Who Was A Fan During The Dark Years

[Gwedd]

and the problem is, as I've been trumpeting from the mountaintops since 2006, a certain Roger Stokoe Goodell. I was telling Tunes Sunday night that the juice I've had for decades, the sheer enjoyment of this once great game, has faded amidst the flurry of flags and suspicions of corporate skullduggery the likes of which NO ONE has seen in this country since the Tammany hall days. I shyt you not.

Absolutely agree. I've been wearing the laundry since '74. All of the good times and bad. used to be I scoured the newspapers for anything Patriots related. I'd be waiting anxiously for Patriots Football Weekly to arrive, and had what amounted to a Patriots shrine built in my living room. Collected everything. Sunday morning was spentin front of the TV at the sports channel, waiting to watch anything related to the team.

I also remember feeling that the season was a success if we beat the Jets and split games with the Dolphins, Bills and Colts.

Now a days, after the disgusting treatment by the league, I don't have that same joy, that excitement, I used to have. Sure, I'm up for every New England game,and I still wear the laundry on game day, and around town during the week, but I don't buy much stuff, I don't go to games, and I don't follow the pre-game media either. I love this team. I just don't have that great love for the NFL and all things football that I once had. Goodell and his front office crew of sh!t flinging monkeys killed that off, followed closely by what I can only perceive as being intentional calls by refs to throw a game here or there.

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

I was full on Patriot fan by the time that probably the worst team song ever in the history of NFL teams was made in response to the Bears' Super Bowl Shuffle. Can't remember it exactly but something like 'The Patriots, Barry and we'. (I still contend if Morgan, I believe it was Morgan, catches that TD and/or Grogan starts the game then we could have made it competitive. Once that TD pass was dropped, then the team leader Eason and I think it was Craig James showed they clearly were intimidated by the Bears D, the game was basically DOA.......pre-SB, ahem, partying not withstanding).

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

Well, I am brothers with Joker and PWP and guys of that ilk. Dad took me to BU that first year, and I have seen games at Fenway and Harvard Stadium. So many Pats related moments for me. A lot of them came back to me when I visited the Pats HOF for the first time a couple of weeks ago. what a fantastic edifice. I can't believe it took me this long to get to see it.

Some Pats related moments:

Ross OHanley was the HC on the Quincy Giant team I played on. Bob Dee and Butch Mahoney were a couple of defensive coaches.

Later I played tag football on a team from the Celtics front office. Once we played a game under the lights in Foxboro against the Pats front office team. Randy Vataha and Tim Fox played with us for a few years. Of course both were in their 40's by that time.

I also lost out on the HC's job in Somerville to John Hannah. Years later when we were both in the financial services field, be both had a good laugh over that. To show how delusional I was back then, I was living in Somerville at the time, so I thought I was a shoe in. I couldn't believe they chose Hannah over me. I mean, I played at Tufts, what the hell had he ever done.

I went to the Pats first superbowl in NO. What an experience that was. I had a package with a motel room somewhere in Mississippi, but never got there. Instead I stayed on the floor of my boss' suite right across from the Superdome. It would have been a spectacular 3 days even if there was no game. When the score was 3-0 Pats I turned to a friend and told him that Pats had NO chance. THAT's how good Chicago was that year. If you recall they blew out EVERY team they faced in the playoffs. IIRC the Pats 10 points were the most they gave up in the playoffs. By the 2nd series the gap between those 2 teams was evident to even the most casual fan.

The Pats had some so called dark years, but for at least 2 or 3 seasons every decade they managed to field really competitive teams that gave us hope, and from the mid 90's their success has been unprecidented, and over the last 16 years overwhelming. People here would absolutely implode if they ever had an 8-8 season. Just look at the threads from just this week.

But sadly like Joker, PWP, and others, I find my lifelong love of football fading. I find nothing coming from the NFL that is worthy of my attention and support, other than those 3 hours a week, where I still root for a team I have followed since its birth. And every year it seems to get worse and worse.

Did you play for Vic Gatto?

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

Well, I am brothers with Joker and PWP and guys of that ilk. Dad took me to BU that first year, and I have seen games at Fenway and Harvard Stadium. So many Pats related moments for me. A lot of them came back to me when I visited the Pats HOF for the first time a couple of weeks ago. what a fantastic edifice. I can't believe it took me this long to get to see it.

