It’s easy to forget that Hernandez arrived at a time when it wasn’t unreasonable to wonder if the Patriots’ glory days were over. After winning Super Bowls in 2001, 2003 and 2004, the Patriots continued to dominate, 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 blossomed into some of the best young guns in the league. Gronk’s Hall of Fame-worthy resume, not to mention his charming fraternity boy persona, overshadows just how good Hernandez was during his short tenure. During his three seasons, Hernandez produced 175 catches and 15 touchdowns. I can even admit that Hernandez was my favorite Patriot back in the day, aside from the name Tom Brady. A bad comment matched only by my outrage when a second-year Brady was named Bledsoe’s replacement over veteran Damon Huard. (Sorry, Tom!)

For Patriots fans, American sports story premieres at the start of what will likely be a second straight losing season. (We’ll always have our surprise Week 1 win over the Bengals!) The days of Brady and Belichick already feel like a lifetime ago. So you could argue that there’s a welcome nostalgia in remembering the days when we competed for championships. But can you really be excited to see your favorite team get the Ryan Murphy treatment?

Well, even though Hernandez’s Patriots career takes up more than half of the 10-episode season, for some reason only Belichick and owner Robert Kraft are used in any meaningful way. There are reportedly actors playing Patriots legends like Vince Wilfork, Wes Welker and Jerod Mayo, but the credits are the only evidence of that. In the aftermath of Clipped and the meme-worthy casting, you almost have to appreciate it American sports story for not even trying to find someone who can play one-of-ones like Randy Moss or Julian Edelman. The Patriots’ absence is odd considering Hernandez’s time at the University of Florida included Tim Tebow (played by Patrick Schwarzenegger) and the random addition of Cam Newton stealing a computer, leading to his dismissal from the team.

In what must be the result of the threat of a lawsuit, Brady is shown only twice. Once, we see TB12 walking by so quickly you can’t even see him properly, and then in a conversation—which we can’t hear—with his then-wife Gisele Bundchen, who wisely just now visible from behind, because you can’t find a fake Gisele! Hernandez’s fellow tight end Gronk is briefly played by actor Laith Wallschleger, who does an impersonation straight out of Saturday Night Live! “Aaron, what’s up bro? They call me Gronk,” he says in his one and only appearance. “Have you met coach? That dude is fucking scary, bro.Add a very failed attempt at Gronk’s crazy laugh.)”

The good old Gillette Stadium.

Speaking of the coach – and I may be in the minority – I thought Belichick’s performance was great. The performance by two-time Tony winner and Bloodline alum Norbert Leo Butz arrives at an interesting point in Belichick’s career arc. For the first time in more than two decades, Belichick isn’t the Patriots’ head coach, and in the biggest surprise of all, he’s become what he’s long despised: a member of the media. Early in his new career, he’s already shown that he does indeed have a personality outside of the mumbling man of few words we’ve come to know and love, even entering the social media world of InstaFace.

Perhaps the biggest lie that American sports story Belichick talks about is in his opening scene, when he consults Kraft about selecting Hernandez. The Belichick I know doesn’t ask for permission, especially from Kraft! Patriots owner likely behind Belichick defamation lawsuit in recent Apple TV+ docuseries The Dynasty. But Belichick gets a grand introduction when he rocks out to Bon Jovi’s “It’s My Life” in his office before heading to practice. Butz excels as Belichick because he can bring both genuine acting chops and a wink. He’s perfectly capable of entertaining Belichick’s unexpected musical moment, but he also handles the times when the famously no-nonsense coach goes hard on Hernandez. Sometimes it’s what the troubled player needed — and sometimes it’s exactly what he didn’t. With Hernandez fearing for his life, he sought out Belichick to ask for a trade, believing he needed to get away from New England and the bad influences in his native Connecticut. “You want me to trade you because you got problems with the hood?” an offended Belichick retorts. “Didn’t we tell you to stay away from those people? We just spent a ton of money on you, built the whole offense around you and Gronk. Best tight end in football, Hall of Fame quarterback, we’re going to win a lot of games.”

Ultimately, this is what bothers Patriots fans: Did the mission of winning a bunch of games mean they turned a blind eye to legitimate concerns? Not to mention how little we actually know about the people we cheer for every Sunday. “Maybe he just needs to grow up a little bit,” Belichick said of Hernandez’s struggles before he drafted him. “I think we have the right culture for him. High potential, no risk.” Later, after Hernandez is arrested, Belichick closes the book on his former star in a press conference: “It’s time for the New England Patriots to move forward, and that means doing what we’ve always done: building a winning football team that our fans can be proud of. That, and only that, is why we’re here.” And so he did, winning three more Super Bowls in the years that followed. Still, the stain on Hernandez can never be erased. Well, unless you’re the Patriot fan I ran into the other Sunday in a bar wearing a Hernandez shirt.

And yet, it could be worse: you could be Urban Meyer! After his performance in American sports storyFormer University of Florida coach could be the next face of Murphy’s Sample series.