New Mindset On Patriots Is Amazing

[BionicPatriot]

You don't have to defend yourself Blaze because you're right. Most 20 something fans don't make any noise at Gillette. They're more interested in the party than the game...at least that's what I've seen. But would we be any different if we were in our 20's? We can't take credit or be proud of the fact we were born in the 50's & 60's, nor can we blame the young for being young.

Being a long-time Patriots fan is not something you can be proud of just as there is no shame in being born after 1978. Hell, that would be like telling a 25 year old he knows nothing about snowstorms because we experienced the blizzard of '78!

I guess we should just be grateful we're old....

Precisely. But I've heard the lack of noice is due to the fact that basically in this day and age you have to be high middle class or up to attend Patriot games. Add to the fact half of those ticket buyers are rich nannies, and your gonna have a section of the stadium (like they always ****kin do) sitting in the club section.

 

[oldskool138]

Best words in the world: "This message is hidden because MRBLAZE is on your ignore list."

 

[denverpatsfan]

Another great article Bob.

I was there at the Giants game in 1990. The 1-15 season. We somehow got season tickets on the 50 yard line that year. The ticket holders must have known it was going to be a bad year. I remember being surrounded by smug Giants fans too. They helped decide who the Patriots player of the year was by their applause. The kicker won I think because he provided the margin of victory for the sole win.

Those lousy Patriots kept the game close and only lost by 3. Keep that in mind this Saturday. Take nothing for granted.

 

[Patriot_in_NY]

I, as a young 17 eyar old, must admit. My life as a New England sports fan has seen bad, but mainly good. I was there in 02' when we were 9-7, i witnessed the playoff losses and each one hurt (but man that Colt loss through me in a rage). I've been a Sox fan. I've seen them win two titles when everyone said it was impossible. I've seen them get bashed out of the playoffs. I've followed the Celtics around 02', for years I remember telling my dad the Celtics will get better once Ainge's drafting takes full swing. While the Celtics went up in a different, more unexpected way, it's still nice.

Point is, you people are crazy for holding it against young people for not knowing much. I know a lot more then the common Patriot fan of my age, I can promise that. But I'm one of the very few teens who actually posts on football messageboards. How many actual people on this board are below the age of 30? Not many.

Point is, don't hold it against a freaking 15 year old. Winning is how a lot of fanbses truly fall in love with their franchise. I didnt' start following sports till I was 12, and probably didn't begin to understand them as well until about the time I was 15. I've been called a fair weather fan, but I grew up from family from both south and newton mass., So obviously there is more then winning as reason for my allegiances.

Everytime I read on this team I try to put it into perspective, but I know I can't completely. Folks, this will be a team that in about 20 years (this is all hypothetical ofcourse, IF they can do it) will be remembered when the Patriots are 1-15. We'll laugh and cry talking about how great they once were. And hey, around that time the team will probably have actual issues. If the last two years have proven anything, it's how truly remarkable it is that Belichick keeps this team afloat in a league driven by parity. How many more superbowls do you think the Colts would have? They'd almost be the Pats.

This team has made some crazy history and has been so great they've prevented history. I may not appreciate it all times completely, but I know I'll always be able to remember how good this team has been :]

Good for you guy........... You are probably a better fan at 17 then this doink ever will be. Enjoy it my friend, those that went through the lean years will tell you, it's not all that much fun. When you look at someone like Bledsoe (a name you can put a face to), you probably giggle and say I can't believe he was our QB once given his ineptness his last 3-4 years. Well, many of us remember a time when he represented something to this team that will NEVER be forgotten. HOPE.

I still remember thinking he'd be the answer to my prayers. He never was, but he got me believing we could again.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

I gotta tell you I really tooled my 4 1/2 year old grandaughter who could not name even one QB prior to Brady. Really showed her!

 

[VJCPatriot]

Now the entire nation's focus is on the Patriots. That's a huge contrast.
I mean this article here questions if the Pats are the most hated team because they... win too much!

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=hruby/071226&sportCat=nfl

 

[Joker]

Wisdom for all young Patriots fans..

Mongol General: Conan, what is best in life?
Conan: To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of the women!
Mongol General: That is good.

 

[BionicPatriot]

I gotta tell you I really tooled my 4 1/2 year old grandaughter who could not name even one QB prior to Brady. Really showed her!

I ehar ya man. How bout this? My girlfriend, well that dumb ho wanted to wear a Pats jersey, I immediately asked her if she knew Brady's college. she didn't answer, so I just had to flip. I'm glad I really showed her too, what a great fan :]

 

[BionicPatriot]

Good for you guy........... You are probably a better fan at 17 then this doink ever will be. Enjoy it my friend, those that went through the lean years will tell you, it's not all that much fun. When you look at someone like Bledsoe (a name you can put a face to), you probably giggle and say I can't believe he was our QB once given his ineptness his last 3-4 years. Well, many of us remember a time when he represented something to this team that will NEVER be forgotten. HOPE.

I still remember thinking he'd be the answer to my prayers. He never was, but he got me believing we could again.

what's funny is for two years after Bledsoe got traded, my uncle and father still had a real big liking for him and always pulled for him, reading up on my history showed me why obviously. I was just 4 years old when Bledsoe was the hero coming to rescue the NE franchise. I heard some McDonalds even gave out rookie cards.

 

[JaxPats]

Awesum! Thanks for the memorys. "What a long strange trip it's been"

 

[ShrewBeer]

It is a fact that since we are winning so much, we have accumulated more bandwagon fans than even the Cowboys.

