for the 'old' Pats Fans
 

one question: do you ever thought possible when you followed the franchise in the '60, '70 and '80 that we would have playied now to win the 4th Super Bowl ?

probably i will have an obvious reply but still i'm interested about yr feelings, opinions, sensations

thanks

Re: for the 'old' Pats Fans
 

I'm certainly not old, but I can answer in my own respect. I came of age as a sports fan in the 90s, and fully grew up never thinking the success Boston area teams are now enjoying would be possible. Before the Pats in 2002, the last Boston championship was the '86 Celtics, and I was 1 year old. Given what's happened since, with not only the Sox and Pats but now with the Celtics this year, I definitely appreciate it more than I would have given prolonged and continual success in my formative years.

I can only imagine how that feeling must be magnified for my dad (more a Sox fan than a Pats fan) and older generations.

I also kind of feel bad for the younger crowd who don't know how good they have it, and might grow up EXPECTING things to go this well.

Re: for the 'old' Pats Fans
 

My wife and I are lifelong Pats fans, we are in our mid-late 30's. We keep marveling to one another that our 5 year old son is so lucky, he ONLY knows Patriots Domination...not to mention the Red Sox success. A lot different then the years of our youth.

I'm happy to enjoy the good times! :rocker:

Re: for the 'old' Pats Fans
 

I know exactly where you're coming from ItPat!

I can recall back as far as watching Jim Plunkett and Mack Heron and Randy Vataha and Julius Adams.

In those very lean years from say 1987 to 1993, I wondered if we would even have a team, much less ever win.

Now we are the model franchise of the league?!?!?!

Getting ready to unseat the '72 Fins as the greatest team ever?!?!?!

Dolphin fans jealous of ME in South Florida?!?!?!

You gotta be kidding me!

Thanks you Bill Parcells, Drew Bledsoe, Bob Kraft, Tom Brady, Tedy Bruschi, et al, for getting us here!

ADPF

Re: for the 'old' Pats Fans
 

After 30 years of frustration, I only hoped for one SB win. Just one and I would be a happy man.

I remember that during 2001 playoffs, part of me didn't want them to go to the SB again. I was afraid that they would become the Bills or the Vikings. I'm not ashamed to say that tears came to my eyes when the FG was made. I stood there in disbelief that it finally happened. Then the next week, I updated my will.:D

Now I'm a greedy bastard. I want this one bad becasue of the history and who we are playing. After this, they owe me nothing as a fan for the rest of my life.


Until next year!

Re: for the 'old' Pats Fans
 

Not in my wildest dreams. Man I remember when winning 11 games was a great season.

We should enjoy this now because stuff like this does not come around that often.

Re: for the 'old' Pats Fans
 

That's too funny. We have a six year old and we say the same thing! We call her the good luck charm!

Since she was born on 12/06/01, we have sat through three Super Bowl championships, two World Series titles, and we might be getting ready to sit through a fourth Lombardi and a Celtics banner #17!

Re: for the 'old' Pats Fans
 

Well, 'we' lost one with the Raiders game in the '70's, and I thought that team in the mid '80's would win one before everything went into freefall (Thanks, Bears!). Then, I honestly thought the team would beat the Packers. Hell, to this day, I believe that the difference between the Patriots winning and losing that game was Howard, and nothing more.


So, I guess it depends on how you're looking at it. I thought that first one was coming several times, but never a whole slew together.

Re: for the 'old' Pats Fans
 

My earliest Pats memory is getting throttled in SB 20. I remember how my father and grandfather were shocked because this was the Pats, and the Pats weren't supposed to make Superbowls. Then we went in the tank from 89-93, and that's when I was 8-12 years old so I remember those days vividly, we sucked, and we were pretty much told it was our destiny to suck. When we went to the Superbowl in 97 again it was "these are the Pats, they have no chance" and we lost again, so in 2001 I can't say many of us thought we were actually going to win that game until AV kicked the ball through the uprights. But since then, my god what a difference, it's like we can't lose. It's crazy when I think about all of the past Celtic, Bruin, and Sox greats.. your Birds, Orr's , Williams', etc. Then you realize that with the Pats we are living those days NOW. My kids one day will hear legends of Brady marching down the field on the Rams, Bruschi ripping the ball out of Rhodes' hands in the playoffs, McGinests goal line stand in Indy, Brown lateraling to Harris in Pittsburgh, etc. It's amazing when I think about the Pats now and realize that this team which was destined to be awful is now tied for 2nd in Superbowl appearances, may achieve a status only held by 3 other teams, and may be the only team in history to go 19-0. We are living in the golden years of the New England Patriots, and they won't last forever, but fans of 31 other teams wish they were us right now.

P.S. Italy was beautiful, I loved it over there.

Re: for the 'old' Pats Fans
 

No, Pat. When I saw that team play at Fenway Park, Harvard Stadium, Alumni Stadium, Nickerson Field and then when they built Sullivan Stadium for the cheapest amount you could build a stadium back then, and stayed there so long, I figured they'd be mediocre for my entire lifetime. Robert Kraft was obviously "Santa Claus" for us long suffering fans. Bill Parcells, Drew Bledsoe and others showed us how to win again and Bill Belichick, Tom Brady and the rest took it from there.