Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Discussing ‘The Dynasty’ — Patriots Talk with Jeff Benedict - 12/16/2020

Episode Date: December 16, 2020

In one of the best sports reads of 2020, The Dynasty, tells the story of how the New England Patriots went from an afterthought in the NFL universe to one of its most revered and most decorated franchises. Author Jeff Benedict joins host Mike D’Abate to provide his experiences in writing his latest New York Times Best-Seller. The duo also discuss the early days of the Pats’ dynasty, the Kraft-Brady-Belichick dynamic and the end of an era that spawned two decades of excellence.Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Built BarBuilt Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKEDON,” and you’ll get 20% off your next order.MyBookieINVEST IN YOUR INTUITION. USE PROMO CODE LOCKEDON AND DOUBLE YOUR FIRST DEPOSIT. NEW PLAYERS GET UP TO $1,000 IN FREE PLAY - DESIGNED TO ADD MORE EXCITEMENT TO THE SPORTS YOU LOVE AND THE GAMES YOU BET. YOUR WINNING SEASON BEGINS TODAY...ONLY AT MYBOOKIE!BuiltGoVisit BuiltGO.com and use promo code “LOCKED,” and you’ll get 20% off your next order.BetterHelpI want you to start living a happier life today. As a listener, you’ll get 10% off your first month by visiting our sponsor at BetterHelp.com/LockedOnSimpliSafeRight now, my listeners get a FREE home security camera, when you purchase a SimpliSafe system at SimpliSafe.com/LockedOnNFL Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You are Locked On Patriots, your daily New England Patriots podcast. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Hello to all of you, Foxborough faithful. You are now locked in to the Lockdown Patriots podcast. Today is Wednesday, December 16th, 2020, and it is time to discuss the dynasty here on your daily home for news notes and analysis infused with the occasional opinion on your six-time Super Bowl champions, the New England Patriots. Today's episode is brought to you by 1010.

1010 is an exclusive collection of 10 one-of-a-kind engagement rings by 10 of the most distinctive designers working today. Using only diamonds responsibly and sustainably sourced from Botswana, 10 design masters have each provided a uniquely beautiful diamond ring launching exclusively on January 18th at BlueNile.com. This exciting limited edition collection of diamond engagement rings launches on January 18th, and you can preview it exclusively at BlueNile.com. Patriots Nation, thank you for joining me here on today's pod.

Happy Hump Day to all of you. My name is Mike DeBate, your host of the Locked On Patriots podcast, which of course is a proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. And folks, because it's your team every day, that means your questions, your comments, your feedback, always welcomed, greatly appreciated. Feel free to share that feedback anytime by reaching out to me and following me on Twitter at MDABATEFPC. And while you're out there doing some Wednesday wandering through that Twitterverse, please

be sure to follow the Locked On Patriots account as well at LO underscore Patriots. Pats fans, for the most part here on Locked On Patriots, we try to live either in the present or look ahead to the future. And for the 2020 season, that future is starting to look a bit more grim. But there is still light at the end of the tunnel. The Patriots still have slim playoff hopes. And I know there's a lot of national media, maybe some local media as well, a lot of fan bases of other professional teams that are coming out of the woodwork and taking great

delight in the fact that the Patriots might miss the playoffs this year for the first time in 11 years. Of course, if you look at the records of most of the fan bases that are doing a lot of the chirping, you'll find out that the majority of those teams can't even come close to what the Patriots have done over the last 11 years, but I digress. They're going to have their moment, but I thought it was a good time here on Locked On Patriots to revisit exactly who the New England Patriots are. For the past two decades, this team has been a dynasty, one that I firmly believe the likes of which we'll never see again, not just in the NFL, but in any professional sport.

And so many people went into the building of that dynasty, but it really had three main components. Robert Kraft as team owner, Bill Belichick as head coach, and Tom Brady as your quarterback. But what you may not know is that the seedlings of the Patriots dynasty began long before Brady took the field here in New England, and even long before Bill Belichick took over the clipboard. It really started out with the dream of a businessman who started out himself as a fan, just like all of you out there. And 2020 may not have brought us a lot to smile about this year, but one thing it did bring us was one of my favorite reads of the year, The Dynasty by author Jeff Benedict. Folks, this is one of the most comprehensive, detailed, and well-written accounts of the Patriots dynasty that I've ever read.

