From Darkness to Dynasty: The First 40 Years of the New England Patriots
By Jerry Thornton
Foreword by Michael Holley
Read by Chris Andrew Ciulla
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Love them or hate them, what the New England Patriots have been able to do over the past fifteen years is nothing short of remarkable. In addition to their four Super Bowl championships, the Patriots have the best coach in the league, a smart and savvy front office, and a future Hall of Fame quarterback who is internationally recognized as the face of the NFL. The longer the Patriots continue to dominate on the field as well as in the media and the American pop culture landscape, the harder it becomes for anyone to remember them as something other than a model franchise and the ultimate paradigm of success and accomplishment. Anyone, that is, except for Jerry Thornton. It wasn’t always sunshine and roses for the Patriots; in fact, for the bulk of their existence, it was exactly the opposite. Though difficult to fathom now, the New England Patriots of old weren’t just bad—they were laughably bad. Not so long ago, the Pats were the laughingstock of not only the NFL but also the entire sporting world. From Darkness to Dynasty tells the unlikely history of the New England Patriots as it has never been told before. From their humble beginnings as a team bought with rainy-day money by a man who had no idea what he was doing to the fateful season that saw them win their first Super Bowl, Jerry Thornton shares the wild, humiliating, unbelievable, and wonderful stories that comprised the first forty years of what would ultimately become the most dominant franchise in NFL history. Witty, hilarious, and brutally honest, From Darkness to Dynasty returns to the thrilling, perilous days of yesteryear—a welcome corrective for those who hate the Patriots and a useful reminder for those who love them that all glory is fleeting.
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Summary
Summary
Love them or hate them, what the New England Patriots have been able to do over the past fifteen years is nothing short of remarkable. In addition to their four Super Bowl championships, the Patriots have the best coach in the league, a smart and savvy front office, and a future Hall of Fame quarterback who is internationally recognized as the face of the NFL. The longer the Patriots continue to dominate on the field as well as in the media and the American pop culture landscape, the harder it becomes for anyone to remember them as something other than a model franchise and the ultimate paradigm of success and accomplishment.
Anyone, that is, except for Jerry Thornton. It wasn’t always sunshine and roses for the Patriots; in fact, for the bulk of their existence, it was exactly the opposite. Though difficult to fathom now, the New England Patriots of old weren’t just bad—they were laughably bad. Not so long ago, the Pats were the laughingstock of not only the NFL but also the entire sporting world.
From Darkness to Dynasty tells the unlikely history of the New England Patriots as it has never been told before. From their humble beginnings as a team bought with rainy-day money by a man who had no idea what he was doing to the fateful season that saw them win their first Super Bowl, Jerry Thornton shares the wild, humiliating, unbelievable, and wonderful stories that comprised the first forty years of what would ultimately become the most dominant franchise in NFL history.
Witty, hilarious, and brutally honest, From Darkness to Dynasty returns to the thrilling, perilous days of yesteryear—a welcome corrective for those who hate the Patriots and a useful reminder for those who love them that all glory is fleeting.
Editorial Reviews
Editorial Reviews
Reviews
Reviews
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Fun NFL history
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Even if you are not a fan of the New England Patriots, and I fall into this category, you will enjoy the “From Darkness to Dynasty,” which chronicles the unlikely path the team traveled from debuting as an original AFL franchise, to turning it around and becoming a NFL dynasty. As Thornton documents, the franchise didn’t even have a home stadium for the first decade, as the team played at college stadiums. The Patriots even played at Fenway Park, the home of the Boston Red Sox.
Thornton offers a unique blend of NFL history with levity, as he highlights the many Sullivan family blunders through the years, including missing out on coaches Vince Lombardi, Joe Paterno, and Chuck Noll. Speaking of blunders, the Patriots agreed to move a home game across the country to San Diego. The following year, at the mercy of sharing a stadium, they moved another home game to Alabama, playing Joe Namath in front of his college home base.
Thornton recounts the tale of head coach Clive Rush, who grabbed a live microphone and received an electrical shock. On the field, the coach received bench penalties for arguing with officials. Rush called press conferences just to chew out writers he disagreed with. In another New England gaffe, the team traded future hall of famer Nick Buoniconti, who became a star with the undefeated 1972 Miami Dolphins, and would win back to back super bowls.
