guy thrust into a starting role with the New England Patriots due to injury. He led a team of no-names into a Super Bowl matchup with the juggernaut Rams and led them to victory with a last-second field-goal drive.
The underdog always appealed to me. I never liked the Yankees or the Cowboys or the Steelers or the Celtics or any of those other dynasties that captured the nation's attention. Well, the Reds were my team, but right after the Big Red Machine era. Football I decided to make the Tampa Bay Buccaneers my team because I liked their logo. Then that got boring so about 1983 I switched to the Buffalo Bills because I liked their name -- and who else in Northwest Ohio liked them? I stuck with them about 15 years. Then I moved to Cleveland, and, well, you know what goes on here.
Anyway, Tom Brady's first championship came in 2002, about a month after I started my current job. Then Brady and the Patriots with Bill Belichick and Teddy Bruschi and Ty Law and Mike Vrabel won two more in 2004 and 2005 and then they kept showing up on the playoff cast listing, winning their division most every year for the next 20. And like most everybody else I got tired of seeing the Patriots in the playoffs. They had their share. They had enough. Let someone else have some.
But Tom Brady is not about sharing. At least not with anyone other than his teammates and family. This book shows that, from beginning to end. Brady had an oversized competitive streak from the time he was a kid, throwing tantrums on the golf course when playing with his dad, working his way onto his youth football teams, declaring his picture would be on the wall along with other University of Michigan greats at a restaurant while on a recruiting trip, and goading and demanding greatness from his teammates on the Patriots. ESPN's Seth Wickersham shows us what makes Brady tick -- and Belichick as well. This book serves as a football biography of both men, detailing the origin stories of each and how year after year they grinded out winning seasons.
And then more Super Bowl wins. After 10 years without winning a ring, Brady and Belichick returned to the championship stage with some new friends like Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman and Malcom Butler. Who needed to see that? Who needed to see the Patriots win three of the next five Super Bowls and play in four of them? Who besides people in Boston and Tom Brady's parents wanted to see that?
Well, I guess I did. Because when Tom Brady left the Patriots and went to Tampa Bay and led my original favorite team to a Super Bowl title, what was left to say? Can anyone deny that Brady is the GOAT after winning his seventh Super Bowl the first year he joined a new team? He wins and he keeps winning and even better he keeps playing and says he'll keep playing more. Tom Brady is 44 years old and will turn 45 before next season, which is the age he has said for years is when he'll retire. He's also said he'll stop playing when he sucks; he doesn't suck.
So why not keep watching Tom Brady, and why not root for him now? He's done everything and done it with class. He's beaten just about everyone and worn down the rest. He's even got me to read a book about his and Bill Belichick's football lives. And it's a pretty good one, just like the Patriots on the field.
Wore me down, really.
OK, made me root for him. Kinda. I mean, I give in. He's done it all. He's won the most. He keeps going. Why wouldn't I want to keep watching greatness; the greatest of all time.
He is Tom Brady. Me is probably like most everybody else. I rooted for him as an underdog when he began his career, the kinda nerdy guy thrust into a starting role with the New England Patriots due to injury. He led a team of no-names into a Super Bowl matchup with the juggernaut Rams and led them to victory with a last-second field-goal drive.
The underdog always appealed to me. I never liked the Yankees or the Cowboys or the Steelers or the Celtics or any of those other dynasties that captured the nation's attention. Well, the Reds were my team, but right after the Big Red Machine era. Football I decided to make the Tampa Bay Buccaneers my team because I liked their logo. Then that got boring so about 1983 I switched to the Buffalo Bills because I liked their name -- and who else in Northwest Ohio liked them? I stuck with them about 15 years. Then I moved to Cleveland, and, well, you know what goes on here.
Anyway, Tom Brady's first championship came in 2002, about a month after I started my current job. Then Brady and the Patriots with Bill Belichick and Teddy Bruschi and Ty Law and Mike Vrabel won two more in 2004 and 2005 and then they kept showing up on the playoff cast listing, winning their division most every year for the next 20. And like most everybody else I got tired of seeing the Patriots in the playoffs. They had their share. They had enough. Let someone else have some.
But Tom Brady is not about sharing. At least not with anyone other than his teammates and family. This book shows that, from beginning to end. Brady had an oversized competitive streak from the time he was a kid, throwing tantrums on the golf course when playing with his dad, working his way onto his youth football teams, declaring his picture would be on the wall along with other University of Michigan greats at a restaurant while on a recruiting trip, and goading and demanding greatness from his teammates on the Patriots. ESPN's Seth Wickersham shows us what makes Brady tick -- and Belichick as well. This book serves as a football biography of both men, detailing the origin stories of each and how year after year they grinded out winning seasons.