And today here on Locked on Patriots, I am proud to welcome Jeff Benedict as my guest. And we'll be discussing this project, which Jeff himself has described as a labor of love. And trust me, folks, once you pick it up, you'll know immediately why it became a rapid climber on the New York Times bestseller list. We'll discuss Jeff's experiences of working with the Patriots organization and getting that elusive look inside the inner sanctum. We'll also talk about the early foundational days of the Patriots dynasty, how Robert Kraft's purchase of the team changed not only the public perception of the franchise, but also the inner workings of how the New England Patriots do business.

Last but certainly not least, we'll delve into Jeff's insight in covering the relationship and dynamic between Robert Kraft, Bill Belichick, and Tom Brady. And we'll bring it all home by my asking Jeff of whether he was surprised that the Brady-Belichick era in New England ended when and how it did. So as I like to say each and every day here on Locked On Patriots, Pat's Nation, sit tight, settle in, and hopefully enjoy today's episode of Locked On Patriots. It was truly a privilege for me to discuss the dynasty with Jeff Benedict. Jeff is a true pro that provides some great insight and analysis here on today's pod,

but trust me when I tell you, folks, it's just scratching the surface on the details and insight that only he can provide within this book, The Dynasty. And again, folks, I consider it to be not only one of the best reads of 2020, but a must-read for any Patriots fan. But before Jeff joins me here on the hot seat and we take a trip back in time in that Belichickian DeLorean I love to describe so much,

there is still business at hand for your New England Patriots, and that includes a Sunday date in South Beach with the Miami Dolphins at 1 p.m. The Patriots are set to return to the practice fields today on Wednesday, and earlier on Wednesday, Bill Belichick was asked about the status of one of the more beloved New England Patriots, and that's wide receiver Julian Edelman. And of course, we all know that after appearing in the first six of New England's games this season, that knee ailment that had been bothering Jules since week two caused him to undergo surgery. The Patriots placed him on injured reserve,

where he remained for about a month before being sent from IR straight to the NFL's coronavirus reserve list. Julian would spend the next 10 days on the COVID-19 reserve list before being moved off of that list and again back to injured reserve. And I know a lot of you out there are wondering whether Julian is actually going to return to the field at any point this season. To be honest, it's actually one of the more common questions that I'm asked by all of you listeners of Locked On Patriots. And because it's such a common question, that's probably one of the reasons why Bill

Belichick was asked that very question on Wednesday morning when he spoke to the media. I guess the best way to describe Billick was asked that very question on Wednesday morning when he spoke to the media. I guess the best way to describe Bill's response to that question is cautious. And he said, quote, Julian, I'd put him in the day-to-day category. When he's ready, we'll start him. If he's not ready, then we'll keep working and we'll wait until he is ready. Now, I know that sounds a lot like Bill Belichick is playing Captain Obvious here. But to be fair, I think that's probably the most complete answer Bill can give at this time. It will be interesting to watch the practice fields on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday this week. If Julian does make a return at any point,

I think it might be worth questioning as to whether or not we will see him this year on the field. If Julian does not return by the end of this week, then I think it's worth questioning whether or not we may have seen the last of Julian this season. Especially if the Patriots are not able to pull off a victory over the Dolphins on Sunday that will officially eliminate them from postseason contention, and then you really have to wonder whether or not it's worth it to push Julian to come back, or to give him the proper rest and recovery time that he needs and get him ready for a healthy and hopefully long run with the Patriots in 2021. So as I like to say folks, keep a sharp ear to Locked On Patriots.

I'll have my sharp eye and my sharp ear on Foxborough and bring you the latest not only when it comes to Julian's health, but also the health and welfare of all of your 2020 New England Patriots. And don't forget that tomorrow here on Locked On Patriots is Crossover Thursday, and Kyle Krabs, host of Locked On Dolphins, and I will delve into Sunday's matchup. We'll take a look at how the Miami Dolphins have improved from the team the Patriots beat to open the season.