In the 1970’s, it appeared the team’s fortunes were changing by landing franchise quarterback Jim Plunkett in the NFL draft, but as Thornton explains, the team traded him away. Plunkett would win two Super Bowls rings with the Oakland Raiders. Finally, in the franchise’s twenty sixth season, the team qualified for the Super Bowl. However, the Patriots were no match for the Super Bowl shuffling Chicago Bears, who won by a mere 36 points.
“From Darkness to Dynasty” is a fun audiobook filled with fun (and maybe not so fun for the Patroits) stories, such as the 1960 open try outs, missing out on Fred Dryer, who later starred in the 1980’s crime drama “Hunter.” Don’t worry, Thornton covers the infamous “snow plow game.” Let us not forget the Victor Kiam era, and the Lisa Olsen (lady reporters in the lockerroom) fiasco. And of course, the Jackson tour that forced the Sullivan family to sell the team.
I highly recommend ‘From Darkness to Dynasty” for all sports, and absolutely enjoyed the top notch narration of Chris Andrew Ciulla.
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Fun NFL history
-
Even if you are not a fan of the New England Patriots, and I fall into this category, you will enjoy the "From Darkness to Dynasty," which chronicles the unlikely path the team traveled from debuting as an original AFL franchise, to turning it around and becoming a NFL dynasty. As Thornton documents, the franchise didn't even have a home stadium for the first decade, as the team played at college stadiums. The Patriots even played at Fenway Park, the home of the Boston Red Sox.
Thornton offers a unique blend of NFL history with levity, as he highlights the many Sullivan family blunders through the years, including missing out on coaches Vince Lombardi, Joe Paterno, and Chuck Noll. Speaking of blunders, the Patriots agreed to move a home game across the country to San Diego. The following year, at the mercy of sharing a stadium, they moved another home game to Alabama, playing Joe Namath in front of his college home base.
Thornton recounts the tale of head coach Clive Rush, who grabbed a live microphone and received an electrical shock. On the field, the coach received bench penalties for arguing with officials. Rush called press conferences just to chew out writers he disagreed with. In another New England gaffe, the team traded future hall of famer Nick Buoniconti, who became a star with the undefeated 1972 Miami Dolphins, and would win back to back super bowls.
In the 1970's, it appeared the team's fortunes were changing by landing franchise quarterback Jim Plunkett in the NFL draft, but as Thornton explains, the team traded him away. Plunkett would win two Super Bowls rings with the Oakland Raiders. Finally, in the franchise's twenty sixth season, the team qualified for the Super Bowl. However, the Patriots were no match for the Super Bowl shuffling Chicago Bears, who won by a mere 36 points.
"From Darkness to Dynasty" is a fun audiobook filled with fun (and maybe not so fun for the Patroits) stories, such as the 1960 open try outs, missing out on Fred Dryer, who later starred in the 1980's crime drama "Hunter." Don't worry, Thornton covers the infamous "snow plow game." Let us not forget the Victor Kiam era, and the Lisa Olsen (lady reporters in the lockerroom) fiasco. And of course, the Jackson tour that forced the Sullivan family to sell the team.
I highly recommend 'From Darkness to Dynasty" for all sports, and absolutely enjoyed the top notch narration of Chris Andrew Ciulla.
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Reaching a goal and keeping it.
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For taking the brunt of the NFL jokes, the Patriots held it together while finding their mojo game. Now, they have proven themselves worthy of much praise as Jerry Thornton brings out with stories covering the 40 years of their climb to the top. And what a rise it was. They struggled through many years of being laughed at by the press and wanna-be-fans. That rise took them to the most dominant franchise in the league, insuring them a permanent place in football history. As Thornton laid out his history, he employed sidebars of humor that serve the book well. A definite recommend whether a fan or not. This book transcends the Patriots and gives every sports lover a sense of the difficulty reaching the top.
Author
Author Bio: Jerry Thornton
Jerry Thornton is a founder of Barstool Sports and a cohost of the daily Dale & Holley Show on WEEI, Boston’s leading sports radio station. In addition, Jerry is a standup comic who won the Boston Comedy Riot competition and has worked colleges and clubs all around New England. He has appeared on HBO’s Emmy Award–winning The Curse of the Bambino and Comcast Sports New England and has written for ColdHardFootballFacts.com.
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Details
Details
| Available Formats : | Digital Download, CD, MP3 CD |
| Category: | Nonfiction/Sports & Recreation |
| Runtime: | 13.60 |
| Audience: | Adult |
| Language: | English |
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