I argued with a 15 year old wearing a Brady jersey a couple of weeks ago, asked the kid if he could name five players instrumental in our history and he told me to go screw myself. That's what I'm referencing, pal.

you are not a "real" fan if you dont know a lot about the pats players
you are not a "real" fan if you dont go to the games
you are not a "real" coffee drinker if you put cream and sugar in your coffee
you are not a "real" beer drinker if you drink cheap beer
you are not a "real" patsfans poster if you dont have a few thousand posts

get my point, jackass?

 

[thechris]

I am 25 years old and I thought that this article was a good read. Never knew that JoePa was pretty close to being a Patriots coach.

And I think that we should embrace all bandwagon fans. As I always say, the more the merrier!

 

[bobgeorge]

Point is, you people are crazy for holding it against young people for not knowing much. I know a lot more then the common Patriot fan of my age, I can promise that. But I'm one of the very few teens who actually posts on football messageboards. How many actual people on this board are below the age of 30? Not many.

Let me interject something right here.

I consider myself pretty knowledgeable about the history of the Boston Celtics, though I didn't follow them until 1972. That means that I missed, and was too young to remember, the entire eras of Bill Russell and Bob Cousy. Nevertheless, the body of work of those two men I find simply FASCINATING! I read as much as I can about those two, especially Russell, who has to be the greatest champion in pro sports history. I worked with a teacher out here in California who was on the 1956 Olympic team with Russell and knew him personally (this teacher was track and field, not hoop). Even though I did not follow the Celtics closely during that era, reading about it and knowing about the heritage of the Celtics brings me closer to the team and to that time period.

I call upon you young people out there to be proud of your team, but also to read up on the entire history of the team, so that you too will be even more proud of the team you root for. There is no sin in not being born yet to have experienced some of the low moments in Patriot history. Just read some books (unfortunately, there aren't that many out there) and articles and you will gain a much better understanding.

And do not apologize for being young! Many of us wish we could be 20-somethings again!

Bob G

 

[EasyMac]

Great article, and thank you for all the great posts that followed it. It's so true that those of "us" older folk who lived through the leaner years of the Pats can appreciate teh success of the Pats in a way that's different than those who have come on board more recently. But that doesn't make either fan a better fan.

My Patriot fanhood has inspired my 13 y/o daughter's fanhood. Do I expect her to understand all the history? No way. But I love that she's a fan, cheering on Pats right along side of me!

 

[kptmorgan04]

26 year old here. First patriot memory was getting Bruce Armstrongs autograph when they used to have Fan Appreciation day at Foxboro, since I imagine they couldnt get people to the games. All I remember was that one of his legs seemed larger than my entire lower body. I grew up having Marias Meatball Subs from Scituate every sunday with my dad while we watched the games. I have heard stories from him and my uncles being at the Snow Plow Game and read almost every book put out about the Pats present and history.
My first game memory is from sitting in the nose bleeds at foxboro during a Jets game and having the craziest cat fight I have ever seen erput in front of me over a Jets fan talking badly about Drew and a Pats Chick having none of it. I try to get to a game a year, but unfortunatly this is the first one in about 6 that I didnt get to one. After I attend games, I normally dont have a voice the next day for yelling and screaming the whole game.
I feel lucky that I was able to go to a few games in Foxboro, have my feet get sore from stomping on the bleechers. I honestly would love to have that stadium back from a fans persepctive, while the new one I am sure is much better at recruiting players and bringing in the $.
I think that the lack of crowd noise is more due to expensive tickets and the old "rowdy" fans being priced out not do to "20 somethings" being at the game.
Anyway, GREAT article. I am reading the blueprint now, which has a lot of this info it it as well.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to All Pats Fans out there! We are a blessed bunch right now and enjoy it!!!

 

[Razor's Edge]

Ah yes, I remember 95% of all that, including having Larry Garron and Jim Nance at two of our pop warner football banquets,(not sure if it was called pop warner) but football for the per highschool kids. I sPent a lot of time and energy in the 70's, 80's and part of the early 90's looking for a bar that had a dish so I could see the blackout games, that's why this topic is so good, yes we are in the throws of something spectacular, and we all know it's a bell curve and that someday we will be longing for these day's again.
GO PATS!!

 

[JaxPats]

Drink it all in, and never expect to see anything like this ever again.

More...

Bump. I think this read needs to be bumped to those who have NOT read it yet. What a great article. It just puts everything about the Pats into perpective. I actually copied this and will get this framed for my "WAR ROOM".
We as fans have been down a long dark road for years and finally got blessed. Go Patriots!:rocker:

 

[PatriotsReign]

Bump. I think this read needs to be bumped to those who have NOT read it yet. What a great article. It just puts everything about the Pats into perpective. I actually copied this and will get this framed for my "WAR ROOM".
We as fans have been down a long dark road for years and finally got blessed. Go Patriots!:rocker:

We have been blessed MORE than any franchise deserves to be blessed, so let's hold onto these "Good 'Ol Days" while they last and never take anything for granted.

If you're an all around New England sports fan, you have to admit, we are living in a "too good to be true" period. If anyone ever told me ten years ago all this would happen, I'd ask them for some of whatever they were taking!

 

[italian pat patriot]

great article; i enjoyed it too a lot

 

[JaxPats]

We have been blessed MORE than any franchise deserves to be blessed, so let's hold onto these "Good 'Ol Days" while they last and never take anything for granted.

If you're an all around New England sports fan, you have to admit, we are living in a "too good to be true" period. If anyone ever told me ten years ago all this would happen, I'd ask them for some of whatever they were taking!

Born and brought up in Boston Bro. There is no better sports town. :rocker: What a time to be a part of it!