We'll talk about some of the Patriots' struggles on offense and whether the Miami defense has rounded into a unit that can give Cam Newton and company some serious problems on Sunday. You all know that getting a chance to cross the streams with several of my Locked On hosts is one of the things I love most about being host of Locked On Patriots. So to ensure that you do not miss a single second of the action, make sure to stay locked into Locked On Patriots because Crossover Thursday is only found here on the Locked On Podcast Network. But today here on the pod, there is still a trip through time to be taken in that Belichickian

time machine. I will be discussing the dynasty with its author, Jeff Benedict, when the Locked on Patriots podcast continues. Patriots fans, you've all heard the phrase, often imitated but never duplicated. I mean, is there a better phrase to describe your favorite football team in Foxborough? Six Super Bowl titles in just under two decades? Yeah, no other NFL team in the modern

era can even come close to making that claim. Only the best can provide the best. And when it comes to protein bars, the only ones who could provide the best healthy, low calorie and delicious treats you know and love are the ones who provided the best in the first place. So prepare your taste buds for wow and make Bilt Bar your go-to protein bar right now. No one can do it like they do it. 100% real chocolate, soft, easy to chew, and Bilt Bar is available in mouth-watering flavors like cookies and cream, peanut butter brownie, apple almond crisp, lemon almond cheesecake, just to name a few.

But Bilt Bar is not only low calorie and low sugar, but it's also high protein and high fiber. Great for all of you following the keto lifestyle. Built Bar has no crazy additives, half the calories of its most popular competitors, and get this, seven times fewer carbs, seven times fewer sugar grams, and more protein. How can it be that good for you and taste that good? Well, folks, all I can tell you is Built Bar is just that good. Go to BuiltBar.com and use promo code LOCKEDON to get 20% off your next order. Don't delay. Do it today. Use promo code

LOCKEDON for 20% off at BiltBar.com. Patriots fans, times may be a bit difficult right now, and I say that tongue-in-cheek. A 6-7 record, hardly the threshold of embarrassment. But for nearly 20 years, your New England Patriots enjoyed a level of success not likely to be duplicated again in any professional sport. But the story of how it was built and how it was sustained is truly a remarkable one. And in one of the best reads of 2020, The Dynasty tells the story of how the Patriots went from an afterthought in the NFL universe to one of its most revered and most decorated franchises. Today on the pod, it is

my honor to welcome the author of The Dynasty. And in addition to this great work, you'll also recognize his work as a special features writer for Sports Illustrated, as well as his writing or co-writing of 16 books, including the New York Times bestseller, Tiger Woods, which he wrote alongside Armin Katayan. Jeff Benedict is my guest today. Jeff, thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to join me, and welcome to Locked On Patriots. Hey, it's great to be here with you, especially this time of year.

Thanks for having me on. Oh, you're very welcome. It is great to be able to share the microphone with you at this time of year, especially considering that this has been one of my favorite reads of 2020. I continue to be a fan of it each and every time I read it. So well written, so well researched several adjectives that really can be used to describe the Patriots throughout the past two decades. Dominant, enigmatic, polarizing, but perhaps the most accurate would be successful. And telling that story of success with all the highs and the lows mixed in is something that you did a masterful job with in this book. And from personal experience, I can tell you that it is not easy for anyone to gain the opportunity to get a look inside the Patriots Inner Sanctum, folks. Only a select handful have even come close to that. And Jeff, the insight that you provide in the dynasty is truly amazing. Things I didn't know about the franchise's rise to prominence.

Jeff, what was your experience on this project, not just in terms of research and development, but also in being able to work with the Patriots organization, including those with whom you worked as both the principals and on the periphery? You know, Mike, I actually wrote, it's funny you ask that, I actually wrote a piece about that yesterday. I haven't done any writing since I finished the Dynasty back in the spring. But this week I had some time, a little bit of time to reflect on the question you just asked. And I think one of the things I enjoyed the most about working on this book was the time that I spent and the exposure that I had to the people who I wrote about in the book. I spent a lot of time early on in this project, actually most of the first season, the 2018 season, doing a lot of observation, meaning I was at the stadium a lot. At times it felt like I lived there. And in much of that time, I was not interviewing people. I was just watching and listening and just seeing a lot of things that really helped me previous books and really got to do that here.

