Vin Femia

Harvard Book Store welcomes local author and lifelong sports fan VIN FEMIA for a discussion of his latest book, Comeback! Tom Brady's Two Year Mission to Overcome Deflategate. He will be introduced by radio host and commentator and former NFL executive UPTON BELL.

About Comeback!

Tom Brady and the New England Patriots overcame controversy, the NFL, Roger Goodell, legal battles, injuries, accusations, suspensions, and big fourth-quarter deficits to win two Super Bowls in three years and avenge Deflategate. Comeback! summarizes the two year mission of Tom Brady and the New England Patriots to overcome the controversies associated with the Deflategate accusations both in the courts and on the playing field. 

It started on January 18, 2015 after they had trounced the Indianapolis Colts 45-7 in the AFC Championship Game to earn the right to move on to their 6th Super Bowl since 2001. Suddenly—seemingly from out of nowhere—came accusations that the Patriots had been using underinflated footballs. This began the sports crisis that became known as Deflategate.

This was the start of an unprecedented controversy. What followed was two years of court cases, derogatory sports commentary, accusations that Patriot quarterback Tom Brady had asked equipment staff to deflate the footballs, more court cases and appeals, and, ultimately, Brady having to serve out a four game suspension to start the 2016 NFL season.

The Patriots had to overcome the absence of their superstar quarterback for those four games . . . and they did. Brady had to overcome the lack of contact with the team in any way (even for medical treatment) during that time, as well as the verbal criticism and accusations of sports commentators around the country and boos and jeers from fans in stands at road games when he returned . . . and he did. Then, when the Patriots overcame these hardships and again were able to make it back to the Super Bowl in 2017, they had to come back from a 25 point deficit late in the third quarter in that game . . . and they did.

Tom Brady and the Patriots had come back from everything that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and his league had thrown at them and had prevailed in the largest comeback in Super Bowl history. Comeback! provides an in-depth analysis of the events of these two years, from the beginning of the controversy to the Patriots’ triumphant revenge in Super Bowl LI in 2017. 

Praise

“In his book Patriot Pride, Vin provided the most definitive history of the Boston/New England Patriots written to date. With his new book, Comeback! Vin gives readers a very detailed and interesting summary of the Deflategate controversy and how the Patriots overcame that with two thrilling Super Bowl victories over the last three seasons. It is a ‘must-read’ for all Patriot fans.” —Upton Bell, Patriot General Manager 1971-72, son of former NFL Commissioner Bert Bell, and radio host and TV commentator from 1978 to the present

"Comeback! provides an in-depth analysis of the entire Deflategate story and the thrilling last-minute Super Bowls wins in 2015 and 2017 that allowed Tom Brady and the New England Patriots to rise above that controversy. Vin provides a compelling story for Patriot fans to relive, a story that will interest fans of drama and intrigue of any kind." —Jon Morris, Patriot Center 1964-1974, member of the Holy Cross Football Hall of Fame and Patriot Hall of Fame, voted best center in the history of the Boston/New England Patriots

“Vin captured the history of the Patriots very well in his earlier book, Patriot Pride, and now, with Comeback! he provides readers with an excellent summary of the entire Deflategate story and the Patriots’ thrilling last-minute Super Bowls wins in 2015 and 2017.” —Steve Grogan, Patriot Quarterback 1975-1990, member of the Patriot Hall of Fame, voted best quarterback on the Patriot all-decade teams of the 1970s and 1980s, owner of Grogan Marciano Sporting Goods store in Mansfield, MA