FX’s American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez is a 10-part series that goes into detail about one of the most notorious players in football. From being recruited by the Florida Gators to a Super Bowl appearance with the New England Patriots. Hernandez appeared to be another certain first-ballot Hall of Famer. However beneath the surface of stardom and athleticism is a conflicted individual with a passion for violence and, ultimately, death.
Hernandez’s story has been explored before through documentaries like Netflix’s Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez and investigative journalism; The Boston Globe’s Spotlight series. Yet, the scripted drama of FX is an attempt to capture a different essence of his life. It shows how the environment as well as his inner demons made him a prisoner of his own fate.
Hernandez is played by Josh Andrés Rivera. Rivera’s portrayal is centered on the internal battle Hernandez went through especially as he tried to come to terms with his identity. His portrayal shows both the charm of an NFL star and the darkness that consumed him. The series dives into many parts of Hernandez’s life. He was physically abused as a child, he was bisexual, and had an addiction to drugs. We would only learn later that he had CTE, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, which is a progressive brain condition that comes from a series of blows to the head that could come from playing football.
In fact, CTE plays a major role in the series. In 2017, Hernandez committed suicide and an autopsy showed that he had one of the worst cases of CTE in anyone his age. The show does not solely attribute his violent actions to the condition but effectively demonstrates how brain damage probably played a part in his mental health and paranoia. In Hernandez’s case, the double murder, the shooting of friend Alexander Bradley, and the murder of Odin Lloyd are all depicted within the larger context of his unraveling life.
Understanding The True Aaron Hernandez
Stuart Zicherman, the series creator, emphasizes that American Sports Story is more than just a crime drama. Zicherman concludes that issues in Hernandez’s life are a mirror image of the existing problems in the sports world and society. “We make commodities out of our athletes,” Zicherman says, “and we don’t always see what’s best for them.” This subject is the driving force behind the show’s investigation of how institutions, such as the University of Florida and the NFL, neglected to help Hernandez when he needed it.
It also portrays aspects of toxic masculinity, both in Hernandez’s home life and in the locker room. His father, Dennis Hernandez displayed an authoritative persona, pushing Aaron and his brother into football while showing little kindness. Meanwhile, at Florida, Hernandez was recruited by Urban Meyer, who is depicted as caring more about winning games than his players’ well-being.
Sexuality, masculinity, and violence are also explored in detail. Hernandez’s bisexuality is a secret shame that results in internal turmoil, exacerbating his drug use and violent tendencies. His fear of being outed and the pressure to conform to traditional ideas of manhood are underlying themes throughout the series.
Unlike other narratives, which focus on Hernandez’s criminal endeavors, American Sports Story does not avoid the depiction of his violent actions; at the same time, the show seeks to present a more empathetic portrayal of the man and consider all of the circumstances that contributed to the tragedy. It is not about justifying his actions, but rather understanding it in the context of a society that often turns a blind eye to the suffering of athletes.
With gripping performances and a complex narrative, FX’s American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez asks audiences to think critically about sports figures as heroes and the personal toll it can take on athletes. It’s not just a retelling of Hernandez’s crimes; it’s a reflection of how we, as a society, contribute to the creation—and destruction—of our sports icons.
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