I started with Robert Kraft because he's the owner of the franchise and really built the organization. And what you see in New England is a mirror reflection of who he is and how he runs a business. And so I started with him on purpose. I was by design and sort of worked my way down. And when I say down, I mean, starting with the owner and then working down to the key players and people in the organization. But, you know, had to build as much rapport and trust as I could with each person, whether it was Drew Bledsoe or Drew Bledsoe's wife or Tom Brady or, you know, whoever the person was, Paul Tagliabue, you know, it doesn't matter. But in any case, I think, you know, the trick is, or the key is, is people have to be comfortable enough to talk to you and tell you things that maybe they've never told someone before or answer questions that maybe they've never been asked before.

And and know, I guess, that you're hoping, think that you're going to treat that information properly and sort of not abuse it. Absolutely. And I think that was so well said. And folks, I can tell you from reading this book from start to finish, there are a lot of pearls of wisdom that you may have thought you've known. You may have known a little bit about. Jeff provides a great amount of insight into things that you may not have known about the franchise. And he tells the story so well and so compelling that you just can't wait to continue to read. It's one that you just can't put down. And Jeff, one of my favorite aspects of the dynasty is the manner in which you tell the story of the early days of the Patriots dynasty. This is a time where I was entering my teenage years when Robert Kraft was approaching the

purchase of the team. And it allowed me to relive some of that moment, starting with Kraft's passion for the team first as a fan, and then his professional relationship with Chad Gifford who was the president of Bank Boston, a very integral part of the financial aspects of Robert Kraft being able to purchase the Patriots at the time, the logistics, all the details that go behind it, and then the clash of personality styles with Bill Parcells. And again, you think you know some of the details behind this,

but when you read this book, folks, you'll see that there were a lot of personality traits that really clashed from day one between these two. And that ultimately led to the team's pursuit of Bill Belichick. Jeff, I won't ask you to reveal details because, folks, again, there were a lot of eye-openers in here in the early goings of your read. But what did you enjoy most about your voyage back in time to the foundation years of building the modern day Patriots? Well, to me, that's a part of the story that, you know, on the surface, it doesn't sound very sexy

to write about, you know, purchasing a franchise. That sounds very business, very legal, very financial, and therefore very boring. It just doesn't sound like there's much action. And if you're reading a book about a football dynasty, you think, do I really want to know that? And so one of the things I thought a lot about was how to tell that part of the story, because to me, it's vital. It's the foundational framework for what is to come. So it's not something you can skip over and leave out. It's integral to the story. So it's all about how do you present that to the reader in a way that's dramatic and true to the events? And so it's all in the telling. And I think being able to, you know, I remember the first time I interviewed Chad Gifford, which was great. I went to his condominium in downtown Boston and it was a gray, rainy day.

It was wintry. And we were sitting there. And I remember when we first started, he asked me, so so you want to know what happened? And I was like, yeah, I want to know what happened. In other words, I want to go, I want you to take me into your office and put me there back in the early 90s when Robert Kraft is sitting on your couch and you're trying to figure out how in the world you're going to come up with the 150 plus million dollars that you need to combine with his cash to make an offer that would prevent the team from going to St. Louis. I want to sit in the room with you and hear it, see it, so that the reader can feel like they're in that room. And in that instance, you need to feel the pressure, the anxiety that the bank president feels when he's thinking about loaning this much

money. You need to feel the pressure that Robert Kraft feels to know how much debt he's taking on. Like the reader needs to experience that not through me, but through Kraft and Gifford. And that's the key, I think, in each of these sequences. And so that part of it was fantastic. And of course, I interviewed other people, all the people that I could that were involved in sort of those different steps, but then you get to Parcells. And I think the thing that's fascinating about him, of course, well, there's a number of things, but one of which is, unlike Belichick, and for that matter, even Pete Carroll, Kraft didn't choose Parcells. He inherited him.

