No banners for 85 or 96?

[FSUPatsFan]

I agree with the poster that said he wouldn't mind a single banner for the divison championships and afc championships with a list of the years.

It seems that a lot of posters here are taking divisonal, afc, and super bowl championships for granted. A division is something a team should be proud of. Every year when the Patriots win the AFC East, they talk about how happy they are to have accomplished it and that it was one of their goals at the beginning of the season. Winning a division means you were in the top 25% of the league that year. That is certainly something to be proud of. Just because the Pats have made going to the super bowl look easy the last decade, doesn't mean it is easy to do.

Fans of some teams consider it a successful season when their team makes the playoffs. It certainly is an accomplishment.

I'm not saying we should hang a new banner for every little thing, like the colts, but some those non-championship seasons deserve some recognition too.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

I think the point is to enshrine "Championships."

Winning a Conference Championship and going to the SB is a big deal (though a crushing disappointment if the job is left undone and the SB is lost). Therefore, I think displaying Conference Championship Banners is a great idea.

Some Perspective: as of February 3, in the SB era only ONE franchise will have won more Conference Championships and gone to more SB's than the Patriots (the Boys to eight vs. our six) and only TWO other franchises have won as many (Broncos and Steelers). That's out of 32 franchises!!!

That's quite an accomplishment and giving it a banner, it seems to me, is fitting and good.

Each team has, technically, a 25% chance of winning its Division every year and can win it with little better than a .500 record, so I wouldn't enshrine winning the Division in the same way (which is not to put it down as an accomplishment but just to say that it's not on the same level as winning a Championship.)

 

[80Brown]

I don't mind a single banner that says "AFC East Champions" and lists the years. Then one that says "AFC Champions" and lists the years in addition to a separate banner for each Super Bowl as they do now.

No way. Super Bowl banners only please. It's all that matters.

There was a Steelers tool in here either earlier this week or last week who's sig contained all their playoff appearances. It looked ridiculous.

 

[FSUPatsFan]

Here's one fo my older posts from a thread making fun of the Colts banners following the 2005 season that explains what I think the criteria should be for hanging up banners.

On a side note, I originally said one banner for all division championships and playoff appearances. I think the years listed should be different colors based on whether it was a wild card, or division championship year.

I have to agree here. Not every city can be as fortunate to win a championship, let alone three. But a non-championship season does not mean the season wasn't a success. I'd like to be pretty proud of the Pats last year for the way they played given the injuries and loss of coaches, etc.

On that note, I don't think team should hang different banners for every little accomplishment. Here's my banner criteria.

1. ONE banner for ALL division championships/playoff appearances. This banner should be relatively small, but noticeable.

2. One banner for EACH conference championship. This banner should be signficantly larger than the Division championship banner and displayed in a prominent area, perhaps next to championship banners.

3. Obviously, one HUGE banner for EACH superbowl. The most visible banners, much like that Pats do.

4. I think teams should also hang banners for accomplishments over multiple years. Something like "Dynasty" or "Team of the decade banners" go to a team with the most superbowls and/or wins in a decade. There has to be some criteria to be able to hang one of these banners. Something like win x number of superbowls in y number of years.

5. I wouldn't mind seeing banners for other Team accomplishments, such as team records (consecutive wins,etc). These banners should be removed once the record is broken.

Championships aren't the only things to be proud of or celebrate. At the same time teams shouldn't be proud for every little accomplishment, like getting to a game in which they lose. So the colts "AFC Finalist banner" should be just another year on a single "Playoff Appearances" Banner.

 

[TheGodInAGreyHoodie]

That's so high school-ish. I wonder how many Colts fans proudly wear their division champions hats and T-shirts.

I am going to go as far as say, if you never celebrated the Patriots winning the AFC East or the '85 or '96 conferences wins than you are a bandwagoner!

I remember when "Squish the fish" meant something.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

No way. Super Bowl banners only please. It's all that matters.

.

I disagree. Winning a Conference Championship in the SB era is a big deal. As I posted above, only one franchise has ever won more than the pats (Cowboys with eight) and only two have won as many (Broncos and Steelers with six). That's out of 32 franchises who have been trying for a total of 42 years for (roughly) 1,344 attempts (I say roughly because of expansion). That's a big deal, no matter how great the disappointment of losing in an SB.

 

[FSUPatsFan]

I am going to go as far as say, if you never celebrated the Patriots winning the AFC East or the '85 or '96 conferences wins than you are a bandwagoner!

I remember when "Squish the fish" meant something.

I completely agree. I was 10 years old when the Pats went to the '96 SB, and that was one of the happiest moments of my childhood. My early years as a sports fan were nothing but disappointment. The Red Sox never made the playoffs, the Celtics didn't do much, and the Pats just had their first couple playoff years in a while. After that '96 SB, nothing really that great happend until my freshmen year in high school when the Pats stunned everyone (including me) and won the SB. We've just been so spoiled lately in all sports that we forget how much those first SBs meant.

