Good, Bad, Ugly Patriots
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The Good, the Bad & the Ugly: New England Patriots
The New England Patriots played their first games in 1960, the AFL’s inaugural season. They won their first league championship 41 seasons later. In between came seasons of hope and potential and seasons of profound frustration and bitter disappointment for both the team and its loyal fans. And then the story changed dramatically.
Though no one would have dared imagine it at the time, the Patriots’ victory in Super Bowl XXXVI was the beginning of a dynastic era that has to date included three championships in a four-year span, and four trips to the Super Bowl and five to the AFC Championship over the course of seven seasons.
The Good, the Bad & the Ugly: New England Patriots tells the story of the Patriots’ evolution from NFL sad sacks to perennial contenders. The book runs down Patriots history from the team’s formation through Super Bowl XLII in a series of fast-paced, fun and entertaining self-contained sections.
Taking a fresh, fan-oriented perspective, Patriots GBU recaptures all of the major moments in team history, and many of the minor ones. It covers the highest highs and the lowest lows, the horrible mistakes, the heartbreaking near-misses and miserable luck, the exhilarating successes, inspiring personal and collective triumphs, and, of course, some of the greatest finishes in all of sports history.
For die-hard, veteran Pats fans, The Good, the Bad & the Ugly: New England Patriots provides a chance to wince and curse and smile along, recalling the best and worst moments, coaches, players and owners. For those who climbed aboard the bandwagon after 2002, the book provides an opportunity to catch up with a wild back story, and to revisit the great moments of the Belichick era.
The Good, the Bad & the Ugly: New England Patriots features a foreword written by Patriots great and Pro Football Hall of Fame member John Hannah.
What’s Inside
The Patriots GBU table of contents
Foreword by John Hannah
Chapter One: The Good
Super Bowl XXXVI: The Impossible Made Real
Back-to-Back: A Dynasty Confirmed
One Times Twenty-One Is …
The Best Coach Since Lombardi: Bill Belichick
Two for the History Books
Chapter Two: The Bad
The Inferno: Super Bowl XX
Better and Worse: Super Bowl XXXI
The Worst Coaching Choice Imaginable: Clive Rush Over Chuck Noll
A History of Getting It Wrong
18-1 (The Exact Wrong One)
Chapter Three: The Ugly
The Worst in Everyone: The Lisa Olson Incident
Betrayal: The Tuna Jumps Ship
Stepping In It: Spygate
Chapter Four: Two Vicious Hits, One Freak Accident
The Worst Injury In Patriots History: Darryl Stingley
The Hit That Changed Everything: Drew Bledsoe Goes Down
Flag Football? Robert Edwards
Chapter Five: In the Clutch
Blizzard Conditions: Adam Vinatieri and the Greatest Kick Ever Made
Super Clutch: Vinatieri Comes Through in the Biggest Moment Imaginable – Twice
The Difference: Troy Brown Steps Up
Chapter Six: Numbers Don’t Lie (Or Do They?)
The System Guys: Tom Brady’s Former Receivers
Behind the Line: Dante Scarnecchia
Finally a Hall of Famer: Andre Tippett
Chapter Seven: Draft Day
Almost the Worst of a Great Class: Tony Eason
Overall Pick #199: Tom Brady
Building Through the Draft
The Right Choice: Drew Bledsoe Over Rick Mirer
Chapter Eight: All Heart – And Then Some
Never Say Die: Steve Grogan
Comeback Player of the Century: Tedy Bruschi
The Greatest Patriot of All Time: John Hannah
Chapter Nine: It Ain’t Over ’Til It’s Over
Yes, They Can: Toppling the Top-Seeded Chargers
No, They Can’t: Dying in the RCA Dome
Chapter Ten: Good Calls, Bad Calls (You Know They’ve Had Their Share)
What Roughing? The Worst Possible Call at the Worst Possible Time
The Rules Are The Rules: The Tuck
There’s No Such Thing as Face Guarding
Chapter Eleven: Ins & Outs
Two Stops to Canton, Part One: Nick Buoniconti
Two Stops to Canton, Part Two: Mike Haynes
Thanks for (Some of) the Memories: Irving Fryar
Goodbye and Good Luck, Part One: Drew Bledsoe
Goodbye and Good Luck, Part Two: Adam Vinatieri
The Best Trade(s) Ever: Landing Randy Moss
The Second Best Trade Ever: Wes Welker
The Other Second Best Trade Ever: Corey Dillon
Chapter Twelve: Ownership: From Bad to Worse to Weirdest to Best
Foundering Fathers: The Sullivans
Middlemen: Victor Kiam and James Orthwein
The Real Deal: Robert Kraft
Patriots GBU also features a number of short sidebars that recap memorable moments, take quick looks at players and coaches and break down revealing stats.
[…] the 2002 season when he wrote a column for the Boston Phoenix, as well as a book on the history of New England’s prized football team. In his most recent book, ”Tom Brady vs. the NFL: The Case for Football’s Greatest […]