"You're never going to believe me when I say this, but I swear it is true: There was a time that Tom Brady, Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots were America's Team, true underdogs that everybody I knew was cheering for. Forgive us: We were young, and we did not know."
"This is, of course, the opposite of what they were. That Super Bowl would end up being the first of six titles Brady and Belichick would win together with the Patriots, teaming up to become the most storied and hated franchise in NFL history. The duo would eventually break up - Brady to win one more title with the Buccaneers, Belichick to do whatever the heck he's doing in Chapel Hill right now - but they remain as avatars of what sports fans claim to dislike more than anything else: a dynasty."
"Sports fans love the toppling of a dynasty, too, which is why their breakup was so satisfying: It brings them back to earth, reminds us that they are human, lets us pretend they are zhlubs like the rest of us."
Tom Brady, Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots were once perceived as underdogs during the 2002 Super Bowl, attracting fans who wanted an upset. Multiple factors—desire for an upset, the U2 halftime show, unfamiliarity with Brady and Belichick, and post-9/11 sentiment—drove that support. The Patriots instead became a dynasty, winning six titles under Brady and Belichick and becoming a storied, widely hated franchise. Their breakup allowed fans to relish the end of their dominance and view them as more human. The Kansas City Chiefs won a championship in 2020, signaling the rise of a new dominant team.
Read at Intelligencer
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