 

[Grogan's neck roll]

I am going to go as far as say, if you never celebrated the Patriots winning the AFC East or the '85 or '96 conferences wins than you are a bandwagoner!

I remember when "Squish the fish" meant something.

Celebrated? Absolutely. Loved the 76,85,96 Pats? Without question.

But putting up a banner for those teams? No thanks, I like the "AFC Champ" banner with years listed, but not its own banner.

 

[National Sports Advisors]

You put banners up for WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS only. That is the standard. That's why I don't buy the AFC Championship crap they sell. It will be useless in 2 weeks one way or another.

 

[TheGodInAGreyHoodie]

Celebrated? Absolutely. Loved the 76,85,96 Pats? Without question.

But putting up a banner for those teams? No thanks, I like the "AFC Champ" banner with years listed, but not its own banner.

My response wasn't really about the banners, I would not add them now. But I would have put them up then.

But the posters comment that it was high schoolish for Colt fans to AFC South Div winner hats and T-shirts. There are some long standing fans here. But my comments are directed to those who only realized there was a sport in New England that doesn't involve a round ball and bat only in 2001.

 

[Patriotic Fervor]

While the discussion about banners rages on here, I'd like to submit an idea for something like a kiosk, not only at Gillette, but Fenway and the Garden, highlighting this most exciting era in Boston Sports history.

I think it would be a legacy fans all across the spectrum would enjoy, and that subsequent generations would find at once informative and enjoyable.

 

[Giants6timeworldchamps]

The Celtics used to hang divisional banners in the 60's, but the World Titles started to accumulate and they took them down. The Giants don't hang any banners or retired numbers. The Jets however do on the green plastic they use to cover up the blue. I think the Giants philosphy has always been to look forward to the next season. The Giants are very vanilla (No cheerleaders, fireworks, band, etc.). I think teams should hang only Super Bowl banners. Maybe conference championships.

 

[AzPatsFan]

Re: Other awards...

I proposed that the League or Conferences award a Regular Season Pennant or Trophy for the Team that has the best regular season record.

For one thing it recognizes an accomplishment that is now often ignored. It is difficult to win the most games in a season. Most importantly, it might discourage teams from loafing in the last game or two, when they have a playoff spot locked up.

Competing for the Pennant would help discourage that.

Especially if you took the Wild Card money award, and divided it in half and gave half to the Pennant winners. Baseball does it. Otherwise the baseball 162 game season, becomes just a second spring-summer training exhibition.

What do you say?

BTW... I like the idea of a single banner with minor championships listed.

 

[BeantownRox]

No way. Super Bowl banners only please. It's all that matters.

There was a Steelers tool in here either earlier this week or last week who's sig contained all their playoff appearances. It looked ridiculous.

I wonder, how long till we see the Colts "Playoff Appearance" banner?

 

[TheGodInAGreyHoodie]

While the discussion about banners rages on here, I'd like to submit an idea for something like a kiosk, not only at Gillette, but Fenway and the Garden, highlighting this most exciting era in Boston Sports history.

I think it would be a legacy fans all across the spectrum would enjoy, and that subsequent generations would find at once informative and enjoyable.

The Garden has a very nice collection sport memorabilia on display in the hallway outside the luxury boxes for all the Boston sports. Shame is that most fans never get to see it.

 

[Lansdowne]

The Red Sox have their division and league banners alongside Yawkey Way. Nothing wrong with that. But the Patriots' motto is that nothing matters but the Super Bowl title, so it's good that they remain consistent with that belief, and celebrate only winning the Super Bowl.

 

[BeantownRox]

The Red Sox have their division and league banners alongside Yawkey Way. Nothing wrong with that. But the Patriots' motto is that nothing matters but the Super Bowl title, so it's good that they remain consistent with that belief, and celebrate only winning the Super Bowl.

Likely due in no small part to the fact that we went 86 years without a championship.

 

[Pat the Pats Fan]

I wonder, how long till we see the Colts "Playoff Appearance" banner?

They have Wild Card banners, AFC South and East Champions, and AFC Finalist banners hanging now. They have 9 or 10 hanging now. Doubtful we will see anymore added, since their new stadium has a moveable roof, and all their banners hang from the dome.

 

[indycolts685]

Hey we don't have one from 1963 either.

No knock on the Colts. Before we won the SB I would have hung the 85 and 96 banners. But when we moved to Gillette we had a brand new SB banner, why clutter the place up with the 2nd place ribbons.

But you never take down banners. I would not be surprised if when the Colts move if they only hang the SB one.

The first time you win your div it is a big thing, first time you win your conf it is a big thing.

The Wildcard banner is a joke, I don't know why they bother to hang that, AFC finalist banner just says "Hey you lost in the AFCCG" I guess they just wanted something to hang since we had never won a SB, I hope they just hand the one SB Banner when they move next season.

 

[indycolts685]

Up to last year, I would have bet many of them did, as that was all they had......

Exactly...