the greg hill show: Director of "The Dynasty", Matt Hamachek joins in-studio for an in depth discussion about the series
Episodes seven and eight of The Dynasty: New England Patriots dropped on Apple TV+ on Friday morning, continuing the 10-episode docuseries recapping the greatest run in sports history that took place in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
Here are some rapid reactions, nuggets, and takeaways from Episode Eight: Score to Settle:
– Bill Belichick gives an answer as to why the Patriots used a second-round pick on Jimmy Garoppolo in 2014.
“Look age is age,” Belichick explains in the doc. “I mean as a coach and somebody who is, you know, responsible for an organization, it’s trying to do what’s best for the team. And that’s what I’ve always tried to do.”
– Belichick used to bring statistics to Robert Kraft to show him that Brady’s play was declining.
“I think Bill thought Tommy was starting to lose it,” owner Robert Kraft explained. “I remember Bill used to show me different statistics, ‘Tommy’s throws over 20 yards were ranked near the lowest in the league,’ and Bill said, ‘We have to be ready to move on.’”
He continued: “I think after that Jimmy Garoppolo draft, the tension between Bill and Tom increased. I think it was a turning point in their overall relationship dynamic.”
– There was a lot of excitement and confidence surrounding Jimmy Garoppolo’s chance to play.
Despite being without their leader in Tom Brady due to his four-game Deflategate suspension, the 2017 Patriots seemed confident in their replacement signal caller in Jimmy Garoppolo.
“Jimmy came in in Arizona to start the season off,” wide receiver Danny Amendola explained of Garoppolo’s first start. “He had been preparing really hard and he was ready to go. I think everybody was really happy with Jimmy’s performance.”
“I remember the way our team responded and rallied around Jimmy,” said former Patriots captain Matthew Slater. “The excitement, the enthusiasm, it was almost like we had won a playoff game, but it was Week 1.”
The locker room shot of him being given the game ball from Belichick says it all.
– Max Kellerman’s ‘cliff’ rant gets funnier every time.
“Let me start by saying: Tom Brady’s just about done. It could be his next game he plays, it could be a year from now, but he is going to fall off a cliff. Tom Brady is going to be a bum in short order.”
That’s how ESPN’s Max Kellerman spoke about the Patriots quarterback heading into the 2016 season. They play the audio in Episode 8 – and for good reason.
After returning from suspension, Brady led the Patriots to an 11-1 regular season record while throwing for 3,500+ yards, 28 touchdowns, and just two interceptions.
Oh yeah, they also swept the postseason and won another Super Bowl.
“It was an FEA year,” said Brady. “F— ‘em all baby.”
– Matthew Slater says he thought Brady felt disrespected by Belichick.
“To end that season,” Slater says. “Tom was unbelievable. But Coach Belichick, being Coach Belichick, held Tom to even a higher standard than everyone else.
“Do I think Tom felt disrespected? Yeah, I think so. I don’t think I would wanna be treated differently, but I would expect a certain level of respect, especially as a grown man. But what that does for Tom Brady, that’s gonna add fire to an already burning inferno.”
– Wes Welker told Tom Brady that Bill Belichick treated him, ‘like an abused dog.’
The piling on Belichick continued, with former Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker sharing the following:
“You know Tom, he very easily could have been like, ‘Alright Bill, screw you man. Play somebody else Week 1.’
I personally talked to Tom and was like, ‘You’re basically like an abused dog. You just sit there, tail between your legs, and you just keep on coming back.’”
– Brady was afraid to be considered ‘washed up’ while trailing at halftime of Super Bowl LI.
As we now know, the Patriots mounted the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history over the course of the second half of Super Bowl LI.
Down 21-3 at halftime and 28-3 in the third quarter, New England eventually won 34-28 in overtime, hoisting their fifth Lombardi Trophy.
Here’s what Brady said about his thoughts during the contest:
“I dropped back to throw a pass, and I remember the ball coming off my hand, and then you realize, ‘Oh sh–.’”
He continued: “I threw an interception returned for a touchdown in a Super Bowl, that’s f— as bad of a play as you can make. You know, when that happens it just goes in your mind like, ‘F– man, if we lose this game, that’s all they’re gonna wanna talk about. You know me being washed up.’”
– Scott Pioli is back with a legendary quote about Tom Brady.
Former Patriots personnel man Scott Pioli was working as the Falcons’ assistant general manager, and had the pleasure of facing off against his former team in the Super Bowl.
“When we were up 28-3,” he explained. “I’m watching the game, we had a suite for the entire personnel department. All the folks I’m working with, they’re high-fiving, everyone’s– it’s you know out of control. But I was a mess.
I felt this nervousness. And as I’m sitting there someone slaps me on the back and says, ‘C’mon Scott lighten up, you’ve gotta enjoy this moment!’ And I just erupted. And I whipped around and I said, ‘ You effin people don’t get it. That guy No. 12 across the field, is Freddy effin’ Krueger. He’s comin’ back, and he’s gonna get a bunch of us. I just hope he doesn’t get us all.”
Spoiler alert: He got them all. 31 unanswered points. Lombardi No. 5.
– ‘Unequivocally the sweetest.’
Given how the season started, with Brady’s suspension, owner Robert Kraft called it “unequivocally the sweetest” Super Bowl victory.
“Finally I felt like there was some closure to the saga,” said Brady. “We made our point, and I could now start chasing what I set out to chase… I said I was going to play ‘til my mid-40s, so let me just go to work and let my play do the talking.”
Make sure to follow Mike on Twitter @mikekadlick, and follow @WEEI for the latest up-to-date Patriots and Boston sports news!
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