AHC and WI: Fourth Ring for Brady

What is the smallest PoD that would lead to a fourth Super Bowl win under Tom Brady and Bill Belichick? AISI, there are three games that stand out:

2007 AFC Championship: Against the Indianapolis Colts. Patriots win this, victory against the Bears in the next game is pretty likely.

2008 Super Bowl: Against the New York Giants.

2012 Super Bowl: Again.

Which game works best, and what play in particular would need to go the other way? What are the effects of this change -- in football culture, pop culture, other butterflies, what have you? Would Brady be elevated to the same iconic status as Terry Bradshaw?
 
..............

I can't even have three hours in which this comes up? You're trying to ruin my good mood by bringing this up now, of how to make Bostonians even worse?! The Hell man??!!:mad::mad:


*Grumble*

Alright. The most likely is Super Bowl XLII, Tyree dropping the catch. He's a goat, the Pats win 14-10, and are *shudder* 19-0, the so-called "Greatest Team of All Time," and every journalist heaps enough praise on the Pats, Brady in particular, that it makes Brett Favre look underpromoted. On the very minor plus side, it does shut up the '72 Dolphins, but replacing them with a bunch of Massholes crowing about "Bawstun!" doesn't exactly sound good.

I have to go drink bleach now, as the very thought of this has made me nauseous.
 
If Caldwell manages to hold onto a few of his infamous drops in '07 than the Pats stand a pretty good chance of beating the Colts and taking down the Bears. This has significant ramifications going forward. The Patriots probably don't go on their off-season spending spree that brought Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Donte Stallworth, and Adalius Thomas to Foxboro. I could see Welker and Thomas still joining the Pats, but even then the NFL will see significant changes. The 07-08 Pats won't go undefeated in the regular season, and may not repeat as AFC champs. Butterflies will dramatically change who wins going forward, what coaches get hired (McDaniels might not be seen as the greatest offensive mind since Bill Walsh), who gets drafted, etc. This would be an interesting timeline, and would achieve the OP's goal of Tom Brady getting a fourth ring.
 
Alright. The most likely is Super Bowl XLII, Tyree dropping the catch.

That early in the fourth quarter? I'd think* that if you go with that game, the PoD would be Steve Smith missing or fumbling the ball (with 40 seconds to go) -- then, the best the Giants can hope for is a field goal, and either way the Pats are getting the ball next.

Another thing to remember -- this was the season Belichik and the team got in some hot water over videotaping -- a SB win might rile Arlen Specter even more, and in an election year, that could have interesting repercussions...

*mind you, I am far from a major football fan, much less expert...
 
If Caldwell manages to hold onto a few of his infamous drops in '07 than the Pats stand a pretty good chance of beating the Colts and taking down the Bears. This has significant ramifications going forward. The Patriots probably don't go on their off-season spending spree that brought Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Donte Stallworth, and Adalius Thomas to Foxboro. I could see Welker and Thomas still joining the Pats, but even then the NFL will see significant changes. The 07-08 Pats won't go undefeated in the regular season, and may not repeat as AFC champs. Butterflies will dramatically change who wins going forward, what coaches get hired (McDaniels might not be seen as the greatest offensive mind since Bill Walsh), who gets drafted, etc. This would be an interesting timeline, and would achieve the OP's goal of Tom Brady getting a fourth ring.

In this scenario, Green Bay gets Moss instead of the Pats like they should have in OTL. Then, they win SB XLII over the Colts at the end of a 15-1 season.

Favre decides to come back to the Packers for one more season, and they repeat against the Steelers in SB 43. Then, he announces his retirement.
 
DISCLAIMER: I'm originally from Indianapolis. You have no idea how impartial I'm being in answering this :)

What is the smallest PoD that would lead to a fourth Super Bowl win under Tom Brady and Bill Belichick? AISI, there are three games that stand out:

2007 AFC Championship: Against the Indianapolis Colts. Patriots win this, victory against the Bears in the next game is pretty likely.

Marlin Jackson drops the game-winning interception on the Patriots' final drive

2008 Super Bowl: Against the New York Giants.

David Tyree's catch is overturned on booth review

2012 Super Bowl: Again.

Gronkowski is one foot closer to the scrum in the end zone on the last play of the game. He catches the tipped ball at the very end.

Which game works best, and what play in particular would need to go the other way? What are the effects of this change -- in football culture, pop culture, other butterflies, what have you? Would Brady be elevated to the same iconic status as Terry Bradshaw?

Last night's POD is IMO the most likely.
 
If Caldwell manages to hold onto a few of his infamous drops in '07 than the Pats stand a pretty good chance of beating the Colts and taking down the Bears. This has significant ramifications going forward. The Patriots probably don't go on their off-season spending spree that brought Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Donte Stallworth, and Adalius Thomas to Foxboro. I could see Welker and Thomas still joining the Pats, but even then the NFL will see significant changes. The 07-08 Pats won't go undefeated in the regular season, and may not repeat as AFC champs. Butterflies will dramatically change who wins going forward, what coaches get hired (McDaniels might not be seen as the greatest offensive mind since Bill Walsh), who gets drafted, etc. This would be an interesting timeline, and would achieve the OP's goal of Tom Brady getting a fourth ring.

In this scenario, Green Bay gets Moss instead of the Pats like they should have in OTL. Then, they win SB XLII over the Colts at the end of a 15-1 season.

Favre decides to come back to the Packers for one more season, and they repeat against the Steelers in SB 43. Then, he announces his retirement.

This is shaping up to be an interesting TL -- any idea what the butterflies outside of sports could be? I remember the last Super Bowl with Green Bay and Pittsburg ended up with some political overtones* -- and TTL, it's happening in an election year, so...

*the former being community owned, etc -- then again, Roethlisberger kind of helped
 
Wes Welker catches the ball to keep the Patriots 4th qt drive alive. This drive gets the Patriots a FG at the very end of the game.
 
That early in the fourth quarter? I'd think* that if you go with that game, the PoD would be Steve Smith missing or fumbling the ball (with 40 seconds to go) -- then, the best the Giants can hope for is a field goal, and either way the Pats are getting the ball next.

Another thing to remember -- this was the season Belichik and the team got in some hot water over videotaping -- a SB win might rile Arlen Specter even more, and in an election year, that could have interesting repercussions...

*mind you, I am far from a major football fan, much less expert...

What do you think he could have accomplished? Governmental interference in the rules of football? If so, what form would his interference take?
 
What is the smallest PoD that would lead to a fourth Super Bowl win under Tom Brady and Bill Belichick? AISI, there are three games that stand out:

2007 AFC Championship: Against the Indianapolis Colts. Patriots win this, victory against the Bears in the next game is pretty likely.

2008 Super Bowl: Against the New York Giants.

2012 Super Bowl: Again.

Which game works best, and what play in particular would need to go the other way? What are the effects of this change -- in football culture, pop culture, other butterflies, what have you? Would Brady be elevated to the same iconic status as Terry Bradshaw?

How about a hypothetical scenario where the Patriots when two out of three? Or perhaps all three super bowls? That will be six super bowls in a ten year time span, roughly, which makes my mouth water.*

*Is a big Patriots fan, as a disclaimer.
 
A challenge should be reserved for something hard. Both those games were close, Pats could have won either one.
 
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