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New England Patriots fans don’t need Ryan Murphy to remind them that the fall of Aaron Hernandez is a true horror story. Alongside Rob Gronkowski, who was drafted two rounds before him in 2010, the explosive tight end was supposed to breathe new life into the Tom Brady and Bill Belichick-led dynasty. While Gronkowski won four Super Bowls and became a beloved sports character, Hernandez’s NFL career ended after just three seasons when he was arrested and eventually convicted of murder. In 2017, he committed suicide in his prison cell.
Eleven years after Hernandez’s shocking arrest, uber-producer Murphy and the team behind American Horror Story and American Crime Story dive into a new arena with American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez. (The first two episodes premiered this Tuesday night on FX.) Based on the podcast Gladiator: Aaron Hernandez and Football Inc., the first installment of American Sports Story examines the life and death of Hernandez, which includes the loss of his father, his own identity, legal and maturity issues at the University of Florida, separating himself from his neighborhood ties, and his mounting secrets.
Is American Sports Story a good show? No, not really. On the scale of recent sports series, let’s say it’s better than Clipped but worse than Winning Time—which would hurt this Boston fan to say, except that we had the last laugh when HBO cancelled Winning Time after two seasons. (Meaning: It ends with the Celtics defeating the Lakers in the 1984 NBA Finals.) But do any of Murphy’s shows fall in the category of good? They are pulp entertainment, often with exciting actors taking big and wild swings. Unfortunately, American Sports Story doesn’t quite deliver there, especially with no Bill Clinton impersonation from Clive Owen, or whatever Sarah Paulson usually does in this universe. Outside of a mostly winning turn by West Side Story alum Josh Andrés Rivera in the complicated role of Hernandez, it’s hard to recommend the series to anyone not familiar with Hernandez or the NFL. It’s hilarious to imagine the average American Horror Story viewer trying to make heads or tails of this grumpy, hoodie-wearing guy named Bill Belichick.
In fact, the people with the most complicated feelings watching American Sports Story might be those who worship at the altar of Belichick. I’m a Massachusetts native, and Boston sports have been both my ultimate passion and vice for as long as I can remember. I lived through some dark days (Drew Bledsoe’s life-threatening injury, Aaron F***ing Boone and the 2003 ALCS, Game 7 of the 2010 NBA Finals), but I’ve been spoiled, too. The Patriots, Red Sox, Celtics and Bruins have combined for thirteen championships in the 21st century—with six of those coming courtesy of Brady, Belichick, and the Patriots.
It’s easy to forget that Hernandez arrived in a period when it wasn’t crazy to wonder if the Patriots’ glory days were over. After winning Super Bowls in the 2001, 2003, and 2004 seasons, the Patriots remained dominant, becoming the first team to go 16–0 in the regular season. But a fourth championship eluded them. Drafting Gronkowski and Hernandez came with risks (injuries for Gronk and character issues for Hernandez), but the potential quickly outweighed those concerns as the duo emerged as the best young weapons in the league. Gronk’s Hall of Fame-worthy résumé—not to mention his charming-frat-boy persona—overshadows how good Hernandez was during his brief run. During his three seasons, Hernandez produced 175 catches and 15 t
