Most people I know hated the switch to "New England" and of course the Bay State was even worse.
The Boston Patriots sounds much better- would you really want the "New England Celtics", N.E. Red Sox or Bruins?
It had nothing to do with including all of New England- the C's, Sox and B's all represent the entire region. It was ONLY done by the Sullivan's as a slap in the face to the City of Boston for not helping with the stadium.
With a clown like Sullivan running the show, Boston did the right thing. If the Pats had better ownership(i.e. more fiscally responsible), Gillette Stadium might be located within the Boston city limits and the team still be known as the Boston Patriots.
But it's all water under the bridge. Can't change back now, that includes the unis.( sorry, Actual Pat's Fan).
Who cares now,anyway? We're the greatest franchise in NFL history. In the midst of the greatest run of sustained success in the history of the league and it's not OVAH. Good chance for a couple more Lombardi's in the next few years.
The name of the team and the unis are ir-f*ckin-relevant.
The team could wear clown suits on the field and I could care less. It's how they play that makes us proud, not what they look like.
While I watched the NBA finals in 1969, 1974 and 1976, I did not know who the Celtics' owner was.
I did not care who the Celtics' owner was.
It did not matter who the Celtics' owner was.
The players, coaches, staff and general manager had to do with basketball.
And the old Celtics from past generations kept involved and present as the years went by, and the team was recognizable on the court.
Nothing wrong with choosing hating Billy Sullivan over keeping it about football; Kraft should simply rename the team: The Boston Krafts, the Foxborough Krafts, the New England Krafts, great - He wants to be the Houston Texans, no problem.
Kraft will go to his grave loving the local Boston media, and loving the National Football League and its front office,
no matter what they do, and hating and resenting Billy Sullivan.
His kind rhetoric toward alumni from prior to 1994 will never contain an ounce of affection for the team, or one iota of awareness of football or New England.