In honor of a game 5 years ago

[bruinsz77]

I was at the game as well. I agree with all the posts above...the tailgates were surreal...we were like how the hell are they goign to play in this ****...

The thing i most remember about the tuck rule was when it was called a lot of people starting leaving and were actually out of the arena. When they overturned it you could see a massive amount of people come running back into the stadium and security just said **** it and let everyone in!

Vinateri's kick was an act of God...when he first kicked it i heard a few ah ****...and then it seemed like God himself game down and carried the ball over the goalposts....the kick barely got any height...how that got over ill never know...i ended up at least 15 rows down my section on top of everyone...it was the single greatest moment of my life....

I will never forget this game

I even saw a raiders fan get pissed on in the stands.

Also does everyone realize that this was the last game at the old Foxboro Stadium...What a way to go out!!!!

 

[Fanfrom1960]

Also does everyone realize that this was the last game at the old Foxboro Stadium...What a way to go out!!!!

And, all of a sudden, good things started to happen in New England sports. That snow game, the rest of the playoffs that year, two more super bowls and even the Red Sox won a world series. That game started it all! What the hell, why not.

 

[chris_in_sunnyvale]

Some backstory first: When the Pats stuffed the Steelers on 4th and goal from the 1 in the 1997 post-season to preserve the 7-6 score, I thought it was a sign that the Pats would drive the field to win the game with a FG. When Vrabel stripped Bledsoe of the ball a few plays later to end the game, I was soooo frustrated that what I thought was destiny ended up being an illusion.

Now fast-forward to the Snow Game. Again, the Pats' D must come up huge to give the offense a chance to score or the season is over. Seymour stuffs Zack Crockett on 3rd and 1, forcing Oakland to punt...huge play just like Bruschi's four years earlier! The Pats are driving, then Woodson blindsides Brady upside the head, causing him to fumble as Greg Biekert recovers the ball. Visions of that Steelers loss come immediately to mind as I angrily mutter, "NOT AGAIN!" and punch the wall. Not the violent break-your-hand straight-on punch, but the pound-it-with-the-soft-underside punch like pounding your fist on a table. Nonetheless, my wife was horrified and pleaded with me to calm down. Before I get into a full-fledged rant, I see that they are reviewing the call and stare at the TV with a smirk on my face...there's no way this is getting overturned. When the Pats are awarded the ball, I slump back onto the couch...amazed and exhausted at what I just witnessed the last couple of minutes.

Shortly thereafter, Vinatieri is lining up for the 45yd kick. I'm thinking there's no way he makes this kick so I'm already resigned to defeat. As the kick clears the line, I could not see the ball on TV anymore so I had no idea if it was good or not until the refs raised their arms. This game is tied?!? I was too exhausted to get excited. When Gruden has Gannon take a knee on his own 35yd line with *two* timeouts after the ensuing kickoff, I started getting my groove back. I'm thinking Gruden is going to regret that chickenpoop move and just knew the Pats were taking this game in OT.

In OT, I remember: JR Redmond breaking a tackle on the right sideline, turning an 8yd play into a 20yd play; Patten's 4th down conversion that Wiggins came real close to screwing up by reaching for the ball; Antowain Smith barreling over a demoralized Raiders D on two straight runs to inside their 10 after Patten's huge catch; Adam kicking the winner and Paxton's snow angel. My arms went up in the air more in relief than in happiness. That final hour was an emotional rollercoaster.

In retrospect, this game and the tuck play in particular had a huge impact on the franchise. If the game ended on the tuck play, Brady would have been one-and-done in his first playoff action and all offseason the fans and media would have argued whether or not Bledsoe would have done better. Perhaps Bledsoe doesn't get traded and there's a QB controversy heading into 2002. Who knows how that would have affected the 2003 & 2004 title seasons. The Snow Game was one of those franchise-turning moments like when Mo Lewis knocked Bledsoe out of action, introducing the NFL to Tom Brady. This is why I remember that night so well. I had no idea they would win SB36 two weeks later, but nonetheless I knew I was watching football history unfold before my eyes.

Regards,
Chris

 

[oldskool138]

The Snow Bowl was the best game I never saw.

I was in the Navy at the time and had to stand watch during the game. I remember pacing back and forth at my post hoping for an update. I would call in (on my radio) every half hour to get an update on the score. When they said the score was 13-3 going into the fourth quarter, my stomach was in knots. I wondered if they would put Drew Bledsoe in to see if he could get a much needed touchdown.

Then, the guy on the other end of the radio tells me Brady fumbles and that the game is over. I remember feeling angry at first and then I said to myself, "Hey, at least they made it to the playoffs and made a game of it". Next thing I knew, the guy says that Adam just kicked a field goal to send it into overtime. I knew nothing of the tuck rule at the time

At the end of my watch, I raced to the nearest TV and saw the celebration in far away Foxboro. I had to watch Sports Center to catch the highlights. Luckily, "Three Games to Glory" came out and I was able to see the game for the first time. I'll never forget that long night in Virginia when the Pats turned the sports world on its head and started a new dynasty for the new millennium!

 

[Murphys95]

what are your personal recollections of the Patriots-Raiders Snow Game?

Only great memories of that day. The most memorable for me actually occurred prior to the game. My buddy and I arrived at the stadium lots at 3:45pm, but it wasn't til around 4:45 that the first snow flakes began to fall. At first there were only a few scattered flakes, but within a matter of minutes it really started to come down. It was at that point that it happened.....something which at first sounded like echoes of some far away medievil battle, but as the rumbling sound grew closer, it was unmistakable what it was...

