Patriots ‘The Dynasty’ Recap: Episode 7, Tom Brady and Deflategate
Business magnate Rupert Murdoch often speaks of an Australian expression known as “the tall poppy syndrome.” The term refers to an envious type of criticism levied upon those who have achieved too much success.
“If someone is successful, people will look up to it and want to tear that down,” Murdoch explained.
Within that brief statement lay the context of Episode 7 of AppleTV+’s “The Dynasty,” entitled “Under Pressure.” This installment of the New England Patriots docuseries takes a deeper look at one of the most bizarre controversies in NFL history: the absurdity that is Deflategate.
For better and mostly for worse, the Deflategate moniker has been a part of the collective consciousness of NFL fandom. The enigma surrounding New England’s alleged involvement in deflating footballs spawned an 18-month legal battle, resulting in quarterback Tom Brady being suspended for four games and the Patriots losing first- and fourth-round draft picks, while being fined $1 million.
Though some remain steadfast in their personal verdict of guilt for the NFL’s “tall poppy” franchise, the consensus in New England is still one of an unjust punishment, disproportionate to an unproven crime — especially for Brady.
“Jealousy and envy are incurable diseases,” said Robert Kraft. “When you become number one, people will come after you any way they can.”
Credit: Matthew Emmons, USA Today Sports
Episode 7 begins with Kraft’s 2005 visit to Russia and a misinterpreted gesture which would see Russian President Vladimir Putin walk off with the team owner’s Super Bowl XXXIX ring. While the incident had no direct correlation to the deflated football fiasco to unfold nine years later, it adequately served as a primer for the global phenomenon the Patriots had become since winning their first Super Bowl in 2001.
Set to the backdrop of 2Pac’s ‘All Eyez on Me,” a montage of media footage showed the Patriots rise to global popularity — particularly Brady, whose looks, charm and 2009 marriage to supermodel Gisele Bundchen skyrocketed the NFL’s top quarterback into pop culture superstardom.
With that fame, however, came a price.
In the aftermath of a 45-7 trouncing of the Indianapolis Colts in the 2014 AFC title game, Brady found himself at the center of a firestorm stemming from his first-half interception to Colts’ linebacker D’Qwell Jackson. The ball was described by journalist Tom E. Curran as a “gift” to both Colts and NFL officials “lying in wait” as evidence that the Patriots had long since been tampering with their game day pigskin orbs.
Almost instantly, the story became proverbial lighter fluid for the national media, far outweighing the narrative of New England vying for its fourth Super Bowl title. In fact, ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reported that 11 of the Patriots’ 12 footballs were found to be underinflated by more than two pounds per square inch.
The report was later revealed to have been based on inaccurate information provided to Mortensen by NFL executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent — a point which was not covered in the episode.
Not only were the Patriots in the media crosshairs, they were about to become the target of an NFL investigation.
Unlike its predecessor, Spygate, the wrath of those determined to “cut down the tall poppy” was focused squarely on Brady. Some will argue that the then three-time Super Bowl champ bore the brunt of the burden due to head coach Bill Belichick’s immediate disavowing of any knowledge regarding the altering of football air pressure.
“My entire coaching career, I have never talked to any player, staff member about football air pressure,” Belichick said at the time. “That’s not a subject I have ever brought up. To me, the footballs are approved by the league and game officials pregame, and we play with what’s out there. That’s the only way I have ever thought about that.”
In turn, the spotlight was placed on Brady, who endured 31 minutes of incessant grilling from grandstanding reporters — a moment in which the Pats quarterback appeared genuinely surprised and visibly shaken.
“If there was a hornet’s nest. Boy was I in it,” Brady recalled.
Throughout the two weeks leading up to the Super Bowl, Brady and the phenomenon now known as “Deflategate” continued to be fodder for both news and late-night talk shows. Simultaneously, it was beginning to take its toll on the typically unflappable Brady.
“The two weeks were very difficult on Tommy,” Kraft recounted. “He was taking it very hard.”
Still, Brady seemed less concerned with the direct attacks on him, than he was about the impact the controversy was having on his family and teammates.
“When the shots are being fired at you, you can handle it,” Brady said. “When they’re being fired at people you care about … That’s when it gets hard.”
Brady’s former teammate, cornerback Danelle Revis, remembered the Pats’ legend’s regret for the weight placed on his teammates.
“At the time of the Deflategate stuff, he was the headliner,” Revis said. “But he addressed the team as a whole. You could tell he was distraught. He said ‘I would never do anything to ruin the season for you. These allegations are false.’ He was actually bawling his eyes out in front of us.”
In spite of the controversy, Brady and the Patriots earned their fourth championship with a 28-24 victory over the Seattle Seahawks. Despite his 328-yard, four touchdown performance, the show was stolen by the heroics of cornerback Malcolm Butler, who made a game-sealing interception at the goal-line to preserve the Pats’ win.
“All of a sudden they say, ‘Goal-line three corners,’ and it’s like, Malcolm! Malcolm go!’” Butler remembered. “I was looking at [Seattle quarterback] Russ [Wilson]. I was like, ‘He looking over here too much. He’s looking too much.’”
Butler ultimately made the pick on a play which Brady described as "one of the greatest plays in Super Bowl history."
Unfortunately, the Patriots would have little time to rest on their laurels. The NFL’s investigative committee, led by Ted Wells, acted quickly in determining that Brady "more probably than not" was "generally aware" of the practice of pre-game football deflation. As such, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell suspended the Super Bowl MVP for four games.
While the other 31 fanbases were enthralled by Goodell's decision, those close to the Patriots believed that the commissioner's decision was nothing more than attempt to even the score for showing leniency during Spygate.
"Roger Goodell works for the owners," said NBC Boston's Michael Holley. "There were quite a few crabby owners unhappy with how Roger Goodell had handled Spygate. There was a lot of anger and resentment. This was his chance to be the "iron-fist" commissioner."
It just became, in my opinion, a witch hunt." added the Boston Globe's Jackie MacMullen. "And, Tom Brady was the witch that was being hanged at Salem."
Whether Brady's alleged indiscretions were worthy of punishment from the league remains a reasonable argument. However, director Matthew Hamachek did an admirable job in demonstrating how the NFL's heavy hand in the matter only served to galvanize Pats fans support around Tom Brady. Signs and banners bearing the slogan "Free Brady" could be seen throughout New England as the popular quarterback continued to profess his innocence.
Though the U.S. Court of Appeals eventually upheld Goodell's right to suspend Brady — a ruling which did not validate his guilt — Brady chose to focus his time and energy on the field. Ironically, the league's actions did little else but simply "poke the bear."
"When he came into training camp that summer, he had accepted his four-game suspension and he was angry," said friend and former teammate Danny Amendola. "You could just see it. I said to myself 'He is going to come back and reign vengeance upon thee."
Brady's "vengeance" is the primary subject of Episode 8, entitled "Score to Settle," which is available on AppleTV+ starting on Mar. 8.
