HATERS MAKE THEM STRONGER
Patriots untouchable despite talk of internal strife
Robert Oppenheimer was the father of the atomic bomb. As the world’s first nuclear blast illuminated the New Mexico desert in 1945, a piece of Hindu scripture settled in his mind as tons of radioactive debris fell to earth.
“Now I am become
Death, the destroyer of worlds.”
The rest of the NFL got a taste of what the late Oppenheimer witnessed yesterday. ESPN offered a confluence of fact and speculation detailing dysfunction between Bill Belichick, Tom Brady and Robert Kraft. The Patriots delivered an uncharacteristically quick response: “We stand united.”
In other words, “Pray for the universe.”
The Patriots have another Plymouth Rock-sized chip on their collective shoulder to drop on the opposition during the “Blitz for Six.” ESPN gave the Patriots the perfect ingredients to complete the sorcery needed to consume the soul of their playoff opponents. This happened post-Deflategate and following those cries of “Brady is finished” in 2014 that fueled the run to Super Bowl XLIX.
Tension between Brady and Belichick was reportedly generated by Jimmy Garoppolo and Alex Guerrero. It appears Kraft sided with Brady in one case and Belichick in the other.
Brady did not have to demand a Garoppolo trade. Brady’s success and eternal youth forced a deal. Kraft was not going to spend $17 million to $23 million for Garoppolo to look gorgeous on the sidelines. And Brady has done more than anyone to morph Kraft’s $175 million investment in the Patriots into a $3.7 billion sports behemoth. Easy call. Sorry, Bill. Friction, tension and disagreement in an 18-year relationship between an overachieving employee, his brooding yet brilliant boss, and his boss’s billionaire boss is human nature in its most pure form. Ego? Vanity? Greed? All made an appearance.
John Henry’s scribes, drive-time hosts in Brighton and various interweb types have been declaring Brady is in the twilight of his career since that playoff loss to the Jets seven years ago. They now cling to a pair of missed throws against the Bills and Chargers as iron-clad proof.
Declaring this whole Brady-Belichick-Kraft thing will end someday is no more daring than predicting you’ll see a Dunkin’ Donuts in 10 minutes while driving on Route 9 in Framingham.
Nor would it be “unprecedented.” Kraft did not let Bill Parcells “shop for the groceries” in 1996. Parcells was coaching the Jets in 1997. Jimmy Johnson and Jerry Jones split after back-toback Super Bowl victories. Babe Ruth was sold. Joe Montana and Wayne Gretzky were traded.
Two things are clear. There is now a 0.1 percent chance Belichick will coach elsewhere next season and a 99.9 percent chance Brady completes his career with the Patriots.
Meanwhile, the entire sports universe continues to orbit around Gillette Stadium. The Patriots have the NFL’s best record and will be home until they lose or go to the Super Bowl. Things could be much worse.
Just ask Robert Oppenheimer.