Sports author Jeff Benedict dropped by CBS Sports Radio on Monday to discuss his new book, “The Dynasty,” which tells the definitive inside story of the New England Patriots’ dynasty.
Bill Belichick, of course, is seen as the architect of that dynasty and is beloved by many of his players – even though Belichick is known for being emotionally distant toward them.
How is that possible? How can a coach be emotionally distant yet ask his players to run through the proverbial wall for him?
“Well, I think in this case we can’t really argue that it hasn’t worked – because it has,” Benedict said on The DA Show. “He’s done that for 20 years in New England, and he’s had this incredible run of Hall of Fame-caliber players that have come through New England, played for him and accepted his method of operation and his system. All of those players – whether you talk about Tedy Bruschi or Randy Moss or Willie McGinest or Richard Seymour, you just start going down the list – I think that when those players left, for a lot of them, it was a difficult parting. But now their relationships with him are built on respect, appreciation, and a looking backward of, ‘Look what we got out of being coached by him.’
“I think where it gets interesting is with Brady,” Benedict continued. “That’s what’s different. Tom outlasted all those other guys and the relationship between a quarterback and a coach is different than a coach and any other player on the roster. That’s more of a partnership. The coach runs the team and the quarterback essentially is an extension of the head coach on the field.”
Brady and Belichick’s success is undeniable. After all, the duo won six Super Bowl titles together and dominated the AFC East for two decades. But they weren’t exactly best friends away from the office.
“Their relationship was not a sort of close, familial-type relationship,” Benedict said. “They didn’t go out to dinner and spend time together away from the stadium, having dinner and doing things like that. On the other hand, Brady did have that kind of relationship with owner Robert Kraft. One of the areas that I really wanted to explore and penetrate in 'The Dynasty' was that relationship between the owner and the quarterback. To me, that relationship was the key to keeping Brady and Belichick together for 20 years. It’s the difference-maker.
“When you’re watching the Patriots on television or if you’re at the stadium, it’s very easy to see and appreciate the role that the head coach plays and that the quarterback plays in this dynasty,” Benedict continued. “It’s on display every game because one of them’s got a helmet on and one of them’s got a headset on and they’re on the stage. The owner is not on stage, and in fact, the Patriots have an owner who prefers to stay backstage. He’s in the background, but his role is enormously important.”
Benedict interviewed media mogul Rupert Murdoch for the book. The 89-year-old provided some key analysis regarding Kraft’s impact on the Patriots organization.
“One of the things Murdoch said to me is if Robert Kraft had gone into politics instead of business, he might have gone down in American history as one of the greatest diplomats of our time,” Benedict said. “Instead, he is owning and running a football franchise, and those diplomacy skills are being employed there – and the diplomacy that Rupert Murdoch was referring to was specific to keeping Belichick and Brady together. I think that’s one of the sort of fundamental pillars of the dynasty that’s so easily misunderstood because it’s hard to see. But behind the scenes, it’s really important.”