Old Story Of The Day For Italian Pat Patriot

[NoCal Patriot]

were they selling something at Schaefer Stadium or zero ? and nothing outside stadium from 'private' small companies ?

Ther were some small guys with stands out on Route 1 but really not much else.It was a completely different time .

 

[Pats Fanatic]

Earlier this week I got a copy of this game and while watching this I was reminded of this thread. It's strange seeing a game that I haven't seen in 30 plus years. It's amazing how much you forget and who much it seems like yesterday. Monday Night Football wasn't as good as I remember.

 

[carolinatony]

I WAS AT THAT GAME TOO.
Went with a bunch of guys from work. We were all Drunk as a skunk

 

[italian pat patriot]

there is a chance to see it also for only a couple of minutes somewhere ?

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

I WAS AT THAT GAME TOO.
Went with a bunch of guys from work. We were all Drunk as a skunk

You were probably with my brother in law. He's gone to AA and been sober the last couple decades.

 

[Patti37]

I was there.......what a game, what an event, what a crowd - yes, it was rather unruly - BUT - no where near as violent, threatening and unsafe as most people like to imply.

My Dad took me to every single Patriot game ever played - from BU Field> Fenway park>harvard>BC and finally in Foxboro until he passed the tickets to me in the 80's. In turn, I have taken my three sons to every game since they were 3 years old (they are now in their 20's).

Section 209 - first row was where we all grew up, loving these Pats through good and bad.

NEVER once did we get in fights, have a bad experience or feel intimidated or uncomfortable in an way.

Sure, you might not wanted to have taken your daughters or wives in those days when the alcohol flowed a little too freely and it was truly "boys night out", but it was not as bad as some make it out to have been.

It was not just boys night out. My father would take me to 3-4 games a year (sec. 219, Row 10, seats 1,2,3) and I went to every game once I took over the tickets. Even though I was a kid and then a teenager, I never felt threatened in anyone. Sure, there were a lot of fights but they never seemed to be close to our section.

 

[Patti37]

The time machine takes Us back to October 18,1976 back in The Wild West Days of Shaeffer Stadium.It was Monday Night Football back when Monday Night Football was like the circus coming to town.What a cast of characters,Frank Gifford,Howard Cossell, and Don Meridith,after seven years on the air finally made it to Foxboro.Back in those days ,The ABC Guys wore bright yellow blazers.To make their entrance Howard Cossell and Don Meridith walked from the field up the aisle on the 50 yard line to the Press Box.This was a tragic mistake.People starting yelling,cursing, and throwing debris from the moment Howard came into view.The yellow blazers were ruined before they hit the middle tier of the stadium.
The opponent that night was The hated New York Jets.Lou Holtz was the Jets Coach and Frankly He was out matched by Chuck Fairbanks.The Jets were still living off of their Super Bowl III Victory but The Foxboro faithful had little use for Them.The rivalry was as heated then as it is now.
Game time was 9:00 PM. I was in College at the time and We left for the game at around 3:00 PM. We arrived at Foxboro around 4:00 PM and the party was well underway.It was a cool evening but nice football weather.
Back then ther were always some Jets Fans at the game so the pleasantries began early.Fights broke out in the parking lot and carried into the Stadium.
I would estimate that 90% of the crowd that night was at the Stadium by 4:30 PM.This night was a "Big Deal" and everyone was there early to make the most of it.Booze flowed like water and almost everyone was participating.
I had season tickets since 1970 and this was the wildest crowd I had seen until that point.They were locked and loaded and ready for action.
It's hard to put into words the magnitude of the event that Monday Night Football was back then.When the schedule came out that was the FIRST thing You looked for.Howard Cossell was bigger than life.Most everyone hated Him thus he was a show unto Himself.
There was an "Urban Myth" started that night that someone got thrown over the top of the Stadium.It never happened although anyone who was there that night could envision that happening.There was a story that someone Urinated on a guy who was being worked on by an EMT.I don't know the validity of that story but again anyone who was there that night could have envisioned that happening.Ther was the story told often by Lou Holtz that a Drunk threatened Him after the game.I put this story in the "Highly Probable" catagory.
Tha Patriots played great that night and killed the Jets 41-7 .The 1976 Patriots rolled a lot of Teams in Foxboro.Steve Grogan,Russ Francis,Sam Bam Cunningham and Company were fun to watch.It was seeing a Dominant Team and a CIRCUS all in one night.For a 21 year old guy does it get any better than that?

According to my father who was at the game, a guy in a wheelchair was thrown out of his chair by a bunch of fans...who proceeded to take of with the wheelchair. My father said he saw this happen.

 

[fgssand]

According to my father who was at the game, a guy in a wheelchair was thrown out of his chair by a bunch of fans...who proceeded to take of with the wheelchair. My father said he saw this happen.

See Patti - it was all the thugs from your Section 219 that gave everone of us a

bad name Take my sections of 209 & 210, now we were just perfect gentlemen & ladies (especially in the tunnells) :rocker:

 

[fgssand]

Ther were some small guys with stands out on Route 1 but really not much else.It was a completely different time .

There was the Foxboro 4H clubs - I kid you not - and they made awesome hamburgers for $1.25!!