Apple TV+'s "The Dynasty," a 10-part series chronicling the New England Patriots' historic 20-year run, aired episodes seven and eight on Friday.
Episode 7 focused on perhaps the darkest moment of the Patriots dynasty: Deflategate. Quarterback Tom Brady was suspended for the first four games of the 2016 season for allegedly ordering the deflation of footballs during New England's 2014 AFC Championship Game win over the Indianapolis Colts. The team was fined $1 million and stripped of two 2016 draft picks.
"The Dynasty" provides a deeper look at how the controversy -- undoubtedly the biggest sports story at the time -- impacted Brady and his loved ones. Former Pats cornerback Darrelle Revis recalled Brady "bawling his eyes out" while claiming his innocence during a speech to his teammates. Tom Brady Sr. and Brady's mother, Galynn, opened up about how the scandal made it a difficult time for the family.
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Our Tom E. Curran, Michael Holley and Phil Perry, who covered the Patriots throughout Deflategate, shared their reactions to the episode during "The Dynastic Post Show."
"The bottom line is, I think it was extremely painful," Curran said. "We all knew it was a jaywalking situation and it got prosecuted like a felony."
Holley recalled Brady Sr. calling out a radio host and ripping NFL commissioner Roger Goodell during the saga, a moment that was not covered in the episode.
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"Tom Brady when this happened was 37. It was the first time -- imagine this -- the first time in his career that he had been criticized roundly and consistently by the local and national media, at 37 years old. How many quarterbacks can say that?
"It got so absurd to the point where Tom Brady Sr. calls into a radio station and says, 'You don't know what you're talking about. Roger Goodell is a liar.' I mean, all of these things happened, and I think it changed Tom Brady."
Curran remembered a conversation with Brady Sr. about the situation, in which he expressed that the legendary QB worried about being blackballed by the league.
"I talked to Mr. Brady after that. He said, 'Tommy's mad. Tommy does not want me doing that because he's very concerned that he will be blackballed by the league if he continues to speak out or we continue to speak out, and he will never get a job in this league again.' ... So, Tom Brady saw mortality to his career."
Episode 8 covered the aftermath of the scandal. With Brady suspended for the first four games of the 2016 campaign, Jimmy Garoppolo was thrust into the spotlight as the Patriots' starting quarterback. Meanwhile, Brady had to put up with what he and some of his teammates considered disrespect from head coach Bill Belichick. Former Patriots receiver Wes Welker compared Brady to "an abused dog." Owner Robert Kraft believed Belichick was preparing to move on from his longtime QB.
“I think Bill thought Tommy was starting to lose it,” 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.’”
As Holley put it, this marked the beginning of the end for the Brady-Belichick relationship in New England.
"Bill decided that it was enough," Holley said. "The irony is Bill as a coach was always mocking the 'do what they do' franchises. ... He made a lot of money dominating those guys. Yet, in this situation where he rightly planned for life after a 37-year-old quarterback -- that's smart business, you don't know when that guy's going to implode.
"But when it was clear that it wasn't going to happen with Tom Brady, he refused to adjust and he just made up his mind that Brady couldn't stay anymore even though there was tremendous evidence to the contrary that Brady was at the top of his game. Bill wouldn't get off his original position, and that's where the conflict -- the tension as Kraft pointed out -- the tension to dysfunction happened."
Watch the full "Dynastic Post Show" reacting to Episodes 7 and 8 of "The Dynasty" below, or on YouTube: