Poll: Should Patriots have banners for AFC Championships

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

I think I recall making a similar thread to this a while back and wanted to revisit it as I feel like some of the sting of Super Bowl losses has dulled for many fans. Now let me tell you that first of all I'm not suggesting the Patriots become the Indianapolis Colts 2.0 with ridiculous banners, and the idea of SIX banners hanging at Gillette is going to be sick.

However, I come back to the idea that AFC Championship banners are exceptional achievements, and appearing in the Super Bowl (America's most popular sporting event) is a great accomplishment, win or lose. Keep in mind many leagues around the world give banners, trophies, etc. for a variety of team accomplishments like tournament winners, regular season winners, etc. Some NFL teams even hang divisional championship banners. And no, the 16-0 banner was not a good idea.

All in all, here's my point: I've developed a great appreciation for NFL history and the AFL's rich legacy. The Patriots should be particularly proud of having ELEVEN conference titles, the most in the league. Would it be such a bad thing to hang some red banners, perhaps smaller in size, to go along with the championship banners? Because I feel like watching those teams win the Lamar Hunt trophy and even play in the big game deserves some darn good recognition. Recently even Patriots detractors have refrained from "they lost three SBs" and even changed their tune to more of "they won six and played in NINE!" Nine appearances has aarguably become just as defining as an accomplishment and certainly something to marvel at.

1985 AFC Champions (First time appearance in the big game...a link to the past and the old unis too)
1996 AFC Champions (An important era of Patriots football, Bledsoe/Parcells accounted for here)
2007 AFC Champions (Come on...do we need to say why this was a special season?)
2011 AFC Champions (Amazing win over Ravens with shanked field goal by Cundiff)
2017 AFC Champions (Incredible comeback versus Jacksonville)

 

[Soliel]

AFC championship banners should be added.

Is there a ring for afc- nfc champs?

 

[SHOWTIME15]

There is zero room at Gillette for non-super bowl banners

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

AFC championship banners should be added.

Is there a ring for afc- nfc champs?

Yes - this article confirms it with photos of Belichick's AFC Championship rings. Plus there's the Lamar Hunt Trophy; in the NFC it's the George Halas trophy.

Here's why Bill Belichick was wearing 10 huge rings at the Patriots' ring party

Two of the other rings are AFC Championship rings that Belichick and the Patriots were given for making it to the Super Bowl, but not winning the game. When a team loses the Super Bowl, they're not given a "Super Bowl Losers" ring, instead, they're given a conference title ring.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

There is zero room at Gillette for non-super bowl banners

One more and you can say the same thing about Brady's fingers

(previous post confirms players have AFC Championship rings when they lose in SB.)

 

[Soliel]

With any luck, there will be banners everywhere.

 

[fnordcircle]

I can't imagine a scenario where a guy who handled the Lamar Hunt trophy like it was a piss jug would let them hang banners for conference championships.

 

[Uptown]

What does BB think about it?....

 

[Patjew]

Seeing a 2007 AFC Champions banner would make me puke.

 

[Username]

It would boost the banner making industry no end.....

 

[Soliel]

It would boost the banner making industry no end.....

Job creation.

 

[supafly]

I think winning the AFC title is certainly a banner worthy event, so I wouldn’t mind it at all, but I doubt they’d ever hang them. It would have happened already.

 

[Soliel]

I think winning the AFC title is certainly a banner worthy event, so I wouldn’t mind it at all, but I doubt they’d ever hang them. It would have happened already.

I agree. Strangely because of a rant in a news paper out of Pittsburgh. In that article, claims are made that in New England, any season ending short of a victory in the super Bowl is considered a failure.
For context reasons, what they were mad about is they did not go to the super bowl yet the team tried to lessen the backlash by saying they made it to the afccg. They lost to us and were in melt down mode but the writer made a good analogy.

He’s actually correct. We do not celebrate “almost winning “. What is that? What do you call almost winning?
I say it’s called losing.

 

[DarrylS]

Maybe they do not need a banner, instead maybe a series of logos for each AFC conference won displayed in a prominent location at Gillette...

IMO the SB banners are super enough, do not want to taint or water down those accomplishments.. OTOH 11 AFC Championships deserve recognition..

 

[Soliel]

Maybe they do not need a banner, instead maybe a series of logos for each AFC conference won displayed in a prominent location at Gillette...

IMO the SB banners are super enough, do not want to taint or water down those accomplishments.. OTOH 11 AFC Championships deserve recognition..

Yes. 11 AFC championships should be displayed in some way. I know one thing though. You can see it on opposing teams faces when they come here. It’s a look of imminent doom. Sort of like taliban who hear a C130 comming. They know it’s over but try to go down fighting. I’d tell you to ask them but you would have to buy a ouija board. Lmao

 

[Froob]

Nope, only title banners and retired numbers should be hung. I wish the Bruins would take all the non sense division titles and stuff down in the Garden and go Celtics style.

 

[RobertWeathers]

NO!

 

[LightSkinSmurf]

Probably not, but I feel bad for anyone treating AFC titles like they mean nothing. As if no game before the superbowl matters. As if winning the AFC title is easy. Makes no logical sense. AFC/NFC champions is a great accomplishment worthy of some kind of recognition. You are still a champion, just not a superbowl champion.

 

[zoostation]

phuck no

 

[Tb12goesinya]

Yes, the Super Bowl is an American showcase of it's favorite sport. They hand you a trophy on the field after you win your conference, and become the center of attention for 2 weeks.

Conference championship banners should be smaller and in a different location. Division titles even smaller yet, maybe in the concourse.