....we were caught up in what can only be described as one giant collective roar! I mean, Pats fans everywhere were just bellowing at the top of their lungs at the arrival of the snowstorm. The sound enveloped the entire parking lot. Moments later as it died down, you could still hear the chorus of yells off the distance, kind of like a departing freight train. It was a totally surreal moment.

 

[wdkantro2]

My memories of that game:
I couldn't go, because we have a total of 4 tickets, but they are in sets of 2. Usually our family goes (me, brother, mother, father), but it was too much for my mom to handle, so we went to my best friends house to watch it. I still call his TV the "Miracle" TV because it seemed like for the longest time, every game we watched on it had some kind of miraculous ending. Anyway, the first half of the game, for an uneducated fan (which I was at the time), was very boring. We were basically getting dominated. As the game went on, I noticed we started to find a groove. I felt great going into that drive, but as soon as the ball was snapped I saw Woodson blitzing, and thought, "Oh NO." As soon as Brady lost the ball, I was shocked. Biekert fell on it, and my mind was racing a million miles a minute. I was trying to think of a way we could get the ball back, but it was hopeless. The whole time, my friend was saying it would get overturned, even before the review started. I couldn't explain the feeling I had when the play got overturned. Once we completed another pass, I thought to myself, "game over." There was no coming back for the Raiders after that.

 

[wdkantro2]

I just watched the game on youtube via the link provided on the first page. One thing I love about that game is Gino and Gil showed some emotion when the call got overturned. I love that "Allright!"

Also, I forgot about the Raiders 3rd and 1 that they failed to convert in the 4th quarter. Did you expect anyone besides #51 Bryan Cox to be the one to make that tackle?

 

[Patriotic]

I just watched the game on youtube via the link provided on the first page. One thing I love about that game is Gino and Gil showed some emotion when the call got overturned. I love that "Allright!"

Also, I forgot about the Raiders 3rd and 1 that they failed to convert in the 4th quarter. Did you expect anyone besides #51 Bryan Cox to be the one to make that tackle?

The Raiders were 2nd and 2 . . . the Pats stuffed them two straight plays. We all remember the third down stuff but the second down stuff was just as important. The Raiders could of run out the clock with a first down.

Sweet memories. :eat3:

 

[Tunescribe]

It sometimes gets lost as we remember the Super Bowls. But what are your personal recollections of the Patriots-Raiders Snow Game?

For me, that was the first time I ever bawled my eyes out after a win. Watching it on TV, wife and kids upstairs asleep, snowstorm blowing all over Massachusetts, it looked I was watching a game played in a magical snowglobe. It had already been a great season, and I remember wondering when it was 13-3 if Belichick would put Bledsoe in and hoping he wouldnt.

I was glad for Brady that he led that great drive to make it 13-10 if only to show the country what we had seen all year.

When the play happened, when I thought the game was over on a fumble, I buried my head and thought about what a great season it was and hoping fans wouldnt pile on the kid.

Suddenly I heard Greg Gumble say "they are going to review this" and I looked up. When I saw the replay and heard the roar of the crowd my heart started revving up. When they reversed the call it started a chain of euphoria that just kept getting better and better.

As Vinatieri's kick, which I thought he missed, sailed over the cross bars I did a silent leap ( kids asleep upstairs) and said over and over THIS IS BERNIE CARBO! THIS IS BERNIE CARBO!

the rest of the game was magic as you KNEW we were going to win. As the OT kick went through I collapsed in a heap in my living room and sobbed. I was drained and so happy and I recognized the beauty of what I had seen, that NFL Films would love this. That finally, the Patriots had their historical, signature moment. Baltimore. Pittsburgh. I didnt care. We were going to the AFC Championship Game. And I loved Tom Brady and Adam Vinatieri.

I never want to forget Jermaine Wiggins or J.R.Redmond or David Patten or Bryan Cox or anyone else associated with that night.

Heres a nice video to bring back some memories
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMMa7cZb2Jc

I was privileged enough to be at that game. The snow was surreal, I wasn't prepared to see a field of white entering the stadium. I had assumed it would've been swept off, but there was too much of it! It was really fluffy snow, and it would pile up on your head and shoulders. Everyone was standing for pretty much the whole night. I remember a guy a few rows in front of me who had an air horn in each hand, blasting them when the Raiders had the ball (he would never have gotten them into Gillette).

After Coleman's call on the famous "tuck rule" play, I had the feeling we'd win. With the snow, and dark, I couldn't see the flight of Vintatieri's kick that tied it 13-13, so we had to watch the refs. When their arms went up the place went nuts. It was like being firsthand witness to a fairytale, the final game in Foxboro Stadium with the team fighting so hard and things going our way, coming from behind in the face of adversity. I bought a special playoff hat at that game which I wore to keep the snow out of my face -- it has the logos of both teams on the front and the date stitched on the back. I've made it a point to buy a playoff hat at every Pats playoff game I've attended since, and they haven't lost yet!

 

[MrBigglesWorth]

I remember that fumble occurring and immediately thinking the season is over and having to endure the kneel downs. And then I thought...... now I have to wait another year.

Then it's reversed and what a great feeling.

Plus when AV kicked the field goal to tie it I was amazed.

 

[Patjew]

How the hell did that kick make it. It's physically impossible. I almost hate to watch highlights of this game because I expect the fumble ruling to stand or the kick to miss.

I swear, without this game no Pats Super Bowls and no Red Sox World Series. This game taught us New Englanders, especially the younger ones, that our teams don't always come up short.

 

[Michigan Dave]

Time to watch 3G2G now. This thread has me pumped!