When Did You . . . become a fan of the Patriots ?

[PatsBoy12]

Hi Everyone,

I am slowly working my way back to civilization. I watched every SB this past weekend (except Seattle), and yes, that includes the losses. In fact, it was the FIRST TIME since those losses that I had the courage to watch them. I mean that. And in fact, the 2011 SB made me angrier than the 2007 SB because we really had that game won. We played well enough and I feel, though the score didn't indicate it, we really dominated most of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th quarters of that game. Ah well.

Anyway, it made me wonder when I became a fan and, in turn, when you all became fans. I'll go first . . . obviously. LOL I became a fan in '95 when Parcells and Meggett arrived. Dave was my favorite player at the time and I grew up in NY, so the Giants were my favorite childhood team. When they migrated, so did I. Then Ty became my favorite player soon after and the rest is history. So 1995 started my Pats odyssey and it's been an incredible ride ever since. I am so thankful to root for this team, our QB and this amazing coach and staff. When did you become a Patriot?

 

[signbabybrady]

For me it was at birth. You see I was born into a family with season tickets and the rest is history. Thanks @fgssand!

 

[Tunescribe]

Worst thread title of 2016. I suggest you change it to: When did you become a Pats fan?

 

[Wax Frog]

I never get tired of telling my tale!

I grew up hating the Redskins, loving summer vacations in New Hampshire with my cousin, and - despite my dad's best efforts to explain what the athletes in the helmets and pads were up to - having little interest in watching football.

Then one fateful night in December 1985 A TV Guide Highlight caught my eye: "Wait a minute, NE HAS A TEAM???" Yep, somehow I managed to go through my entire childhood and teens without ever knowing the Patriots existed! I got glued to the television set later that evening. Despite the missed Tony Franklin kick at game's end, I was hooked, and I have remained so ever since.

 

[Froob]

Why would you do that to yourself?.... I don't understand why you would ever re-watch those SB losses.

 

[Zeus]

I watched a lot of football on television with my dad in the 60s. Truth be told, he was a Giants fan, as were many New Englanders before the AFL.

The guy my father worked for was a charter season ticket holder and a minor investor in the Boston Patriots. We got the seats once or twice a year, always dead on the 50 yard line. One of the first games I went to was in Fenway Park against the Houston Oilers on a Friday night in 1964. Gino Cappelletti kicked a 40 yd FG as the clock ran out to clinch a 25-24 win. I was at BC the day the stands caught fire during a preseason game and at Harvard Stadium the day a somewhat intoxicated Bob (Harpo) Gladieux got paged out of the crowd to make the tackle on the opening kickoff against the Dolphins.

When the team moved to Foxboro in 1971, a group of us (then in high school) went to all the games. End zone seats were $4 each. Then in 1972, we bought season tickets - section 22 in the south end zone, $5 per ticket, the money earned from my paper route. There are a lot of weird and funny stories about the mayhem that occurred on a routine basis in the early years at Schaefer Stadium.

Anyway, I've been a season ticket holder ever since; 2016 will be my 45th year. I didn't miss a home game between 1974 and 1999 and have missed less than ten over the 44 year span. It's a family thing now - my wife and two sons share my obsession.

Obviously, the last fifteen years are something I never would have imagined in my wildest dreams.

And I can't wait for the 2016 Patriots season to kick off.

 

[signbabybrady]

I watched a lot of football on television with my dad in the 60s. Truth be told, he was a Giants fan, as were many New Englanders before the AFL.

The guy my father worked for was a charter season ticket holder and a minor investor in the Boston Patriots. We got the seats once or twice a year, always dead on the 50 yard line. One of the first games I went to was in Fenway Park against the Houston Oilers on a Friday night in 1964. Gino Cappelletti kicked a 40 yd FG as the clock ran out to clinch a 25-24 win. I was at BC the day the stands caught fire during a preseason game and at Harvard Stadium the day a somewhat intoxicated Bob (Harpo) Gladieux got paged out of the crowd to make the tackle on the opening kickoff against the Dolphins.

When the team moved to Foxboro in 1971, a group of us (then in high school) went to all the games. End zone seats were $4 each. Then in 1972, we bought season tickets - section 22 in the south end zone, $5 per ticket, the money earned from my paper route. There are a lot of weird and funny stories about the mayhem that occurred on a routine basis in the early years at Schaefer Stadium.

Anyway, I've been a season ticket holder ever since; 2016 will be my 45th year. I didn't miss a home game between 1974 and 1999 and have missed less than ten over the 44 year span. It's a family thing now - my wife and two sons share my obsession.

Obviously, the last fifteen years are something I never would have imagined in my wildest dreams.

And I can't wait for the 2016 Patriots season to kick off.