And then more Super Bowl wins. After 10 years without winning a ring, Brady and Belichick returned to the championship stage with some new friends like Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman and Malcom Butler. Who needed to see that? Who needed to see the Patriots win three of the next five Super Bowls and play in four of them? Who besides people in Boston and Tom Brady's parents wanted to see that?
Well, I guess I did. Because when Tom Brady left the Patriots and went to Tampa Bay and led my original favorite team to a Super Bowl title, what was left to say? Can anyone deny that Brady is the GOAT after winning his seventh Super Bowl the first year he joined a new team? He wins and he keeps winning and even better he keeps playing and says he'll keep playing more. Tom Brady is 44 years old and will turn 45 before next season, which is the age he has said for years is when he'll retire. He's also said he'll stop playing when he sucks; he doesn't suck.
So why not keep watching Tom Brady, and why not root for him now? He's done everything and done it with class. He's beaten just about everyone and worn down the rest. He's even got me to read a book about his and Bill Belichick's football lives. And it's a pretty good one, just like the Patriots on the field.
October 3, 2023
A Meticulously Sourced and Engaging Dive into the New England Patriots
"It’s Better to Be Feared" is an absolute gem for football enthusiasts. From start to finish, this meticulously sourced and engaging book takes readers on a captivating journey, offering a deep dive into the legendary personalities and success of the New England Patriots.
With over 20 years of expert reporting, Wickersham demonstrates his dedication to providing readers with an incredibly well-researched account. The book is filled with an abundance of facts, stats, and anecdotes, making it a reliable and informative resource. The author's attention to detail is truly impressive and enhances the overall reading experience. From the team's early years to their continued dominance, every twist and turn of the Patriots' journey is brought vividly to life.
One of the book's standout qualities lies in the author's ability to dissect the minds and methods of legendary figures like Bill Belichick and Tom Brady. The author goes beyond the surface-level narratives and delves into what makes these individuals truly exceptional. Through his meticulous research and interviews, the book provides readers with unique insights into the mindset and strategies that have propelled these icons to greatness. Whether you're a Patriots fan or not, this exploration of their character adds immense depth to the narrative.
While the book mostly stays on track, there are moments where it delves briefly into politics, which can slightly sidetrack the main focus. Though these diversions are sometimes unavoidable, they momentarily disrupt the flow and pull the book off course. However, it's important to note that these instances are sporadic and do not overshadow the book's overall excellence. Despite these minor deviations, the book remains an engrossing read that successfully captures the essence of the Patriots' story.
"It’s Better to Be Feared Than Loved" proves to be an excellent read for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the mindset of winners. Through meticulously sourced information and engaging storytelling Wickersham has crafted a book that stands out from the rest. This inside look into the New England Patriots is unparalleled and leaves readers feeling connected to the team's journey of success. If you're a football enthusiast or simply interested in the stories behind winning teams, this is a must-read. Prepare to be captivated and gain a newfound appreciation for what it takes to achieve greatness.
"It’s Better to Be Feared" is an absolute gem for football enthusiasts. From start to finish, this meticulously sourced and engaging book takes readers on a captivating journey, offering a deep dive into the legendary personalities and success of the New England Patriots.
With over 20 years of expert reporting, Wickersham demonstrates his dedication to providing readers with an incredibly well-researched account. The book is filled with an abundance of facts, stats, and anecdotes, making it a reliable and informative resource. The author's attention to detail is truly impressive and enhances the overall reading experience. From the team's early years to their continued dominance, every twist and turn of the Patriots' journey is brought vividly to life.
One of the book's standout qualities lies in the author's ability to dissect the minds and methods of legendary figures like Bill Belichick and Tom Brady. The author goes beyond the surface-level narratives and delves into what makes these individuals truly exceptional. Through his meticulous research and interviews, the book provides readers with unique insights into the mindset and strategies that have propelled these icons to greatness. Whether you're a Patriots fan or not, this exploration of their character adds immense depth to the narrative.
While the book mostly stays on track, there are moments where it delves briefly into politics, which can slightly sidetrack the main focus. Though these diversions are sometimes unavoidable, they momentarily disrupt the flow and pull the book off course. However, it's important to note that these instances are sporadic and do not overshadow the book's overall excellence. Despite these minor deviations, the book remains an engrossing read that successfully captures the essence of the Patriots' story.
"It’s Better to Be Feared Than Loved" proves to be an excellent read for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the mindset of winners. Through meticulously sourced information and engaging storytelling Wickersham has crafted a book that stands out from the rest. This inside look into the New England Patriots is unparalleled and leaves readers feeling connected to the team's journey of success. If you're a football enthusiast or simply interested in the stories behind winning teams, this is a must-read. Prepare to be captivated and gain a newfound appreciation for what it takes to achieve greatness.
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