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Moved this from another thread to avoid a further hijacking. Seems to be a decent convo regarding a seminal event in Patriots history. With any franchise history, there are forks in the road. What if Dreith made the right call???? What if there was no Tuck Rule? What if Myra Kraft won the argument and convinced Bob not to waste a record sum on the worst franchise in the NFL.
Here is one:
1978. I remember how important and historic that first home playoff game New England history was. How it was going to put our franchise on the map.
I remember how so many of us felt vindicated for following such a minor league organization that had finally reached the point that the league had to take them seriously. Especially, for my dad who met Billy Sullivan at the team's inception and proudly held 5 shares of the team that Billy had sold to the public for something like $25 apiece in the 60's. I had only been a fan for 5 years. He had been a fan since the announcement in '59 and had ven hated the Giants for years before that for being the only team televised in the New England region. Ask people of that generation and you'll find a curiously stronger hatred of the Giants than even the kids of today who watched the two SB losses to them. Those people still can't stand Pat Summerall or Frank Gifford.
If the HEAD COACH of that team had his head anywhere else but that playoff game the week before, it was inexcusable, Mike. Inexcusable.
The Sullivans WERE crap owners - - that era's Woody Johnson. However, Fairbanks was here since 1973. They didn't become crap owners the week before the Houston game. He knew the deal for YEARS. He bailed - - whether it was secretly or publicly, he bailed when they were on the doorstep to something great.
And so the game was a disaster. The heavily favored Patriots ran into a wall and were down 21-0 before they knew what hit them. It was the second time that week that they didn't know what hit them. Their talent allowed them to fight back a little, but the soul was just not in it.
Sorry, Chuck Fairbanks may be a very nice man, and I wish him and his family happiness in whatever they do, but forgiveness for accepting another job (a COLLEGE one - - take that Patriots!) when he did is not coming from me. Not that he needs my forgiveness!
Here is one:
1978. I remember how important and historic that first home playoff game New England history was. How it was going to put our franchise on the map.
I remember how so many of us felt vindicated for following such a minor league organization that had finally reached the point that the league had to take them seriously. Especially, for my dad who met Billy Sullivan at the team's inception and proudly held 5 shares of the team that Billy had sold to the public for something like $25 apiece in the 60's. I had only been a fan for 5 years. He had been a fan since the announcement in '59 and had ven hated the Giants for years before that for being the only team televised in the New England region. Ask people of that generation and you'll find a curiously stronger hatred of the Giants than even the kids of today who watched the two SB losses to them. Those people still can't stand Pat Summerall or Frank Gifford.
If the HEAD COACH of that team had his head anywhere else but that playoff game the week before, it was inexcusable, Mike. Inexcusable.
The Sullivans WERE crap owners - - that era's Woody Johnson. However, Fairbanks was here since 1973. They didn't become crap owners the week before the Houston game. He knew the deal for YEARS. He bailed - - whether it was secretly or publicly, he bailed when they were on the doorstep to something great.
And so the game was a disaster. The heavily favored Patriots ran into a wall and were down 21-0 before they knew what hit them. It was the second time that week that they didn't know what hit them. Their talent allowed them to fight back a little, but the soul was just not in it.
Sorry, Chuck Fairbanks may be a very nice man, and I wish him and his family happiness in whatever they do, but forgiveness for accepting another job (a COLLEGE one - - take that Patriots!) when he did is not coming from me. Not that he needs my forgiveness!