Great story! I'm working on a fifteen year streak right now. I haven't missed a home game since 2000. Caught every game of the last season at Old Foxboro Stadium and never missed one at Gillette.

 

[JarOfMayo51]

I was about 9 years old for my first game at the old stadium, back in 1992 against the 49ers.. Joe Montana and Jerry Rice were playing in that game, Rice was my favorite player at the time and football on Sundays was like a religion in my house.. admittedly I also liked the Bills because my older brother really liked them, but I couldn't stand the Cowboys and almost all of my friends were diehard cowboy fans

 

[AJ_Lewis87]

I watched the 2011 superbowl, and rooted for the Patriots not knowing anything about American football (UK fan) was gutted they lost and have been a fan ever since

 

[RobertWeathers]

Why would you do that to yourself?.... I don't understand why you would ever re-watch those SB losses.

No kidding. Painful. I'd rather watch reruns of AFV w Bob Saget.

 

[Hammer of Thor]

Bandwagon fan who jumped about when the Pats started winning... in 1985. I was 9 years old at the time. Dad wasn't a huge Pats fan; I remember being excited in the 4th quarter of the AFC Championship Game in Miami and my Dad saying, "Don't get your hopes up, they're not beating the Bears, they have the Refrigerator." Still sticks out to me this day because he wasn't a huge football fan but unfortunately he was right on that one....

Stuck with them through the bad times thereafter. Dad himself wound up becoming a big Patriots fan after they started winning - although I think he's probably more of a Brady fan than anything. I finally went to my first game last year with my brother; it was the Jets game in Foxborough, that was a good time.

 

[Kdo5]

As early as I could sort of understand the game. 1996, the year we lost the Super Bowl to Green Bay. I was only six or seven though. So I haven't really experienced many years of losing.

And I could not watch both of those games through. Though I admit for some reason I have gloomily watched the long bombs to Moss and Gronk on YouTube many times. So damn close.

 

[1960Pats]

It all started for me in the late 50's. The NFL was on TV then and since we lived here in the northeast, we were fed the Giants games. However, as soon as I saw Jim Brown play I immediately became a Cleveland Browns fan.

Once the Patriots opened their doors we finally had a team of our own, but we were still fed only the NFL games on the boob tube. Although we didn't get to attend many games back then I did get to go to a Pats/Chargers game at Fenway Park in the early 60's. I can still picture Ernie Ladd warming up before the game by slamming into the padded goal post out in right field.

Once I started paying attention I saw how the NFL was trying to squash the AFL and I started to become bitter about that. I also hated the way the NFL avoided the AFL on the field. By the time the mid 60's rolled around I looked at the NFL as an enemy.

When the NFL finally decided to recognize the AFL and play us on the field it was during the Lombardi era of the Packers, and they won both of the first two superbowls. Then the Jets and Chiefs came back the next two years and shut those NFLers up for good. I don't remember ever feeling so great after a non Pats game victory before or since.

And after suffering for many years with the Boston/New England Patriots laughingstock days, here we are today as kings of the NFL. It's been a great ride.

 

[Seacoast Fan]

I was born into a Boston sports family so to speak... Been rooting for them all since late '60s. I can remember how excited we all were when Jim Plunkett was drafted!

 

[IllegalContact]

watched them a few times in the 60's / early 70's .... then in 1971, my dad got season tickets which the family held through 2006

seen it all

 

[PatsFanSince74]

My screen name says it. I went to the Season Opener in 1974 and watched them beat the reigning SB Champion Dolphins. That was a Dolphin team with six future HOF'ers on the field, led by Csonka, Bob Griese and Warfield, and one, Don Shula, on the sideline. The legendary Garo Yepremian was K.

Those were the days of Chuck Fairbanks, Jim Plunkett, Sam Bam Cunningham, Daryl Stingley, John Hannah, Mack Herron, Randy Vataha and host of others who live on in our memories.

I was hooked from the start.

 

[Canuck]

Growing up as a kid, I was a fan of the Packers and Bart Starr the QB. For various reasons 1966 was the last game of football I would see for awhile. Skip forward to 1975, I started my first real job and my co-workers were all avid sports fans. I roomed with a co-worker who was an avid Steelers fan, so I started to get interested in football again. Around this time the Patriots had drafted a young QB called Steve Grogan. Watching him play rekindled my love for football and I have been an avid Pats fans ever since. I am a Canadian and used to make a trip every once in awhile to see them play.

 

[Joey007]

Why would you do that to yourself?.... I don't understand why you would ever re-watch those SB losses.

I can manage to watch the 2011 SB ever since we won the last one. Really the only one I still can't watch is Super Bowl 42.

 

[Froob]

I can manage to watch the 2011 SB ever since we won the last one. Really the only one I still can't watch is Super Bowl 42.

But, why would you want to?

 

[upstater1]

1976, I was 8 years old.
Heartbreak.