Some Pats related moments:

Ross OHanley was the HC on the Quincy Giant team I played on. Bob Dee and Butch Mahoney were a couple of defensive coaches.

Later I played tag football on a team from the Celtics front office. Once we played a game under the lights in Foxboro against the Pats front office team. Randy Vataha and Tim Fox played with us for a few years. Of course both were in their 40's by that time.

I also lost out on the HC's job in Somerville to John Hannah. Years later when we were both in the financial services field, be both had a good laugh over that. To show how delusional I was back then, I was living in Somerville at the time, so I thought I was a shoe in. I couldn't believe they chose Hannah over me. I mean, I played at Tufts, what the hell had he ever done.

I went to the Pats first superbowl in NO. What an experience that was. I had a package with a motel room somewhere in Mississippi, but never got there. Instead I stayed on the floor of my boss' suite right across from the Superdome. It would have been a spectacular 3 days even if there was no game. When the score was 3-0 Pats I turned to a friend and told him that Pats had NO chance. THAT's how good Chicago was that year. If you recall they blew out EVERY team they faced in the playoffs. IIRC the Pats 10 points were the most they gave up in the playoffs. By the 2nd series the gap between those 2 teams was evident to even the most casual fan.

The Pats had some so called dark years, but for at least 2 or 3 seasons every decade they managed to field really competitive teams that gave us hope, and from the mid 90's their success has been unprecidented, and over the last 16 years overwhelming. People here would absolutely implode if they ever had an 8-8 season. Just look at the threads from just this week.

But sadly like Joker, PWP, and others, I find my lifelong love of football fading. I find nothing coming from the NFL that is worthy of my attention and support, other than those 3 hours a week, where I still root for a team I have followed since its birth. And every year it seems to get worse and worse.

Did you play for Vic Gatto?

 

[Off The Grid]

Who Was A Fan During The Dark Years?

2008-2010? Don't even go there.

Hard Times, man.

 

[tom444]

Like a few others in here I went to games at BU, Harvard, Fenway, Schaffer, etc. The "Dark Years" were brought to us by Billy Sullivan. He had an ego the size of all outdoors, and a midget wallet. Bad combination for a professional team owner. I think in looking back I enjoyed the games at Fenway the most. Somewhere I have a piece of one of the goalposts from a game there.

 

[AQPE]

Dad took me to Harvard Stadium in December 1970, to see the Vikings play the Pats. The Pats had Joe Kapp at QB so I was excited about that, but they got squashed (as expected). Didn't matter to me, I was hooked for life. In 1972 Dad got us season tickets at Schaefer Stadium Section 212, and we rarely missed a (non-Monday) game until Victor Kiam took over the team (Monday night was impossible between Dad's work and my school, but we didn't seem to miss much not going to those games, they were usually debacles). I went to Tufts in no small part because I wanted to stay around and go with Dad to the games.

There were way too many "lost seasons" through those years, but plenty of great memories also. Watching them demolish the Raiders in 1976, the snowplow game (I still hate Shula more than anyone ever associated with the NFL not named Dreith, Tatum, or Goodell), the Eason comeback game against the Seahawks, and that win against the Bills to clinch the division are particular standouts for me.

As many have said, these past 15 years have been mind blowing for those of us with the long history of weirdness and bad breaks, stupid decisions, and just flat out suckitude we experienced pretty much for a generation. It will end, and more than likely we may find ourselves in the same place that Niners' fans are these days, but in the end we will always have these days to cherish, not to mention that we didn't have the misfortune to fall for the Lions, Browns, or worse yet, Jets.

 

[FreeTedWilliams]

Went to my first game in Foxboro in the late 70's. I remember going with a buddy from High School to a game in late December, it was freezing! And between the two of us we had one seat cushion and one set of gloves, and one flask of whiskey!!

Those aluminum benches would get really cold back then!

 

[QuantumMechanic]

I was full on Patriot fan by the time that probably the worst team song ever in the history of NFL teams was made in response to the Bears' Super Bowl Shuffle. Can't remember it exactly but something like 'The Patriots, Barry and we'.

I have no memory of that one, but I very much remember "Raymond Berry's Pats":

 

[The Boston Patriot]

Been a fan all of the years, good and bad. Lost a small fortune betting on the Pats in the AFL Championship game (couldn't resist taking the points being thrown around).

