The recent FX series, American Sports Story, has generated buzz, especially for its dramatized portrayal of the life and career of Aaron Hernandez, a former star player for the New England Patriots. But not everyone is happy! There's a controversy!
Hernandez's Early Career:
The show does an awesome job of covering Hernandez's life from his childhood in Bristol, Connecticut, showing his highs and lows, from getting the prestigious John Mackey Award to the incredibly tragic moments that later followed in his life and criminal activities. Josh Andrés Rivera leads this team, starring as Aaron Hernandez and the impressive cast features some big names too!
- Norbert Leo Butz plays Bill Belichick
- Patrick Schwarzenegger as Tim Tebow
The series is set around Hernandez's impact as a rookie in 2010 on the New England Patriots but not everything adds up!
The Running Back Controversy:
Fans and critics of American Sports Story are upset with one specific detail.
American Sports Story gives the wrong idea of Hernandez's role, making him a Running Back all the time!
While Hernandez made a few attempts as a running back during his first year with the Patriots ( 2010). He was not a key running back in that season. The total number of rushing plays he had were 3.
The show however makes it seem that his Rookie Season consisted of him mainly playing running back, showing a scene in which Hernandez had this "running play" stopped by the Indianapolis Colts, a moment completely fictionalized! The show completely missed this important element of reality and added a completely fake scene for audiences.
And that wasn't all! The series seemed to do that quite a bit more, as a special moment where they showcase his big 43-yard run was made! But it gets a bit sloppy! The scene comes later, during a playoff match with the Denver Broncos (January 14, 2012) It wasn't the rookie season. A very confusing transition that some viewers would have likely missed!
The most interesting part might be, as fans caught Hernandez's uniform number had changed from 85 to 81, from his rookie season to the 2012 game against the Broncos.
Hernandez's Rushing Stats:
Fans might have missed some of Hernandez's statistical records!
His real life stats might come to light but these numbers showcase his reality which isn't highlighted in the show! For a Tight End Hernandez shows an interesting trend!
- A total of 9 rushing attempts
- 97 yards
- 6 first downs
- 0 touchdowns
Even though his runs are few and far between compared to his teammate Tim Tebow, and his overall attempts for rushing were low. Hernandez made history in his role and has earned a top 20 ranking for total rushing yards based solely on what he did in the regular season!
Embellishments in American Sports Story:
To create drama for viewers! The series takes the few running plays Hernandez did, and enhances his role making this a part of the show’s storytelling! That however, is inaccurate.
Even though this made a small, but unforgettable role in his career. His amazing and iconic 43-yard run really was the highlight. In fact it's his greatest running play! It showed up again in this Broncos game but it gives a faulty image! The series gives some details that may be confusing for audiences that would expect him to only play in this running back role for this small segment of the season!
It appears American Sports Story took some shortcuts for the sake of storytelling but fans really will see some issues when they look at this comparison!
Ultimately, it leaves audiences wanting more details! This might cause disappointment but those who are looking to learn the details might not appreciate this portrayal of Hernandez's career! For all NFL fans that might appreciate seeing a better image of Hernandez they might not like the changes in this new FX series.
For now American Sports Story continues to capture a moment that will only increase conversation as more people start tuning in! For fans that want to get caught up and see more about Aaron Hernandez's story. Make sure you start streaming this exciting Hulu show, giving you an exciting moment to view and revisit.
