‘The Dynasty’ documentary has another critic…Robert Kraft
Since its initial run, The Dynasty – the Apple TV docuseries on the New England Patriots’ 20-year run during the Tom Brady–Bill Belichick era – has received its fair share of criticism. Knocks have included an increased focused on the scandals and infighting over the on-field product, complete omissions of key on- and off-field highlights during the run, and the portrayal of Belichick.
The latest criticism comes from a seemingly unlikely source though – Patriots owner Robert Kraft. Speaking to reporters at the NFL annual meeting on Tuesday, Kraft echoed the sentiment many fans have vocalized about the 10-part series.
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“Well, I loved the first three episodes. I really liked [them],” Kraft said, referring to the initial part of the series that covers the team’s 2001 season and Super Bowl XXXVI win. “I felt bad that there was so much emphasis on the more controversial and, let’s say challenging situations over the last 20 years. I wish they had focused more on our Super Bowl wins, our 21 game win streak.”
This isn’t just coming from the owner of the team, but someone believed to be involved in the production of the series. While Kraft, nor any member of the Patriots, is listed as a producer, each episode’s credits ended with a copyright belonging to ‘Kraft Dynasty LLC 2024,” while some have interpreted as Kraft having a role in putting the series together.
Kraft also touched on the backlash The Dynasty series has gotten from players, including those whose interviews were included. Last week, a clip went viral of former Patriots safeties Devin McCourty and Rodney Harrison sharing their feelings on the project. Harrison said the series “didn’t tell the stories,” he felt were important, while McCourty said he “felt duped” by the interviewers. Both also spoke about the way the series framed Belichick.
Robert Kraft speaks with the media at the 2024 NFL league meetings. pic.twitter.com/2lqKsBWhlZ
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) March 26, 2024
“I felt bad, there were players who gave hours and hours of interviews and they felt only the negativity,” Kraft said on Tuesday. “People like Devin McCourty and Rodney Harrison and Matthew [Slater], although I didn’t – I just heard quietly that they’ve all felt that way. And actually, there were some really prominent people that were interviewed for hours that never were used. So, little disappointed that there wasn’t more of a real positive approach, especially for Patriot fans who have lived the experience with us.”
When Kraft was asked about the portrayal of Belichick specifically, he turned his attention away from the series and looked ahead.
“I’ll state this clear. I feel so privileged that we had Bill here and we we hope when he’s finished, that we’re going to have a chance to honor him the way we did – we will do with Tom Brady this year,” Kraft said. “We look forward to being able to celebrate putting [Brady] into the Patriots Hall of Fame. And I look forward to the privilege of putting Bill into the Patriots Hall of Fame one day in the future.”
For those who missed any of the episodes of The Dynasty, we recapped each one by highlighting the top quotes from the interviews. Here’s a look at what stood out in the finale…
Top 6 quotes from The Dynasty, Part 10
Robert Kraft shares a meeting he had with Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen in the 2018 offseason
FOXBORO, MA – DECEMBER 06: Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots talks with Patriots owner Robert Kraft before the game against the Philadelphia Eagles the game at Gillette Stadium on December 6, 2015 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Kraft: “Tommy and Gisele came to my house and they were really upset. I had Gisele say ‘that effing Belichick, he doesn’t treat my Tommy like a man.’ She thought Bill was disrespectful to Tommy and that it was time to move on. I realized how bad the situation was and I said, ‘look Tommy, if you want to go I’ll work it out so you can go.”
This sounds like the moment Kraft made the decision, as it’s been framed at times, to choose Belichick over Brady. Brady was also asked about this meeting but said there are some things he’d like to keep to himself.
Alex Guerrero remained a sticking point within the organization in 2018
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – NOVEMBER 27: Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots celebrates with trainer Alex Guerrero after defeating the New York Jets with a score of 22 to 17 at MetLife Stadium on November 27, 2016 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
Robert Kraft: “Tommy and I, we had a conversation and he said it was his intention to stay. But we would have to make concessions, including getting Alex Guerrero back in the fold…Bill was pissed. Allowing Alex Guerrero back [after his sideline and team plane privileges were revoked the previous year] – it was the one time through 20 years I really have stepped in and got involved.”
