Patriots legends "feel duped" over involvement in "The Dynasty" docuseries

There have been many reactions to Apple TV+'s docuseries on the Patriots, "The Dynasty," and unfortunately, most responses are not too pleasant.

The series was expected to provide an in-depth look back at New England's unprecedented success during the Bill Belichick and Tom Brady era over twenty years. Yet, after reviewing each episode, it feels like fans were sold a bill of goods.

Since the teaser trailers were released, there has been excitement about those who participated in the project to share their personal experiences with the team, which included Belichick, Brady, and Robert Kraft. Several others were involved as well: players, staffers, and even news pundits, who all provided their firsthand accounts of many events during the two decades in New England.

But that excitement quickly shifted to disappointment for many fans, who noticed an undertone of negativity and finger-pointing throughout all ten episodes.

There was also an apparent lack of focus on the team's accomplishments, particularly at the start of their success in the early 2000s, with their second and third Super Bowl wins glossed over and essentially forgotten about.

Fans took to social media to express their dissatisfaction with the series. A new episode was aired every week, but most former players or staff who shared their thoughts on it have remained relatively positive or neutral.

Patriots legends "feel duped" over involvement in "The Dynasty" docuseries

That changed this week when Pro Football Talk published a conversation between former Patriots Rodney Harrison and Devin McCourty. The pair discussed their reactions to the series, as they were both part of the project, and they didn't mince words regarding their disappointment in the negativity the show focused on.

McCourty revealed he felt he was almost brought in under false pretenses, believing he would be a part of something special, only to see the series didn't turn out that way.

“I felt like I got kinda duped. I was like, ‘Man, this is gonna be great. Like the storytelling, we’re talking about this and we’re talking about that.’ Everything that we all gave to the 20 years that it encompassed, it only hit anything that was negative.”

Harrison backed up McCourty's feelings, sharing his frustration with the lack of attention to the bigger stories during those twenty years.

“It didn’t tell the stories like, of me coming and Corey Dillion. I interviewed for five or six hours while I was in New York and all they had me saying was, ‘F— ’em all. F— ’em all.’ Like, that’s it!”

Their response to the show isn't surprising, considering it's on par with how many fans feel, but it's also not a good look for those who created the series.

Many felt it had become more of a hit piece on Belichick by Kraft because of how their relationship deteriorated over the years, which ultimately led to the head coach's departure. And for the most part, they're not wrong.

It seems like Harrison and McCourty agree with that take as well, as they shared their belief that there should have been more time given to credit Belichick for the rosters he built and the chances he took on otherwise undesirable players.

“They act like the last three or four years, ’cause the Patriots have struggled, that Bill can’t coach. Bill made some mistakes. And he wasn’t always the nicest or the purest guy. But, at the end of the day, he always did whatever he had to do to make the team better. … He gave me an opportunity. … He gave Tom Brady an opportunity.

“He gives guys who are the underdog an opportunity. No one talks about that. When everybody else is done with a guy, he brings in a Corey Dillion, he brings in a Randy Moss, he brings in a Rodney Harrison. And I just don’t think he got enough credit, enough respect, enough props. Man, this dude is the greatest coach of all time.”

Maybe one day we'll get a good documentary about the most unbelievable dynasty in NFL history that we can all agree was informational, accurate, and unbiased. But it doesn't seem like that will happen anytime soon.

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