He was already there when Kraft bought the team. So he inherits a coach. He inherits a roster of 53 players. He inherits a coach. He gets a stadium. When you buy it, you get all of it. And so this was a marriage that was not a situation where he courted his coach. And they did not mesh well early on for a number of reasons, but I tried to not tell the reader what those reasons were, but rather show them. And I think by going

inside the private meetings that Kraft and Parcells had early on, the private phone calls, like that very first phone call, the night after Kraft buys the team and signs the deal in Boston, that night he took his family to the garden to celebrate and watch a Celtics game. And they come home, and then it's, you know, 11 o'clock at night, the phone rings. You can picture this, right? You can picture Robert Kraft in his bedroom, sitting down on the bed to answer the phone. Because if you've got a phone in your room, and a lot of people do, you know what it's like to get a call late at night. You sit down on the side of the bed, you pick the phone up. And it's Parcells. And it's their first conversation with Kraft being the owner. And it's basically Parcells trying to talk him into

re-signing Bruce Armstrong. And, you know, Kraft's like, how much is that going to cost? And Parcells says probably $10 million. Well, he just spent $173 million that morning to buy the team. And now you're telling me I got to fork out another 10 to sign this guy. And, you know, Parcells is going, well, he's your left tackle. You know, he protects Bledsoe's blind side. We got to have him. So you're sitting there, like, it's like you're in the room hearing this two-way conversation. And I think it's by being able to do that, that's what enables the reader to feel like we're there. We're actually seeing how the sausage is made. And, you know, obviously it was beneficial to talk to not only Kraft and Parcells, which I did, but also to all the other people who also spoke with them during this very pressure-packed time period.

So Tagliabue had conversations with Parcells and with Kraft. Gifford had interaction with Parcells and with Kraft. Jonathan Kraft, who had an extremely adversarial relationship with Parcells. Those scenes and the sequences of those arguments that Jonathan Kraft and Parcells had, which were heated from day one, All of that, I think, helps explain and put more context around the divorce that seemed imminent from the beginning. Yeah, absolutely. And I'm so glad that you mentioned the conversation about Bruce Armstrong. To me, that really set the table for the early days of the dynasty. And you hit the nail right on the head this is a coach that craft inherited this is a coach where uh he had his own methods of being able to do business both on the football field and behind the scenes and craft brought a new light to it and you had mentioned jonathan craft and some of the conversations that both robert and jonathan had with bill parcells including

the tossing around of a term of a Harvard boy, which if you read Jeff's book, you'll see it. You know, Parcells used that on more than one occasion, but it really does show the dynamic between these two and how they look to put together a football team. Parcells was all about protecting his guys on the field, and he would go above and beyond to do that. I think at one point, Parcells said, well, you throw a number and you know it's going to be low. But if you throw the number out there and it's low and the other guy comes back with a number that's high, you meet in the middle and you do that. Whereas

Jonathan Kraft and Robert Kraft really started to take a long-term approach. What were the markets for left tackles at the time? How much did the money want to, how much money did the team want to allocate to spending at that level uh again brilliant brilliant storytelling jeff and i i do appreciate it um this has been a joy for me thus far uh for someone again that was only a child when the seedlings of this dynasty were being built it was really great to take a deep dive into the parcells days of my teenage years and then of course folks i also want to give you a teaser and a primer for those of you that haven't read it. Just how close Drew Bledsoe came to near fatal health complications after that fateful hit from Mo Lewis. Jeff's account of this is absolutely brilliant. But for those of you who

have yet to read The Dynasty, the reason you choose to do so might just be to get an inside look at the relationship among the Foxborough Holy Trinity. I'm talking Kraft, Brady, and Belichick. And I will discuss that relationship with Jeff Benedict when the Locked On Patriots podcast continues. Patriots fans, I have the honor of being joined today by author Jeff Benedict as we discuss his New York Times bestseller, The Dynasty, a comprehensive look at one of the most successful modern- era pro sports franchises, your New England Patriots. And Jeff, in the previous segment, we discussed the seedlings of the dynasty, and many who have read this or will read this work will do so to learn more about the dynamic but sometimes complicated relationship among the

three main components of the Pat's success for the past 20 years, Robert Kraft, Bill Belichick, and Tom Brady. And folks, as I've said before, there are too many pearls of insight that can only be found in Jeff's book. But my question to you, Jeff, is what surprised you the most about the professional and personal bonds among the big three? And do you think Patriots Nation either has been or would be surprised by some of it? Well, I think one of the things that Patriots fans in particular, you know, that we experience is that it's almost impossible

not to take for granted how good it's been here for two decades. In other words, there's a whole generation of New Englanders, an entire generation of kids who are no longer kids, but who grew up knowing only one thing, which is winning. Because starting in 2001, that's what's happened here. And so if you grow up seeing that and experiencing that, you have no reference, no point of reference, like older Patriots fans who remember the days when they played in a different stadium and they were perennial losers, or they may even go all the way back to the Boston Patriots.

