Summary of Jeff Benedict's The Dynasty

By IRB Media

Get the Summary of Jeff Benedict's The Dynasty in 20 minutes. Please note: This is a summary & not the original book. Original book introduction: t’s easy to forget that the New England Patriots were once the laughingstock of the NFL, a nearly bankrupt team that had never won a championship and was on the brink of moving to St. Louis. Everything changed in 1994, when Robert Kraft acquired the franchise and soon brought on board head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady. Since then, the Patriots have become a juggernaut, making ten trips to the Super Bowl, winning six of them, and emerging as one of the most valuable sports franchises in the world.

How was the Patriots dynasty built? And how did it last for two decades? In The Dynasty, acclaimed journalist Jeff Benedict provides richly reported answers in a sweeping account based on exclusive interviews with more than two hundred insiders—including team executives, coaches, players, players’ wives, team doctors, lawyers, and more—as well as never-before-seen recordings, documents, and electronic communications.

• Language: English
• Publisher: IRB Media
• Release date: Dec 6, 2021
• ISBN: 9781669341727

IRB Media

With IRB books, you can get the key takeaways and analysis of a book in 15 minutes. We read every chapter, identify the key takeaways and analyze them for your convenience.

Book preview

Insights from Chapter 1

#1

On September 1, 2019, the Patriots played their season opener against the Steelers. The game was played at Gillette Stadium, and it was completely empty. It was the last game for many of the players, as it was likely to be their final game playing for the Patriots.

#2

On September 6, 2019, the day before the Patriots played the Steelers, wide receiver Antonio Brown called on the team to release him from his contract with the Raiders. The league confirmed that Brown would be eligible to sign with another team at 4:00 p. m.

#3

On September 3, 2000, Belichick became the head coach of the Patriots. He signed the most controversial player in the NFL at the time, Antonio Brown, to a six-year, $60 million contract.

#4

The Patriots continued to struggle in the regular season, and in October, head coach Bill Belichick became the first coach in NFL history to lose his first sixteen games. The team's owner, Robert Kraft, was considering signing wide receiver Antonio Brown, who had been accused of domestic violence.

#5

In the end, the Patriots were able to sign Brown. The deal was struck, and Kraft was prepared to pull the trigger. However, the team’s head coach, Bill Belichick, was still on the fence about the move.

#6

In the end, the Patriots’ dynasty came to an end because of one man: Bill Belichick.

Insights from Chapter 2

#1

On February 2, 1962, twenty-year-old Robert Kraft talked his way into taking Myra Hiatt out that night.

#2

Robert Kraft, the owner of the NFL’s New England Patriots, was a fan of Brandeis University student Myra Hiatt. He tracked her down in the library and struck up a conversation.

#3

When it came to dating, Bill was extremely conservative. He didn’t want to risk rejection, so he usually asked a girl out on a date after he’d already asked her out once.

#4

The two ended up talking for three hours, and at times, Mark put the car in gear to heat it up. The two would often sing together, and one day, they ended up talking for three hours.

#5

In 1962, a year after they met, Robert and Myra Kraft married, with a song they’d heard on their first date as their wedding song.

Insights from Chapter 3

#1

Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots, used his influence to get his children tickets to all Patriots home games. He also got his daughter, Myra, a full scholarship to Boston College.

#2

The first game of the Patriots franchise was played in 1971 against the New York Giants. It took four hours for fans to travel to and from the game.

#3

The author’s father, Joseph Kraft, had a passion for business, and by the time he was in his thirties, he had started two successful companies.

#4

Robert Kraft, the Patriots' owner, had a very religious upbringing, but he chose sports over religion. He dreamed of what his family could do with the team.

#5

The Patriots had been in debt since their inception in the AFL in 1959. Billy Sullivan, the team’s owner, had tried to sell the team, but Michael Jackson changed that by offering to pay the debts of the Patriots and put the team on firm financial footing.

#6

Billy Sullivan, who had put up the money to fund the 1984 Victory Tour, was unable to pay back his loan after the tour lost $20 million. He was eventually forced to sell the Patriots.

Insights from Chapter 4

#1

Robert Kraft’s favorite sport to watch was football, but his favorite to play was tennis. In the mid-1970s, he bought the Boston Lobsters, a team in the World Team Tennis league. He was able to attract top players with his money and signed Martina Navratilova, who became the most popular player in the league.

#2

The Patriots were valued at $75 million in 1985. After taking into account the value of the parking lots, which was leased from Foxboro Associates, the team was worth $100 million. However, Billy Sullivan, the owner of the Patriots, had second thoughts about selling the team, which forced the sale to be put on hold.

#3

The next year, in 1986, Kraft partnered with a local real