Bill Belichick: “For a head coach, all the relationships are very important. Starts at the top with ownership. They can derail some positive and constructive progress if those things don’t work out well.”
Kraft: “Bill felt this was really a questioning of his authority and ability to govern. But, I had the greatest player and the greatest coach. I was gonna do whatever I gotta do to keep it patched together and make it happen.”
Belichick’s quote is pretty ominous and vague here, but this is the order the quotes were presented in the episode, with nothing in between. A year after having Guerrero pretty much removed from team activities, Brady got him back – much to Belichick’s dismay apparently.
Matthew Slater was the go-between for Tom Brady and Bill Belichick in 2018
FOXBOROUGH, MA – JANUARY 21: Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots and head coach Bill Belichick look on during warm ups before the AFC Championship Game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Gillette Stadium on January 21, 2018 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Brady: “Every relationship ebbs and flows. He’s got to make decisions that he thinks is best, and I have my own decisions which I think are best. We just didn’t talk a lot.”
Slater: “I remember times like – if Tom wanted something done, he would tell me to go tell Bill. And I’m looking at Tom like ‘Tom, I’m not telling Bill, you go tell Bill.'”
Kraft: “Basically, it was a silent relationship. Before, there had been tension. But now, it was just totally dysfunctional.”
In some ways, this makes the Patriots’ 2018 season all the more impressive. To have the success they had without the coach and quarterback talking to each other is quite the feat.
Super Bowl LIII saved Bill Belichick’s job
ATLANTA, GEORGIA – FEBRUARY 03: Head coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots looks on before Super Bowl LIII against he Los Angeles Rams at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on February 03, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Robert Kraft: “Tommy is the greatest in the 100-year history of the game. And I think he represented a threat to Bill’s full power. He didn’t want Tommy there. And so, when you come to the decision – Brady or Belichick – I thought back to the Eagles Super Bowl. Tommy threw for over 500 yards but Bill made a tremendous error. I credited Bill with that loss. To be honest, my head coach is a pain in the tush. But I was willing to put up with it as long as we won. So for the next Super Bowl, I wanted to keep an eye on him.”
Kraft, later on: “After winning that Super Bowl, I thought ‘what an amazing defensive job our staff did under the leadership of Bill. So, if I ever thought that Bill was losing it as a head coach and couldn’t perform, he had re-established himself. At that point, Tommy understood that Bill would be the head coach for a number of years going forward.”
Kraft lays out his approach to the Brady/Belichick dynamic heading into Super Bowl LIII. Of course, that game against the Rams proved to be one of Belichick’s greatest coaching performances.
Robert Kraft, Tom Brady, and Bill Belichick react to Brady moving on
(Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)
Kraft: “Tommy called to say he’d like to come over and when we walked into the room, he said ‘I’ve decided to move on.’ And as soon as he said it, he started crying. And his crying told me everything I needed to know.”
Brady: “He said ‘I think we should call Bill.’ And then when Bill answered, it was emotional. It’s ’cause, again, it was a chapter coming to an end. And I expressed that to Bill too.
Belichick: “I would say that’s kind of what I expected. But there’s always kind of the – saying goodbye is always hard. I loved coaching Tom. Loved having him on our football team. But at that point in time, I think he made the right and the best decision.”
The three leaders of the Patriots’ dynasty recall how things ended with Brady in New England. This all occurred just days into the COVID lockdown in 2020.
Robert Kraft believes Tom Brady would have stayed if Bill Belichick left
HOUSTON, TX – FEBRUARY 05: Head coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots and Tom Brady #12 celebrate after winning 34-28 over the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl 51 at NRG Stadium on February 5, 2017 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Interviewer: “Would Tom Brady have remained a Patriot if Bill had departed as head coach.”
Kraft: “Yes. I feel pretty strongly about that. Yes. To be honest, I didn’t want to move on from either one. But the point is, keeping them together for 20 years is the hardest thing I’ve done in my business career. Nothing is perfect in this world, as much as we would like it to be. This is life. And it’s what happens. And how you deal with it, and how you moved on.”
The entire series seemed to be leading up to this question. When push comes to shove, was it clearly one or the other – Brady or Belichick? Kraft seems to think so.