I met people like that working on the book. Those folks have a more historical reference point of what's so unique about the last 20 years. But like my kids, for example, who are between the ages of 14 and 24, they've never seen the Patriots lose. They don't know how that happens. And so I think when you grow up seeing

the same owner, the same coach, and the same quarterback year after year after year, what you think is that that's normal, because that is normal in New England. But it's not normal, not only is it not normal anywhere else in the NFL, it's not normal anywhere else in NFL history. In the hundred year annals of the NFL, we've never seen a run like the one we've all just witnessed. was to learn how they kept it going that long. And the reason, Mike, that I make, and I've talked about this elsewhere, but in the book, as you know, I make an analogy between the Beatles and the Patriots. And more specifically, I make the analogy between John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and Bill Belichick and Tom Brady. And I leave Kraft out of that for a reason, which I'll explain in a minute.

But basically, I looked at Lennon and McCartney as they were the engine behind the Beatles. They were the ones who actually wrote most of the songs and composed most of the music. They were the two biggest stars in the band. They were the two biggest stars in the world while they were in the Beatles. And I think most people would now agree they broke up prematurely the NFL's version of Lennon and McCartney. They were two guys that, while on the same side of the field, created an absolutely unfair advantage every time they played. In other words, for every other team in the NFL, particularly the teams in the AFC East, like the Dolphins, the Bills, and the Jets, for 20 years, it was just unfair. I mean, because you had these two guys, one of whom will go down as the greatest coach ever, and one of them will go down as the most accomplished quarterback in the history of the game, paired up. And I think this is where Kraft comes in, is that he knew NFL history. He knew what happened with Chuck Nolan, Terry Bradshaw

and Pittsburgh. He knew what happened with Joe Montana and Bill Walsh in San Francisco. He saw what happened to the Dallas Cowboys after they won three Super Bowls in the early 90s and then blew up. He became completely focused on how to keep his version of Lennon and McCartney on the same stage for as long as possible. And I think the genius of the owner is the masterful strokes that he made, which have to be different with each guy. In other words, his relationship with Brady and his relationship with Belichick are very different because Belichick and Brady are very different guys. And in fact, Brady and Belichick's relationship is quite interesting because it's not close in any way off the field. But on the field, they were in sync in a way that

no one's ever been before. I mean, you can't not be in sync and win as much as they did. And I think that's what's so fascinating about the Belichick-Brady relationship is they would never go out to dinner together, have beers together, get the families together and do things like that. But in the work environment, they were incredibly well suited for each other. Then there's Kraft, who works a relationship with Bill, which is the best professional relationship between a coach and an owner in the NFL. Says something about the Parcells days when you think about it. And then you take Kraft's relationship with Brady, which was much more familial. You know, the reference to father son, like, you know, the fact that Brady considered

Jonathan Kraft, like a brother, and Jonathan considered Tom, like a brother, that that stuff is genuine. That's not just the superficial, like what we show the media, that's the real thing. And I think that that's the, that is the ultimate important component that keeps Tom in New England for probably twice as long as he might've been, had he done what his predecessors had done. And so I think that that's, that's the fascinating stuff is understanding how to navigate all that, because believe me, when you have stars this big, and there are no bigger than those two, and when you win as much, they've they've just gone places that no one in the NFL, not Joe Montana, none of these guys, Peyton Manning, none of them have got close to where these three have been over the last 20 years. Of course, the old adage that comes into this and ties into it to tie us all together this morning is all good things must come to an end. And of course, we all know earlier this year on March 17th, Tom Brady announcing that he was indeed moving on from the Patriots after nearly two decades of unparalleled success. For the last two years of Brady's tenure in New England, Jeff, you were simultaneously working on this project, as you previously stated, in a manner of speaking, you kind of had a front row seat, or at least as close as one to you can get, for how these events

