Just a few random thoughts about the old stadium....
I still remember being about 5 years old and my Dad driving me down to the racetrack in Foxboro (or Foxborough as it was known back then) to see them building this brand spanking new stadium right on Route 1 (and yes, it was pretty damn close to the road compared to where Gillette sits today).
I heard the stories from an older friend who remembers tailgating before the game, walking in to watch the first half, leaving at half-time to drink more, AND THEN BEING LET BACK IN TO WATCH THE SECOND HALF!
Some might remember when they installed the first video scoreboard there, because they were in a land dispute with the track owners they had to use a helicopter to fly it in and lower it into place, the track wouldn't let them drive across their property.
Only went to a handful of games in the 80's, remember one game against the Packers when there were more Cheeseheads than Patriots' fans. Also remember being up in the 300's when a bunch of EMT's had to carry a guy out on a stretcher after a fight.
Later in its history the men's rooms didn't back up quite as much, because they had Port-a-potties inside the stadium, weird to think that as you walked through the concourse you'd see them lined up against the chain-link fence.
Having just come back from Buffalo from one of my many trips to Ralph Wilson Stadium I can say it was like a trip back in time, in so many ways it's like the old Foxboro stadium (narrow concourse, dumpy parking lots, benches, even though they have backs on theirs).
The highlight for me in the old stadium had to be the Snow Bowl win against the Raiders (last game every played there), I still remember falling forward into the people in front of me straining to see if the kick was going through the uprights, it was snowing so hard you could barely see the refs put their arms up when it was good!
I'm older now, take my kids to games and don't miss alot of the crap from the old days...but this video was a nice...almost got a bit teared up