Nice article on Pats History in Saturday's NY Times

[PatsFanSince74]

Every now and then, the Old Gray Lady coughs up a good article on a team from outside New York City. I think Pats fans will like this piece contrasting the Patriots' dodgy beginnings with the billion dollar powerhouse that the Franchise is today. Some fun anecdotes!

Enjoy!

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/28/s...cal-traveling-sideshow.html?_r=1&ref=football

 

[Gronkandez]

Great find. I forgot about a lot of this stuff. Why hasn't there been a movie made about this??

Some of my favorite quotes

In one memorable pregame sequence, an ex-player was plucked from the stands to suit up, then made the tackle on the opening kickoff. ( I could actually see this happening on the 2011 team. Ventrone?)....Seated in the old concrete Harvard horseshoe before the start of the game, the two had already had a couple of beers when Gladieux’s friend agreed to get another round. Just after he left, the public address cackled: “Bob Gladieux, please report to the Patriots’ dressing room.”


Clinging to a 28-21 lead over the Dallas Texans, the Patriots were trying to make a last-second goal-line stand. Dallas quarterback Cotton Davidson threw into the end zone from the 1-yard line for wide receiver Chris Burford. Fans standing on the field had crowded five deep around the perimeter of the end zone, and one — reputedly wearing a trench coat — suddenly leapt forward and swatted at the ball.

 

[The Boston Patriot]

Good read. Thanks for posting the link.

 

[Patspsycho]

A couple stories I hadn't read about before. Of course the NYT has put a big focus on the comic side, but there was a lot of good to go along with the bumbling start to this franchise.

 

[Jackson 2]

Great find. I forgot about a lot of this stuff. Why hasn't there been a movie made about this??

Some of my favorite quotes

In one memorable pregame sequence, an ex-player was plucked from the stands to suit up, then made the tackle on the opening kickoff. ( I could actually see this happening on the 2011 team. Ventrone?)....Seated in the old concrete Harvard horseshoe before the start of the game, the two had already had a couple of beers when Gladieux’s friend agreed to get another round. Just after he left, the public address cackled: “Bob Gladieux, please report to the Patriots’ dressing room.”


Clinging to a 28-21 lead over the Dallas Texans, the Patriots were trying to make a last-second goal-line stand. Dallas quarterback Cotton Davidson threw into the end zone from the 1-yard line for wide receiver Chris Burford. Fans standing on the field had crowded five deep around the perimeter of the end zone, and one — reputedly wearing a trench coat — suddenly leapt forward and swatted at the ball.

I was at the Gladieux game and the story at that time was that Bob and his buddy had already "burned" a couple (Bob actually was busted for weed at least once while with the Pats) when the announcement was made. The funny thing was in those days as Pats' fans that type of ridiculous event didn't even cause any of us there to raise an eyebrow. That was just business as usual for the Pats in those days.

 

[patstrips65]

Here's the video of the guy coming out of the crowd to block pass.

AFL fan blocks pass Boston Patriots - YouTube

 

[PatsFanSince74]

Here's the video of the guy coming out of the crowd to block pass.

AFL fan blocks pass Boston Patriots - YouTube

Thanks and welcome to the board; with finds like that you have a bright future here. Keep it up!.

I missed the knock down until I watched it a second time on the replay towards the end. Amazing. There were actually fans standing in the end zone...imagine that happening in the NFL today!

:welcome:

 

[Mike the Brit]

Why hasn't there been a movie made about this??

My Pats library isn't that extensive but these stories are in most of the books and DVDs, I think.

Mostly it's kept short in a "prelude to glory" kind of way (the History of the New England Patriots DVD, for example). The first chapter of Chris Price's The New England Patriots: the Complete Illustrated History (strongly recommended) tells most of them. Here's Gladieux's version of that day, as Chris tells it:

"According to Gladieux, John Charles, who had been the team's top pick in 1967 out of Purdue, was up for contract renewal. 'The team went out and warmed up", Gladieux wrote for Domerconnect.com, 'and as they returned to the locker room prior to kickoff, [the team] tried to use it as leverage to force him to sign a new contract. He said no, no way, and they cut him right there five minutes before kickoff. What a great organization!'"

So there's the trouble with the film idea. The players (and the fans) were up against a pretty nasty organization -- only funny in retrospect.

 

[Uncle Rico]

Here's the video of the guy coming out of the crowd to block pass.

AFL fan blocks pass Boston Patriots - YouTube

Awesome stuff; thanks.

That's some pretty cool hair Hank Stram is sporting.

 

[QuantumMechanic]

Back before 2001, Gerry Callahan hit the nail on the head when he said that if someone ever wrote a history of the Patriots, the title of the book should be Fourth and Forever.

 

[Uncle Rico]

Back before 2001, Gerry Callahan hit the nail on the head when he said that if someone ever wrote a history of the Patriots, the title of the book should be Fourth and Forever.

Is that the same year he wrote the "Loserville" column? THe won about how there were no championships remotely in site for Boston and New England sports teams in the coming decade?

 

[PatsFanSince74]

Back before 2001, Gerry Callahan hit the nail on the head when he said that if someone ever wrote a history of the Patriots, the title of the book should be Fourth and Forever.

as long as there's time on the clock and the ball's in your hands...all you need is somebody to make a play...

 

[italian pat patriot]

great find and a very good read, thanks !

 

[RayClay]

Here's the video of the guy coming out of the crowd to block pass.

AFL fan blocks pass Boston Patriots - YouTube

OMFG! ha ha.

I'd heard about that for years but didn't know there was film.

 

[RayClay]

Here's the video of the guy coming out of the crowd to block pass.

AFL fan blocks pass Boston Patriots - YouTube

I'd say that guy would immediately go ahead of Molden, Slater and Sergio Brown on the depth chart.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

“That led to some crazy things,” Cappelletti said. “We could wander over near their bench and eavesdrop on their play-calling. I remember Hank Stram calling for screen passes and us yelling to our defense about what was coming.”

Uh-oh.

Nice article. I loved those Friday night $5 seat games in Fenway Park.
Gawd our franchise was awful. Can't believe I endured 40+ years of travail before TFB & company.