played out. Even with your insight, were you surprised that the Patriots dynasty ended when and the way it did? When I went into the project, I definitely thought that Brady would retire a patriot. And I have to confess that I'm guilty of falling into the trap as a writer, a journalist, a biographer. I did get sucked in on this one part of the story, which is I was so wrapped up in the dynasty and what I was writing. I was living it in such an internal way that I found myself, you know, hoping that he would stay. And and I think that hope affected my thinking. And so I can honestly say that I, I had, I did not know, you know, what was going to happen there at the end. I, but I do, what I do remember vividly is when you talk about a front row seat, there's actually a literal

aspect to that. I was with Tom in his, his luxury box at the stadium, which is the one that his wife and family watch the games from. Tom's typically obviously not in there because he's down on the field. But we did our interviews were done in that suite. And in one of those interviews, the stadium was entirely empty. As you know, it's the opening scene of chapter one of the book. But that scene of him looking out at the empty stadium right before the Steelers game to open the 2019 season. That was the night that they got, you know, the trophies unveiled and the banner came down and all that. But to be in this in the box with him a few days before that game when the stadium was empty and have him looking out. I, you know, look, it was one of those moments that will be seared in my memory for a long, long time, particularly because of what happened at the

end of that season. And so for that, I, you know, I actually feel a great deal of gratitude. You can't control timing when you work on projects like this, but to have been there to witness what I consider to be, you know, some incredible New England sports history as it was happening is something I'll cherish for, you know, the rest of my life. And absolutely, without question, a moment to cherish for the rest of your life. Very, very few get the opportunity to do what you have done here, Jeff. And you've done it with class, with accuracy. And again, folks, I cannot recommend this novel or this book highly enough. Definitely pick it up.

If you haven't had the chance to do it yet, it is available at all major retailers, available on all major download platforms. Makes a great Christmas gift. I thank you, Jeff, for taking time out of your busy schedule for joining me here today on Locked On Patriots. And recently you gave a print interview with a friend of our program here at Locked On Patriots, columnist for Full Press Patriots, Claire Cooper, who asked you about growing up a Dolphins fan.

Very quickly, I know the Patriots are playing the Dolphins this weekend with a little bit different type of stakes on the line for the Pats. Any thoughts on what you might see this weekend, and who are you going to be pulling for? No, I'm just kidding. I'm not putting you on the spot. Oh, I would definitely be pulling for the Pats and hope they win. You know, they always have interesting things happen down in Miami, but I'd like to see Kyle Vannoy have a good game for the Dolphins because he's a great guy and was a great asset to the Patriots while he was here. But I'm definitely pulling for New England.

That's a no-brainer at this point. And we love to hear it. Folks, please follow Jeff on Twitter at author Jeff. You can definitely find again, the dynasty at all major retailers and on all major downloading platforms. Can't recommend the work the man does highly enough. Definitely check it out and make it a part of your Christmas holiday or a part of your new year reading. Jeff, again, thank you so much for coming on today. Stay safe, stay well. My wishes to you and your family for a happy holiday season and a happy new year. And we look forward to maybe

talking some Patriots with you after the turn of the new year in 2021. Sounds good. Happy holidays. Merry Christmas. Thank you. Merry Christmas to you too, Jeff. And just like that, Patriots Nation, we are halfway through your work week. And tomorrow, Crossover Thursday gives us a chance to cross the streams with Kyle Krabs, host of Locked on Dolphins, as we break down the Patriots Sunday matchup with Miami in South Beach. So, to ensure that you do not miss a single second of the action, subscribe to and follow Locked on Patriots on platforms such as Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, wherever you get your podcasts.

Just make sure that you're staying locked into Locked on Patriots. Once again, I'm Mike DeBate. I thank Jeff Benedict, author of The Dynasty, for his time, his insight, and his appearance on today's pod. But most of all, I thank you so much for listening and for making Locked on Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage. Until tomorrow, Patriots Nation, stay safe, stay well, always be the change you wish to see in the world.

Have a great day, everyone.