 

[patfanken]

Did you play for Vic Gatto?

We played Harvard in my Sophomor year. IIRC we had a fourth quarter GL stand to keep them from scoring over 50. BTW- Gatto tried out for the Quincy Giants when I did. IIRC he either didn't make the team, or perhaps had better things to do. BC's Paul Della Villa from BC was our primary RB. Barry Gallop also from BC was our TE.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

Like a few others in here I went to games at BU, Harvard, Fenway, Schaffer, etc. The "Dark Years" were brought to us by Billy Sullivan. He had an ego the size of all outdoors, and a midget wallet. Bad combination for a professional team owner. I think in looking back I enjoyed the games at Fenway the most. Somewhere I have a piece of one of the goalposts from a game there.

Despite the owner, the team was often very competitive, with top coaches and thrilling players, and...

...uh, and...

Am I talking about yesterday, or today?

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

Been a fan all of the years, good and bad. Lost a small fortune betting on the Pats in the AFL Championship game (couldn't resist taking the points being thrown around).

It was a shattering disappointment for the players.

Accusations of Chargers cheating were brushed aside by the Patriots. They totally own it and acknowledge that they got their butts kicked that day.

 

[tom444]

Despite the owner, the team was often very competitive, with top coaches and thrilling players, and...

...uh, and...

Am I talking about yesterday, or today?

I'm glad you enjoyed. That's the purpose after all.

 

[1960Pats]

Thanks for sharing everyone.

- Pats fan in 1960.
- First game attended was at Fenway in the 60's against Ernie Ladd and the San Diego Chargers.
- So many memories since, good and bad. Best: Seeing John Hannah pulling around the end and crushing an opposing player. Worst: Seeing Darryl Stingley lying on the ground.
- After so many close calls, the Pats finally won a SB and are now a dynasty.
- Last season was the first season in a long time that I haven't gone to at least one game.
I'll be dropping the NYFL the day Brady leaves. Unfortunately, the Pats are part of the NYFL.

 

[pherein]

good football fans in NE

 

[FourierSeries]

good football fans in NE

I don't know about that. You've got people on this very forum who have a heart attack after every first down from the opposing team and who act as if the season is over after one loss. There are some good and rational fans, but a lot of them are incredibly unstable and fragile. These are probably the bandwagon fans.

 

[1960Pats]

I don't know about that. You've got people on this very forum who have a heart attack after every first down from the opposing team and who act as if the season is over after one loss. There are some good and rational fans, but a lot of them are incredibly unstable and fragile. These are probably the bandwagon fans.

If it's true as you say that there are a lot of unstable bandwagon fans, you should be able to come up with a few examples.

 

[Lavictoire]

I've been a Patriots fan since 2004. I've risen with the many ups and few ( Brady injury, playoff defeats) downs. Who on here was a fan before Kraft arrived? A time when blackouts, fan apathy were a common sight. How has that made you appreciate, and furthermore deal with heart wrenching losses like tonight? Just curious.

Been a fan since the Sullivan days. Dan Marino always scared me when we played the Dolphins That guy was a machine like Manning.It was great to beat them in their house finally in playoffs. My dad went to the Orange Bowl game that year with tickets from the newspaper where he worked.Loved the 85 team as much as the 75 Red Sox(I went to the first series game when Tiant pitched and won).The dark years would have been much worse if we fell from the greatness of the Brady, Bellichick years and then became perennial losers. I was used to us losing but I was happy when we gave a good fight to a team coming in not respecting us and it was fun rooting for an upset. I think that is how other fans handle it with losing teams. They are happy if their team plays the spoiler to strong teams.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

I don't know about that. You've got people on this very forum who have a heart attack after every first down from the opposing team and who act as if the season is over after one loss. There are some good and rational fans, but a lot of them are incredibly unstable and fragile. These are probably the bandwagon fans.

Vast majority of pink hats or bandwagoners here were manufactured on an assembly line by Kraft, who, again, went along 100% with league/media's derision and denigration of our team.

Nothing "wrong" with Bledsoe or Parcells, but this stupid myth that Parcells was any better than Fairbanks or Holovak, or that Bledsoe is some sort of G.O.A.T. (please) emphasized the ignorance and dismissal of our team history, and encouraged football ignorance.

Tom should be looking like this back home in S.F. this weekend

but he won't