Never Gets Old: Tom Brady's Patriots Are Six-Time Super Bowl Champs
$9.92
by The Boston Globe
Is this the sweetest championship of them all? And more pointedly, could it be the last of an era? Take a good, long look at pro football’s acknowledged greatest dynasty, one equally revered and reviled. It started out 17 years ago when, as lovable 14-point underdogs, the New England Patriots pulled off one of the game’s biggest upsets. Now, with their record-tying sixth Super Bowl title in their record 11th appearance, they may have earned their final acclamation against a team that was seeking to avenge that very loss in 2002 that started the Patriots on their path to greatness. In the Boston Globe’s Never Gets Old , New England fans far and wide can savor this sixth championship, earned in spite of the usual accompanying distractions. There were questions about the quarterback: was he finally too old, at 41, to carry what some saw as a mediocre team? But those who were convinced by reports that a major rift among New England’s holy trinity of owner Robert Kraft, mastermind Bill Belichick, and field marshal Brady—first reported last season—would deter them from their appointed task, simply hadn’t been paying attention. This triumvirate tunes out the noise and shows its opponents how the game should be played. Relive every moment of the 2018 regular season and 2019 NFL playoffs, from opening kickoff to the latest hoisting of the Vince Lombardi Trophy. There’s also a comprehensive Super Bowl retrospective section, which chronicles all 11 of the Patriots’ appearances in the big game since 1986. With its vibrant color photographs, essential statistics, memorable quotes, and acclaimed commentary by some of the nation’s best sportswriters, this book is the ultimate New England Patriots keepsake. Never Gets Old takes you inside the legacy and behind the scenes on an all-access pass, providing commentary and insights on Brady, Belichick, All-Pro cornerback Stephon Gilmore and the rest of a roster that silenced the doubters once again. And it fully commemorates what Patriots Nation has known for most of the 21st century: This is a team for the ages. The Boston Globe was founded in 1872 and is the recipient of 23 Pulitzer Prizes. It is based in Boston. Never Gets Old By The Boston Globe Triumph Books LLC Copyright © 2019 The Boston Globe All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-62937-611-0 Contents Introduction, Super Bowl, AFC Championship, Divisional Round, The Season, Facts & Figures, CHAPTER 1 Super Bowl Stalwart defense helps Patriots achieve sixth title as Brady overcomes struggles to guide trademark fourth-quarter drive. By Dan Shaughnessy
Globe Staff Take those old records off the shelf. The Patriots have joined the Steelers as the winningest teams in Super Bowl history, securing their sixth Lombardi Trophy with a 13-3 victory over the Los Angeles Rams at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. This one will not go into the vault as an instant classic. It was a punt-filled rock fight that will best be remembered for New England's staunch defense and a Rams offense that set records for futility. It was 3-3 after three quarters and the Patriots "broke it open" when Tom Brady came to life and directed a 69-yard touchdown drive to give the Patriots a 10-3 lead with seven minutes left. It looked as if the Rams might tie it inside the five-minute mark, but quarterback Jared Goff — a Ram in the headlights all night long — threw up a wounded duck that was easily picked off by Stephon Gilmore at the 4-yard line (I think Gilmore called for a fair catch on the ball) with 4:17 left. That effectively ended it. Julian Edelman caught 10 passes for 141 yards and was named MVP of the lowest-scoring Super Bowl in history. Fortunately for the Patriots, there are no style points in these wins. Everyone knows that this was not one of the stronger Patriots editions of the Bill Belichick-Brady era. They lost five road games and were underdogs for the AFC Championship Game in Kansas City. But they overcame all the obstacles. They were smarter than the other guys at every turn. And in the end, the Hoodie earned his eighth Super Bowl ring (two as an assistant with the Giants), and 41-year-old Brady became the most decorated player in football history with his sixth championship. The tractor-pull victory nicely bookends the Patriots' stunning upset of the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI — a seismic event that triggered our ongoing New England pro sports High Renaissance. Since young Brady stunned the Rams in 2002, the Patriots (six), Red Sox (four), Celtics and Bruins (one apiece) have won 12 championships, worn the tread on local duck boats, and made Boylston Street the Hub's 21st century Canyon of Heroes. No American four-team sports city has experienced anything like this. Ever. "It's sweet," said Belichick. "Everyone counted us out. We're still here." New England fans were the coveted "12th man" in the season finale. Almost 1,100 miles from Foxborough, the Super Bowl turned into a virtual h
Globe Staff Take those old records off the shelf. The Patriots have joined the Steelers as the winningest teams in Super Bowl history, securing their sixth Lombardi Trophy with a 13-3 victory over the Los Angeles Rams at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. This one will not go into the vault as an instant classic. It was a punt-filled rock fight that will best be remembered for New England's staunch defense and a Rams offense that set records for futility. It was 3-3 after three quarters and the Patriots "broke it open" when Tom Brady came to life and directed a 69-yard touchdown drive to give the Patriots a 10-3 lead with seven minutes left. It looked as if the Rams might tie it inside the five-minute mark, but quarterback Jared Goff — a Ram in the headlights all night long — threw up a wounded duck that was easily picked off by Stephon Gilmore at the 4-yard line (I think Gilmore called for a fair catch on the ball) with 4:17 left. That effectively ended it. Julian Edelman caught 10 passes for 141 yards and was named MVP of the lowest-scoring Super Bowl in history. Fortunately for the Patriots, there are no style points in these wins. Everyone knows that this was not one of the stronger Patriots editions of the Bill Belichick-Brady era. They lost five road games and were underdogs for the AFC Championship Game in Kansas City. But they overcame all the obstacles. They were smarter than the other guys at every turn. And in the end, the Hoodie earned his eighth Super Bowl ring (two as an assistant with the Giants), and 41-year-old Brady became the most decorated player in football history with his sixth championship. The tractor-pull victory nicely bookends the Patriots' stunning upset of the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI — a seismic event that triggered our ongoing New England pro sports High Renaissance. Since young Brady stunned the Rams in 2002, the Patriots (six), Red Sox (four), Celtics and Bruins (one apiece) have won 12 championships, worn the tread on local duck boats, and made Boylston Street the Hub's 21st century Canyon of Heroes. No American four-team sports city has experienced anything like this. Ever. "It's sweet," said Belichick. "Everyone counted us out. We're still here." New England fans were the coveted "12th man" in the season finale. Almost 1,100 miles from Foxborough, the Super Bowl turned into a virtual h