February 10, 2018
The Philadelphia Eagles surprised many so-called experts, opposing fans and neutral Super Bowl viewers when they knocked off the New England Patriots in a 41-33 Super Bowl shootout.
The Birds' first-ever Super Bowl win threw filmmaker Gotham Chopra for a loop, too.
Chopra, the director behind the six-part "Tom vs. Time" docu-series on Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, said on Friday that the Eagles' defeat of the favored Patriots caused the producers of the series to "pause and recalibrate" before releasing the sixth and final episode.
Translation: The Eagles unexpectedly denied a sixth Super Bowl title for Brady, Bill Belichick and the dynastic Patriots, compelling Chopra to delay the last installment in order to make the appropriate script changes.
"Everyone keeps asking me about Chapter 6 of 'Tom vs Time' and when it’s going to be ready," Chopra wrote in a Facebook post. "The truth is we had a plan, but unconsciously, it was tied to the Pats winning the Super Bowl."
Because of the loss, Chopra and his team brought in the four-time Super Bowl MVP and future first-ballot Hall of Famer for one last exit interview on Friday morning "before we could figure out what Chapter 6 was truly going to be about," he said.
"I’m not gonna give anything away ... but for curious minds, Tom was both reflective and upbeat, very present and disappointed in last Sunday’s loss, while also gracious toward the Eagles for their impressive victory and already unpacking everything to find the lesson in it," Chopra said.
Brady drew criticism when he walked off the field without shaking the hot hand of Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles, who outdueled Brady in one of the most prolific quarterback battles in Super Bowl history.
In Philly, he was crucified. (See our roundup of the best social media memes celebrating the 40-year-old's post-game dispair.)
Brady addressed the loss in an Instagram post this week and expressed "gratitude to the Philadelphia Eagles team and organization for bringing out the best in us and being gracious winners."
Chopra, a Pats fan himself, said his talk with Brady on Friday gave him some closure.
"I hope Tom did too in just talking about it," he wrote. "I can tell he’s burning up still on the inside. But I am also reminded why the guy is the GOAT and it’s all gonna be OK. So, Chapter 6 — 'Coming Soon!'"
The fifth installment of the series aired on Super Bowl Sunday.
For those who want to watch, you can do that on the series' Facebook page.
